The Centigraphe, first model in the new Sport line

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Astounding lightness, thought and conceived specifically for a proficient sportive activity.

Press release

François-Paul Journe, constructor and master watchmaker in permanent quest for precision and innovative horological mechanic discloses a new time measurement - sportive and exclusive. F.P.Journe is launching the first mechanical chronograph of high horology on a wrist watch entirely in aluminium alloy: case, bracelet and movement.

F.P.Journe has chosen the Centigraphe as first timepiece to introduce its new collection, the “lineSport”. A collection of new watches of an astounding lightness, thought and conceived specifically for a proficient sportive activity, and that will include watches with manual as well as automatic winding.

 

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This collection has been inspired by an important collector, aficionado of F.P.Journe watches, who committed himself in numerous marathon and triathlon competitions and wished to have an ultra light sports watch, coupled with a movement of authentic high horology. With its measure of a 100th second, the Centigraphe Souverain seemed to be the perfect match to excel in his activities, where every second is counted. 

As in everything he undertakes, the collector goes beyond his ambitions and commits himself with an absolute determination to achieve his goal. In order to outshine in this new field, he changed his lifestyle drastically. From epicurean, he became a master of dietetics and managed to loose a tremendous amount of weight in a record time, while maintaining exceptional health. 

F.P.Journe wanted to pay tribute to the mental and physical achievement of this businessman who just like himself, started from scratch to become one of the biggest success stories, and today an extreme sportsman, sacrificing everything to his passion. 

F.P.Journe undertook long researches to find an ultra light and resistant material to receive his exceptional calibres ; while maintaining the standards of high horology that inhabit his everyday life. The Centigraphe Sport thus presents the very first F.P.Journe wristwatch entirely made of aluminium alloy , movement, case and bracelet, in the search for absolute comfort and extreme lightness. The watch in its totality only weighs 55 grams. 

The passage from 18K rose gold - used for all the F.P.Journe movements - to aluminium was not without difficulty, for obvious technical reasons. F.P.Journe took his research to a higher level in an aesthetical quest to complete an appropriate contrast in colours.  

F.P.Journe perfected different methods of special processing in order to make the aluminium scratch resistant and give it anti corrosive and anti-allergic properties. 

Rubber inserts are fixed with an outstanding process to the end of each link of the aluminium bracelet, the sides of the case and the titanium crown in order to efficiently protect the watch from any chocks, just like the bumper of an ancient automobile.

The folding clasp in aluminium, engraved with the F.P.Journe signature is also covered with a rubber coating. In addition, it offers an adjustment system of a half link size (4mm approx.). 

F.P.Journe has also committed in favour of the Japanese people after the earthquake and tsunami of last March 2011.

 

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Hong Kong, 30 mai 2011 - While this unreleased collection had not yet been presented to the public nor to the press, François-Paul Journe had offered the first Centigraphe Sport timepiece numbered 001 in favour of the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. It was auctioned by Christie's in their Hong Kong sale of May 20, 2011. The total amount of the sale, including the Christie's 20% buyer's commission has been soaring to an amazing HK$ 3,620,000 /US$ 465,170, close to ten times its original estimate. It has entirely been donated to the franco-japanese Foundation de Fère http://fondationdefere.wordpress.com/ and to Doctors of the World Japan, http://www.mdm.or.jp/ for the construction of a community centre in Ishinomaki, near Sendai on the Japanese coast, to reunite family victims of the tsunami and earthquake in Japan.

Tokyo, June 3rd, 2011 – The fund donation ceremony took place at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo on June 3rd, 2011, in the presence of his Excellence the Ambassador Mr. Urs Bucher, Mr. François-Paul Journe, Ms. Yuko Fukagawa from Christie's Japan, Mr Richard Bliah, founder of the franco-japanese FERE foundation, and the representative of Médecins du Monde. The fantastic result of the Centigraphe Sport charity sale of is allowing to finance the major part of this community centre.

Godfather of the Centigraphe Souverain, Jean Todt remains the initiator of F.P.Journe's engagement towards l'ICM – Institute of Brain and Spinal Cord in Paris - to help fight diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Multiple Sclerosis…
In purchasing the Centigraphe Sport, in line with the Centigraphe Souverain, you are also supporting the medical research carried out by the ICM.  
Along with Professor Gérard Saillant, Luc Besson, Jean Réno, Jean Todt, Michelle Yeoh and Michael Schumacher, amongst others, François-Paul Journe has committed to the ICM in donating 30% of the profits from the sale of each Centigraphe Sport to the ICM, with no time limit. (www.icm-institute.org)

The Centigraphe Sport will then be available as from September exclusively in the F.P.Journe Boutiques in: Paris, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Beijing.

