AN99 FP Journe Automatique 20th Anniversary Reserve de Marche

Brass movement Journe is usually described as stopping in 2004, when the brand moved to pink gold movements. That’s largely true, at least until 2021, when a 99 piece run of the Octa Automatique was produced in brass at 40mm. And it gets even better, because gold dials came back as well. For those who know, most Journe models used to be offered with either yellow, pink, or white gold dials. Then, once pink gold was introduced as the standard calibre, it was deemed that yellow gold dials would clash with the pink gold calibres. They’ve vanished since 2004. Until this, just recently. What’s old is new again, and we all loved it: the AN99

40mm is an interesting choice here, as the only other brass calibres made at 40 were in the Zodiac and Ruthenium series, although the Rutheniums were coated over brass. FP Journes early gold dials have an immense character. Part of that is the material or finish and another part of that is the manner in which they age. This dial will likely move a bit rosier and bit more uneven over time, but that is absolutely part of the charm of FP Journe’s yellow gold dials. They’re not fixed, much in the same way that some of the best vintage wears time gracefully, so too does this.

It’s also quite interesting that the Automatique was chosen for this venture. The Automatique came out in 2001 with all the other Octa or self-wound models. That collection really became the backbone of the brand, though Resonance and Tourbillon were always the more famed. Yet, it was the Octas that most could and did aspire toward. Perhaps paying tribute to that legacy is more thoughtful than it might seem. The production of the AN99 was as restrained as the dial, at (you guessed it) 99 pieces. This is the first one I know of to sell in the secondary. Maybe we’re all just romantic, but something about these early dials and brass really does have an inherent beauty in Journe.

This example looks to have hardly been worn or used at all, case condition is effectively perfect. It comes with its full set from a well-regarded Florida retailer.