WatchTime - August 2012

Journe says the hardest thing he’s ever created is the company
itself. “In our factory, we produce each watch completely,
not only the movement, but also the case and the dial. Only a
very few components aren’t made on our premises.” Ninetyfive
percent of the components needed for a movement are fabricated
in Journe’s own workshop.
Located in Geneva’s banking district, the company employs
65 specialists in the research and development, construction,
micromechanics and finishing departments and in a watchmakers’
workshop. The factory turns out between 850 and 900
watches each year. Journe offers only about 10 different models
because each of them works with its own designated movement.
“I don’t believe in the sandwich principle, i.e., a single base movement that can be augmented with one complication
here and another complication there. We begin with a result
and ask ourselves: What do we need to do to achieve this?”
Journe is always personally involved in the quest for solutions.
He has nothing but watches on his mind, and his head is
constantly full of new plans. Asked about his spare-time inter-
The chief purpose of
the two barrels in
the Chronomètre
Souverain is to ensure
Exploded view of
Caliber 1304,
contained in the
Chronomètre
Souverain
ests, Journe’s answer is terse and to the point: “I have no hobbies.”
Instead, he devotes himself wholeheartedly to his career,
which is also his calling. “What’s most important for me is to
develop the watch that gives me the most pleasure. Without
making any compromises. I simply do what I genuinely like to
do, without thinking about whether it will appeal to someone
else.”
The Journe boutique in Paris
August 2012 WatchTime 95