The first Vagabondage piece was a jumping hour watch, featuring an unusual display - with numerals for the hours represented by a disk on the dial. The Vagabondage II was a progression on this approach, using jumping minutes in addition to the digital jumping hours display. The ‘V III’ is the concluding chapter of the series.
This platinum, Vagabondage III speaks very much to François-Paul Journe’s meticulous approach to complications, both technically and design wise. Housed in a svelte, 45.2 x 37.6mm ‘tortue’ case, it is made distinctive by its unconventional shape and elegant profile - measuring 7.84mm in thickness - and vertically-brushed, flat bezel. The ‘smoked’ sapphire dial is faintly tinted (optimising legibility), and displays a white outer-minute track. At 1 o’clock, a recessed power reserve indicator is displayed.
The design features F. P Journe’s one-minute remontoire d'égalité system in the movement gear train, managing the energy needed to rotate the jumping disks. This system is intended to isolate the energy going to the balance, from the power variations in the going train (caused by jumping the disks). As a result, the Vagabondage III is not only the most visually exposed of the series, but also the most technically challenging to accomplish. The disk on the right (which jumps every second), drives the disk on the left, jumping every 10 seconds. Overall, the two jumping seconds make for a visually dynamic experience - changing constantly. The watch also features an instantaneous hours display, seen at ten o’clock on the dial.
The manual-winding, in-house Cal. 1514 is made entirely of 18-carat rose-gold, visible through the sapphire case-back. The movement has a flat balance spring and anchor escapement, beating at 21,600 A/h. The hand-finishing is expertly conducted, combining circular graining with sunburst patterns. The screw heads are polished and neatly chamfered, with horizontal Côte de Genève motif on the bridges. The movement is engraved “Vagabondage III”.
This pre-owned watch was never worn by its original owner, thus is preserved in mint condition. It comes as full-set (directly from the manufacture), with its original box and Certificate of Origin (dated May, 2018).
Limited to just 69 pieces in total (produced in this case metal), this Vagabondage III is individually numbered and represents a completely unique approach to the display of time - an impressive technical feat, achieved in .
Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.
Closer look
| Brand: | F. P. Journe |
| Model: | Vagabondage III |
| Movement: | mechanical manual-winding 18k rose-gold Cal.1514 |
| Functions: | time-only: instantaneous jumping hours and seconds |
| Features: | smoked sapphire dial, 1 minute "remontoire", display-back |
| Case: | 45.2 x 37.6 x 7.84mm platinum |
| Crystal: | sapphire front and back |
| Bracelet: | black alligator strap from F. P. Journe with white-gold deployant buckle |
| Lug/buckle width: | |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Box & papers: | full set - box, and certificate of origin |
