Élégante 40, Pink Gold

This ref. EL, an Élégante 40 in pink gold without any diamonds, is amongst the rarest Élégantes ever made. Where almost all examples are titanium, a small fraction of 40-case production was in pink gold with diamond bevels on the case and a black dial. This example is in pink gold with no diamonds whatsoever, a specification only available at special request—with a factory Karung leather strap. This listing marks a market debut, one has never appeared prior at auction or publicly. It is arguably the most graceful and luxurious of Élégantes.

In the early years, the Élégante was designed for women. In 2003, François-Paul made a trip to the Middle East where he found some of his collectors' wives were pining for an FP Journe of their own. Quartz was the obvious choice for the lifestyle requests François-Paul received. The challenge was not taken lightly. The result proved so well-executed that it was later executed in a larger size to meet the many requests from men for a larger take on the watch. 

FP Journe refused to simply hide a quartz movement away, but instead sought to create one worth displaying proudly. Development of the quartz calibre 1210 took so long for the sake of a microprocessor, needed for its pièce de résistance: standby mode. After 35 minutes of no motion, the hands shut down. The opening on the dial is for a small gold oscillating mass, a mechanical element which 'wakes up' its calibre upon picking it back up. The hands then move clockwise or counter-clockwise, depending on which path is shorter, to the correct time. This extreme care in engineering means a 10 year battery life with 18 years of standby. Calibre 1210 even uses two separate motors for the main and seconds hands to eliminate frictional losses of energy that come with long gear trains. The base of the calibre is still pink gold, with 132 components and much hand decoration still.

The Élégante was made initially in this 40mm model (which wears comparably to a circular 36mm), followed by a 48mm (which wears comparably to a 40 or 41mm). The case design is a modern 'Tortue', with very faceted details and ultra-thin at 7.35mm. Interestingly, the Élégante is the only FP Journe with a screw-down crown.

While the Titanium Élégante is a utilitarian object, this precious metal case defines a new category. While aesthetically reminiscent of the Vagabondage collection, its proportions are notably more petite. This is a Élégante which wears quite unlike any other in the market. François-Paul aimed in the Élégante to create the first and last luxury quartz watch. This is the ultimate expression of that endeavor.

This Élégante 40 presents in excellent overall condition with only light signs of surface wear. The dial is flawless. Its case bears only superficial patina. It comes from its original owner with its full set and original deployant clasp. The watch is running and operating perfectly.

This example is modelled on an average-sized 7-inch wrist.