The Octa Quantième Perpétuel represents an innovative and thoughtful approach to the long-established complication by François-Paul Journe. First announced in 2012, the Quantième Perpétuel builds on the watchmaker’s existing 1300.3 calibre as the basis for his second perpetual calendar, which was finally released in 2015.

The history

The Octa movement was introduced in 2001, becoming the third ever caliber developed by François-Paul Journe, following the Tourbillon Souverain and the Chronomètre à Résonance. It was also the first automatic mechanism designed by the brand, which would go on to power a range of different complicated watches. The Octa Réserve de Marche and the Octa Lune were the first two to be released, marking the manufacture's first steps into automatic pieces.

What Journe aspired to do was create a base calibre that could hold all kinds of complications, without gaining a fraction of a millimetre in thickness or width. This is why all the movements in the Octa line we have today share the same dimensions, no matter what complication they hold. Announced in 2012, and subsequently released three years later, the Quantième Perpétuel takes this base movement and integrates one of the classic complications of horology. 

The Design

In the design, Monsieur Journe used familiar pieces from the Chronomètre Souverain and Octa Calendrier. Like the Souverain, the outer track of the Quantième Perpétuel holds the embossed decorative Arabic numerals, though with the power-reserved indicator located at 9 o’clock.

Borrowing from the Calendrier, the Quantième Perpétuel indicates the day and month in two concise windows, further adding the date display within two additional oversized windows at 6 o’clock, replacing the Octa Calendrier’s distinctive long arc for the date, present in Journe’s first perpetual calendar, the Octa Perpetuelle. The Quantième Perpétuel is one of the first of a generation of central dials, distinguished by a polished steel ring securing the centre of the dial.

Sized at 40mm, this Quantième Perpétuel features a rounded bezel, thin lugs and the manufactures' oversized ‘flat crown’ with a rope-like pattern. The entire watch is polished and mirror finished, while the crown itself is engraved. All the calendar functions are adjusted using the crown, with exception to the months (and leap year), which are advanced using a corrector concealed underneath the 1 o’clock lug.

The mechanism allows for simultaneous correction of the day and date in one direction, separating it from the isolated rotation of the day in the opposite direction, once the second position of the winding stem is engaged. The Quantième Perpétuel is an instantaneous perpetual calendar, with all calendar displays jumping simultaneously, in a flash, at midnight.

The Movement

This self-winding, Calibre 1300.3 is made out of rose gold, with straight Côtes de Genève embellishments, constructed with a shock absorber mechanism. It further features a straight-line lever escapement, and monometallic 4-arm balance with 4 timing weights, adjusted to 5 positions. It includes a self-compensating free-sprung flat balance spring, and an off-centre bi-directional 22-carat gold guilloché rotor.

The Set

This F.P. Journe Octa Quantième Perpétuel is in excellent condition, fitted to a bespoke grey saffiano leather strap with curved-ends, measuring 20 x 19mm. The set also includes the original outer box, inner wooden box, guarantee card, polishing cloth, original receipt, USB card and a grey alligator strap from F.P. Journe.

Closer look