FP Journe rarely announces new models, and just a few months after the premiere of the Chronomètre Optimum equipped with a constant force mechanism, Journe unveiled the Quantième Perpétuel (or perpetual calendar).

FP Journe Quantième Perpétuel in platinum

This is his second perpetual calendar timepiece, the first was a limited edition that was visually similar to the Octa Calendrier. Thus the new Quantième Perpétuel replaces the now discontinued Octa Calendrier in the collection.

The Quantième Perpétuel features a legible and concise calendar display. Shown in windows are the day, month and oversized date, while the leap year is indicated by a tiny hand in the centre. And at nine o’clock sits the power reserve display. While I am always a fan of FP Journe’s tasteful designs, I am sceptical about the oval steel ring around the centre of the dial; it seems out of place.

The spare nature of this perpetual is reminiscent of the H. Moser Perpetual One, which is equally efficient in display but less symmetrical than the Journe. All the calendar functions are adjusted by the crown, while the months can be advanced by a corrector underneath the one o’clock lug, a feature that only Blancpain watches had till now.

The under-lug corrector

More importantly, the Quantième Perpétuel is an instantaneous perpetual calendar, meaning that all the calendar displays jump simultaneously, in an instant, at midnight. This puts it in a rare category of perpetual calendars, along with the Vianney Halter Antiqua.

The Octa automatic movement with 120 hours power reserve, and solid gold  rotor, bridges and baseplate

Technically impressive as it is, Journe watches have a reputation to be finicky and sometimes unreliable, so it remains to be seen how this performs in real life. The Quantième Perpétuel  will be available in a 40 or 42 mm case, in either platinum or rose gold. The estimated retail for the 42 mm in platinum is CHF70,200 while the same in rose gold is CHF65,900.

Quantième Perpétuel in rose gold