F.P. Journe Chronometre Souverain
For most of this decade, various online prognosticators have posted entertaining theories of which watchmaker might be the next F.P. Journe. Predictions were made on Substack and Reddit of where collectors should look when seeking the Next One. It’s been a fascinating time period in which the Covid-era hype was at its frenzied peak, the watch market slumped and then rebounded, and many enthusiasts have been energized by the thought of landing an exciting piece.
Half a decade has passed and Journe is still in the midst of a years-long moment, even to the point of oversaturation among social media and fans alike. Record-breaking auction results for early complications have brought new eyes to Francois-Paul’s namesake conceptions. Revolution magazine founder Wei Koh’s TV series Man Of The Hour devoted its inaugural episode to the man and his legend. If you’re into reading, viewing, and talking about watches, it’s impossible to get away from the brand.
Ubiquitous to the watch community but still under the surface to the general public, there are a few new breakout stars that have risen to the forefront in the last couple of years. Some liken these highly esteemed watchmakers to the previous generation’s F.P. Journe. Names like Sylvain Berneron, Rexhep Rexhepi and Simon Brette are held in rarified air and their offerings are sold out to early adopters months or even years before they can be produced. More established independent brands such as De Bethune, Kari Voutilainen and Laurent Ferrier continue to be held in high regard for their vision and craftsmanship.
Yet none of these and other esteemed names will be the next F.P. Journe. Despite the vast amount of talent, innovation and increased technology presenting itself in the world of horology, there will never be another F.P. Journe, based on all the brand represents and has achieved. Sad to consider, perhaps, but there are too many obstacles to allow it to occur.
The factors which have crystallized since Journe founded his atelier in 1999 are simply not the same today as they were 25 years ago. At that time, independent watchmaking was not at the forefront of the industry and legendary watchmakers such as Vianney Halter and Richard Mille were releasing miniscule quantities of their pieces, with startling price points far beyond the reach of most collectors. Halter’s steampunk visualization in the Antiqua retailed in the mid-$60,000s, which would be around $130,000 today. Released a few years later, Mille’s RM 001 Tourbillon went for $135,000. And the Journe original souscription price for his Chronometre a Resonance? A true bargain at approximately $15,000 USD. For many years, price points for the brand’s pieces remained relatively within reach, with collectors reporting discounts available as recently as the middle of last decade.
F.P. Journe eventually ramped up to making 900-1,000 watches per year, which is proving to be a sweet spot for its popularity. Someone like Voutilainen releases under 100 pieces per year, and Laurent Ferrier, though not as popular with the general watch-buying public, creates under 500. The availability of just enough Journe watches on the secondary market coupled with stunning auction house results has generated a firestorm of interest in the brand from novices to seasoned veteran collectors. Nothing spells free publicity like a hammer price of more than $10 million USD for a watch sold at auction. That it has occurred twice within the past 12 months demonstrates it’s not a fluke.
To get to the Journe level of popularity and reverence, the right balance of price and obtainability must be attained. Of course, it’s notoriously difficult to obtain one of their watches at retail, but it can be accomplished with patience, determination, and without a requirement to purchase anything else from the brand. Current award-winning “it” brand Berneron has declared it will only make 24-36 per model for the immediate term, with a longer-range goal of upping production capabilities to 600 total watches annually in the next 10 years. This is being done, in part, to guarantee “strong collectability,” per the brand’s declared vision. While this mindset makes owning a Berneron intriguing and exclusive, it is also so limiting that very few potential fans will ever have one on their wrist. Berneron’s two releases to date, Mirage and Quantieme, have expressed designs of derring-do as Journe has done in the past. Yet with availability so tightly constrained, and price points which doubled from the Mirage to Quantieme, Berneron and other similar independents’ ability to climb the ladder to Journe’s god-like status are dubious, at best.
Watch enthusiasts spend a lot of time and effort trying to uncover the next Journe. They want to buy a watch by a brand that is not only under-the-radar cool, but to get in on the ground-floor from an affordability perspective. In 2026, this is nearly impossible. All of the many ways to learn about a young watchmaker create instant, piranha-like frenzies on social media and in What’sApp watch groups. A prime example of this is the young Japanese brand Otsuka Lotec. Watchmaker Jiro Katayama’s background in industrial product design is at the forefront of a Mad Max ethos reminiscent of Vianney Halter’s quirkiness. Retail price points are much more affordable – $3,000-$6,000 for the initial range of very limited production models. Even on the secondary market, they are generally still under $10,000. But two problems to date will prevent the brand’s ascension to Journe levels. First, at least so far, purchasing one is limited to those who have a Japanese address and a Japanese-based credit card. Second, so many of the watches that have been released seem to be constantly popping up for sale on Ebay and other secondary sales outlets and auction sites. Do people really want to own the watches, or are they just trying to get one to flip it?
Many watch collectors will read these words and scoff at the idea of owning a Journe, denigrating the tedious process to buy one at retail and the outlandish cost to buy one on the secondary market. Human nature is such that when we want something and are repeatedly told we can’t have it, our minds eventually begin to form a negative halo around the object of desire. It’s a psychological response to diminish the infatuation. Yet, for those who can afford to buy one, how many would realistically turn down the option to do so were it offered by a boutique?
The Goldilocks zone containing the perfect amount of desirability, availability and price point of any product is exceedingly rare to find in the modern era. Social media’s hype machine unblinkingly creates and then destroys things with its unrelenting momentum. The sometimes-cynical world of watch collecting is no exception to this boom/bust cycle. The booms might last longer than other luxury items and the busts are usually not as extreme, but watches are not immune to this affliction.
There are watchmakers already releasing incredible pieces today and many more future stewards of the craft yet to be born who will use their skills to create fantastic and unimaginable watches. They will ignite the community’s desires. Yet the conditions which allowed a brand like F.P. Journe to incubate, organically grow and then triumphantly flourish to rare levels are not able to be duplicated in today’s world. There will never be another watch brand like it again.