FP Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante

This is a superwatch both physically and in terms of complications. Very few sports watches can split seconds. FP Journe introduced the Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante in 2018, building off an experimental Split Seconds project for Only Watch which hammered at 1.15M CHF. By popular demand, FP Journe refined that calibre and included it in the LineSport catalogue a year later. The result is an unapologetically heavy, opulent, and refined integrated bracelet Rattrapante. 

Photography for this Find comes via Hodinkee, example coming to auction via Phillips. 

The calibre 1518 is so named because work began in 2015 and it measures 18 French ligne across. Yet, as François-Paul Journe hates thickness, the calibre is just 6.8mm thin despite requiring 285 components. The 1518 uses twin column wheels with a traditional rattrapante pincer. The upper pusher starts, stops, and resets the entire chronograph—hence 'Monopoussoir'—while the lower pusher splits and syncs the secondary hand. FP Journe chose an oscillating pinion horizontal clutch over a vertical clutch for aesthetic reasons, enabling a perfectly precise chronograph start and stop not jumping. The dial is purple guilloche, which is nothing short of loud against platinum. The outer track, numerals, and hands are frosted to echo case finishing, while the split hand is in stark white. At 6 o'clock sits what François-Paul calls a 'very large date', to avoid Lange IP we suspect.

The case measures 44mm across and just 12mm thin, available in red gold, platinum, and titanium. This platinum features a matte finish from a randomized machine-hammering process, contrasted by mirrored bevels and bezel sides. The bezel features a tachymetric scale in ceramic—rare for FP Journe. The bracelet is woven with vulcanized rubber accents and rubber trim details designed for durability in any environment, with an inner-link shape facilitating airflow for comfort. If you hate the rubber, they did later make it without it as well.

The Monopoussoir Rattrapante makes high complication usable in daily life without sacrificing daring or refinement. It shatters the notion that an ultimate wristwatch need be discreet — this is high-level watchmaking with no punches pulled, no corners cut, and no apologies made.