F.P. Journe
Hot Shots: F.P. Journe Chronomètre Holland & Holland
F.P. Journe
Hot Shots: F.P. Journe Chronomètre Holland & Holland
Unveiled to the world on 12 October was the fruit of this collaboration, a limited edition, time-only masterpiece with a dial that honours a special skill identified with gun-making. The project was triggered by the discovery of two antique and rare Damascus steel Holland & Holland guns, each over 100 years old, and said to be the fruits of know-how that “has been since forgotten.”
What makes them so special is the inherent beauty found in their construction, thanks to the use of Damascus steel. The technique, once called “pattern welding”, employs bars of two or more different types of steel, varying in carbon content, which are forged together into a single bar. As this was achieved by heating, twisting and hammering as needed, and then folding the bar, hammering and forging it again, the resultant bar showed its layers of steel as wavy lines or other patterns according to the method of manufacture and the chemical composition of the types of steel used in the making.
To produce the dials for the Journe watches, the gun barrels were first cut along their entire length at the Holland & Holland factory and rolled out to form flat strips, cut again and then cleaned and polished. The material was then sent to F.P.Journe’s own dial makers, Les Cadraniers de Genève where the dials were cut out.
Back in England, Holland & Holland “browned” them, using a traditional gun-making technique that helps protect the steel. This also highlights the patterns created during the original manufacture of the Damascus barrels. As the fortunate owners of the watches will discover, each dial thus has a unique pattern.
A model of simplicity, the time-only F.P. Journe and Holland & Holland wristwatch exudes the values and aesthetic markers of both houses. But this does, however, raise a question: Is Journe-plus-Holland & Holland double- or triple-barrelled?