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The Stunning F.P. Journe Élégante 48mm – Rewiring watchmaking

FP Journe Elegante 48mm

Arrival of F.P. Journe Élégante 48mm

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. It felt like only yesterday that I agreed with a friend that it was a shame that the Élégante line was only available for women. But now our prayers have been heard, behold the F.P. Journe Élégante 48mm, arguably the best quartz luxury watch in the world.

A Brief History of Quartz Watches

Understanding any quartz watch first requires a little history lesson. For most watch collectors who look back at their first “real “watch, they think of a mechanical one. As the smartphone has driven the wristwatch into obsolescence, watchmaking has now survived as an art. In short, if the quartz watch was a ballpoint pen, the mechanical watch was a fountain pen.

The Surprising Entry of F.P. Journe into Women’s Quartz Watches

Because of this, it takes much effort to sell a quartz piece to hard-core watch collectors, who are F.P. Journe’s customers.

That a brand like this invested eight years of research and development into a women’s quartz watch in 2014 may have surprised many.

Unfortunately, men were out of luck, as the watch was only produced in a series for ladies. On that note, Mr Journe commented:


“Women buy differently than men. And that is not meant to be sexist, but it is a fact. A woman buys for the right reasons because they like it. A man will buy something because the man needs to justify the purchase mechanically. “

The Élégante’s Appeal: Why It’s Now Ready for Men

So why does Mr Journe now think the Élégante is ready for men?


To begin with, the movement driving the Élégante, the calibre 1210, can even make a mechanical watch lover’s legs go soft. And who said quartz movements couldn’t be pretty? With a solid rose gold bridge and the circuits laid out behind the sapphire caseback, this will catch some attention.

F.P. Journe Élégante 48mm Movement
F.P. Journe Élégante 48mm Movement – Image: Source

The Élégante’s Impressive Hibernation Feature

But the Élégante can do more than charm us with its looks. Its movement has a system where it puts itself to sleep if you don’t use your watch for 30 minutes. Once back on your wrist, it will awake from hibernation and automatically set to the correct time. This is achieved through a little pendulum visible at 4 o’clock and recording any movement. Besides impressing your friends, this saves battery and allows for 8-10 years of battery life in daily use and up to 18 years in standby mode.

A Sporty Alternative: The Élégante’s Physical Attributes

The watch offers a more sporty alternative to Journe’s regular line-up. The quartz movement automatically makes it tougher than any mechanical piece. The titanium case and rubber strap make for a comfortable, light, and durable watch. In other words, if you can only go with your luxury watch but still want to play sports, this watch is your best bet.

The Surprise Element: A Fully Luminous Dial

If all this wasn’t enough, the watch has a fully luminous dial in line with its utilitarian spirit. This probably surprised me the most, but it makes so much sense, and that is for three main reasons.

watch club f p journe elegante 48mm hi tech quartz year 2019 14378 13
F.P. Journe Élégante Lume – Image: Source

First, it makes for a very visible timepiece, even in low-light conditions. Secondly, it allows for finer indices and hands which don’t need to be broad to grant space for the lume. And thirdly, it’s just so cool.
Watch lovers readily dismiss quartz watches, but this piece is crucial because it goes a long way in showing the world how courageous F.P. Journe is in making a watch like this, but also how cool a quartz watch can be if a watchmaker gives it a chance.

If you would like to learn more about quartz watches we would highly recommend you check out our article titled: Quartz watch vs Automatic watch which is the best choice for you? Thanks for spending some time with us and look forward to seeing you in the comment section!