F.P.Journe – Linesport Chronometre Furtif Back Tungsten Carbide

 

F.P.JOURNE – LineSport Chronomètre Furtif Tungsten Carbide Back Grand Feu Enamel Dial 2025

CHRONOMÈTRE FURTIF
AN ODE TO UNDERSTATEMENT

Now joining the lineSport Collection, the Chronomètre Furtif takes us back to the fundamentals : having the time for yourself alone.

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While the unique “Chronomètre Furtif Bleu” Only Watch 2024 piece was the first in the world to feature a Tantalum case and bracelet, the small production run of the Chronomètre Furtif has been designed by François-Paul Journe to have a 42 mm case and bracelet made from Tungsten Carbide (interspersed with Tantalum elements). 

It is an extremely hard material (approximately 1350 Vickers and 9 on the Mohs scale, which is close to the hardness of corundums such as sapphire), obtained by combining carbon and tungsten at high temperatures ; it is double the density of steel, and almost as dense as gold. Usually used for highly technical applications, it is the perfect option as, in addition to its biocompatibility and low chemical reactivity, it is highly shock-resistant and practically indestructible.

A Dense, Time-Resistant Case

For the design of each of the elements which make up the exterior of this 42 mm timepiece, which is just 9.5 mm thick, the Manufacture was able to rely on the expertise of Les Boîtiers de Genève, a specialist entity owned by F.P.Journe, integrated since 2012, and with workshops located in Meyrin on the outskirts of Geneva. 

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Perfect mastery of the machining process was essential for tackling a project as audacious as this, as the work is wholly unlike turning components made from steel, titanium or even tantalum, which itself is highly complex to work due to its inherent properties. This is the metal the Manufacture employed for the one-off “Chronomètre Furtif Bleu” piece. Creating the entire exterior from Tungsten Carbide required access to the latest generation of tooling. Les Boîtiers de Genève boasts a cutting-edge machine park, used to the best of its capacities through complex and innovative processes, allowing them to push the limits of engineering in terms of machining and finishes. 

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As François-Paul Journe explained when speaking about this new timepiece : “I designed the case and we worked with the Manufacture’s design office on its general internal and external dimensions with a view to integrating the calibre.” Then, the engineers and machinists working for Les Boîtiers de Genève, to whom F.P.Journe gives great lat-itude, were responsible for reworking the entire case middle. They were in charge of the sand-blasted and polished finishes. The same process obviously applied to the bracelet that these specialists developed from the model designed by the F.P.Journe Manufacture’s founder. Thanks to their mastery in working demanding metals, these ultra-specialist craftsmen have successfully overcome the chal-lenge of designing a flat three-row link, also made entirely from Tungsten Carbide.

A Dial Rising from the Flames

In order to do justice to this exceptional casing, F.P.Journe opted to bestow this new watch with a mirror-polished anthracite grey Grand Feu enamel on white Gold dial, designed in the same spirit as the one adorning the unique piece sold at the Only Watch 2024 auction. This fired disc reflects the expertise and creativity possessed by the artists working within Les Cadraniers de Genève, a hub of expert craftsmen owned by F.P.Journe, which shares its building and cutting-edge technology with Les Boîtiers de Genève.

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In the workshops, the combined technical and artistic skills allow the level of aesthetic perfection required for such a timekeeping instru-ment to be achieved. It can be found in all stages of production, from the different layers of powdered enamel to the polishing, separated by numerous firing stages in a kiln heated to over 800°C (1472°F).

These high-risk operations are managed perfectly, but this does not prevent accidents from occasionally happening during production. The colour may not be strictly uniform due to unwanted movements of air in the kiln. The disc may suffer a tiny deformation if the counter enamel is not applied uniformly or is not thick enough. The vitrified surface may crack during the final polishing, or shatter if cooled too quickly once the dial is removed from the kiln, or because of an impurity in the material. Once the inspection of the discs which have passed through these complex trials is complete, their numerals and discreet minute tracks are engraved with a laser. These are elements that only the owners of this watch will be able to see by altering the angle of the dial against the light. 

