First Look – F.P. Journe Brings Havana Dials To The Octa Automatique Reserve and Lune
We already knew F.P. Journe watches with black dials, with gold dials or with blue dial (that blue dial…). Well, today, we will be the first to show you Journe watches with a brand new kind of color. Discreetly unveiled on the newly launched social media channels of the brand (see here for the post), we’ve been rather surprised and intrigued when seeing it, here at the Monochrome-Watches redaction. No more suspense, here are the new F.P. Journe Octa Automatique Reserve and Automatique Lune with stunning Havana Dials, live.
It might be stating the obvious, but this Aquaracer doesn’t have a tourbillon or a modular case construction. Nor is it a smart watch, or a reissue of a ’70s watchmaking icon. This is a plain old ‘new watch’ from a well known family. No bells, no whistles, just an absolute winner of a watch. On paper it’s a 43mm titanium-cased diver with a matt black finish thanks to the titanium carbide treatment and a matching black ceramic bezel, powered by a Sellita movement, and rated to 300m. The dial has distinctive horizontal stripes, reminiscent of the ‘garage door’ look popularised by Patek’s Nautilus. All the highlights, from applied numerals and hands to chunky nylon strap are ‘sand’ in colour, and the luminous material is generous. The bright orange second hand and triangle on the bezel are the only breaks from this utilitarian colour scheme. So that’s the by-the-numbers rundown. What this fails to capture is just how awesome this watch is on the wrist. It’s a well-designed, purposeful piece that looks killer. The black and tan colour scheme gives the Aquaracer a military vibe, but without the sense of earnestness you’d get from a comparable watch by the likes of Sinn or Luminox. And if…