The hand-wound mechanical movement of the Centigraphe indicates elapsed times from a 100th of a second to 10 minutes, visible on 3 dials, each with a time scale in red..  

 

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The indications

The 100th of a second hand revolves around the dial in one second on a scale marked in hundredths of a second. On the dial at 2 o'clock, the hand revolves once every 20 seconds on a time scale divided into seconds. The third dial, at 6 o'clock is graduated for 10 minutes.

Patented ergonomic chronograph 
The chronograph is started, stopped and zeroed by a rocker at 2 o'clock in the case band, instead of the usual buttons on either side of the crown. This ergonomic design, perfectly fitted to the wristwatch, is patented.

Patented chronograph mechanism 
A second patent was granted for the mechanism's ingenious configuration, which effectively isolates the chronograph from the timekeeping function. This means the balance amplitude is unaffected when the chronograph is running.

The hands of the 100th of a second counter, the 20 seconds, and the 10 minutes hand are driven by 2 different wheel trains, themselves driven by the centre of the mainspring (patented).
Another separate train of wheels, also driven by the barrel arbor, drives the 10-minutes hand.

 


1/100th second recorder hand

The 100th of a second's hand, released by the watch's escapement, makes one revolution of the dial per second. A wheel mounted on the escape wheel (4th wheel of the going train) releases the arbor to which the hand is fitted. The seconds are driven by the going train from the barrel, and by the energy of the chronograph train, as transmitted by the barrel arbor.

One ingenious feature of the 100th of a second is that it may be stopped anywhere along its one-second journey around its dial, even between two 100th-second divisions, enabling a fractional reading.
This is achieved by vertically disengaging the pinion of the 100th of a second hand from that of the escapement, which presses on the pivot shank and acts as a brake.  

Return to zero
The 20-seconds hand and the 10-minutes hand arbors are zeroed by hammer levers acting on snail cams. The 100th of a second hand is stopped at zero by a beak protruding from its pinion, which presses on a lever and thus blocks the chronograph train.

Maintaining power and power reserve
The barrel features a maintaining power system in order to ensure that the driving force does not decrease during winding. The mainspring supplies at least 100 hours of power reserve without the chronograph, and 24 hours with the chronograph running.


Technical specifications


Movement:        
Calibre 1506        
Manual winding                         
Movement in aluminium alloy                    

Dimensions of the Movement:
Overall diameter:       34.40mm 
Casing-up diameter:       34.00mm                
Overall height:            5.60mm                
Height of hands:         1.45mm                
Height of winding stem:   2.69mm

Diameter of stem thread: S1.20mm

Balance:
Free-sprung balance 
Four adjustable inertia weights
Anachron free sprung balance spring
Mobile stud holders
Pinned GE stud
Spring pinned to the collet
Frequency:     21,600v/h (3Hz)
Inertia:    10.10 mg/cm2
Angle of lift:    52°
Amplitude:     0h dial up: > 320°
24h dial up: > 280°

Escapement        
In-line lever escapement - 15-tooth escape wheel

Indications        
Central hours and minutes
One-second chronograph:     hand at 10 o'clock
20-seconds chronograph:     hand at 2 o'clock
10-minutes chronograph:     hand at 6 o'clock

Chronograph        
Separate chronograph train driven by directly from the mainspring 
1/100th second readout

Power Reserve    
100 hours with the chronograph stopped
24 hours with the chronograph running

Finishes        
Circular stripes on the bridges
Circular graining on the baseplate
Polished screw heads with chamfered slots
Pegs with polished rounded ends
Straight-grained steel work

Case            
Aluminium alloy with rubber inserts
Diameter:     42.00mm
Total height:     11.60mm

Dial        Aluminium alloy and transparent sapphire
Crown        Titanium with rubber coating
Bracelet         Aluminium alloy with rubber inserts
Deployant Clasp        Aluminium with rubber coating, adjustable

Control        
Rocker arm to start, stop and zero the chronograph
3 position winding crown
Position 0, disengaged
Position 1, winding
Position 2, time-setting

Number of Parts    
Movement without dial    284
Cased up with strap        324
Jewels                               50
Rubber                              72

Weight        
Total weight:           55 g
Movement alone      12 g
Sapphire  glass          7 g

 

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