Then, the understated elongated teardrop hands are attached ; these are tinted in a very similar colour to the dial so that they appear to melt into its anthracite grey enamel surface. Lastly, running over the top of these two indicators, a long and lightweight second hand is meticulously driven in, here tinted white so that it forms an ultra-graphic point that draws the eye.

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      1. Preparation − White Gold dial with a hand-finished surface before enamel application.
      2. Enamelling − Successive applications and firings of vitrified enamel at high temperatures (800°C ⁄ 1472°F).
      3. Polishing − Mirror-polishing for a smooth and deep surface.
      4. Matte finishing − Laser frosted numbers, logo and track for a stealth effect.

 A Calibre Which Goes Straight to the Essential

This coherent whole, with its retro yet contemporary design, houses the Calibre 1522. It is a new hand-wound mechanical movement in 18K rose Gold measuring 33.50 mm in diameter and 5.90 mm thick. Developed in-house by F.P.Journe, it displays the hours and minutes but also the central seconds thanks to a central second hand driven directly into the axis of the dedicated wheel.

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This movement has an in-line geartrain : a real first for F.P.Journe. With its 197 components, the Calibre 1522 has a regulating organ equipped with a 15-tooth escapement wheel, a straight-line anchor and a balance with four inertia blocks and a micro-flamed flat Anachron balance spring oscillating at 3 Hertz, or 21’600 vibrations per hour.

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Placed horizontally on the 3-9 o’clock axis, in the centre of the round 18K rose Gold main plate finished in line with the highest standards of Haute Horology, it is framed by two useful indicators which complete the free space here. At 12 o’clock sits the power reserve indicator with two barrels mounted in parallel and which, once wound, guarantee 56 hours of operation with chronometric tolerances. The crown used to wind them also allows the time to be set, and, when pulled out to the second position, it is also used to set our natural satellite which is realistically depicted in the moon phase window at 6 o’clock.

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Understated, accurate, and time-resistant, the Chronomètre Furtif is going straight to the essential, it is a timekeeping instrument designed and realised with strict respect for tradition, but with one eye firmly on the future of Haute Horlogerie.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Collection: Linesport 

Model:  Chronomètre Furtif 

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Ref.  FB

Movement
    Calibre 1522 in 18K rose Gold
    Manual winding, 38 turns of the crown
    Overall diameter: 33.50 mm
    Overall height: 5.90 mm
    Height of winding system: 2.20 mm
    Diameter of stem thread: S0.90 mm
    Balance with 4 inertia weights
    Flat Anachron microflamed spring
    Mobile stud holder
    Free-sprung balance
    Nivatronic laser-welded to the collet
    Pinned GE stud
    Frequency: 21,600 v/h, (3Hz)
    Inertia: 10.10 mg*cm2
    Angle of lift: 52°
    Amplitude: 0 h dial up: 320° 24 h dial up: 280°
    Main Characteristics: Time setting in position 3 and moon in position 2 of the crown
    Escapement: Linear lever escapement, 15 teeth

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Indications
    Dial: hours, minutes and central direct seconds
    Back: moon phase at 6 o’clock and power reserve at 12 o’clock
Dial
    Mirror-polished anthracite grey Grand Feu enamel on white Gold with frosted numerals
    Matte rhodium-plated Steel hour and minute hands
    White color Steel seconds hand
Autonomy   56 ± 2 hours
Finishing
    Mainplate with circular graining and barleycorn decoration Bridges bevelled, circular grained, with Côtes de Genève
    Steel mirror-polished, bevelled, satin finished, or circular grained, depending on the component
    Polished screw heads with chamfered slots
    Pegs with polished rounded ends
Case
    Tungsten carbide case and bracelet
    Diameter: 42 mm
    Total height: 9.50 mm
    Tungsten carbide
    Caseback, bumper, bezel ring and crown in tantalum
    Finishing: sandblasted case and bezel, polished caseback, bumper, bezel ring and crown
Bracelet
    3-row flat-link
    Tungsten Carbide
    Finishing: sandblasted with polished chamfers
    Folding clasp in titanium with polished tantalum cap
Number of parts
    Movement without dial: 197
    Cased up with bracelet: 422
    Jewels: 21

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