Grönefeld Incoming!!!!!

[ChaseATX]

I’ve read so much over the last week about this watch and found out only 188 of the movements were being made - and that any yet to be completed were already claimed from the factory.

Found a dealer who had one for sale (brand new) and made an impulse buy. I think I’m in love.

If you aren’t familiar with the Grönefeld brand or the 1941 Remontoire model, I invite you down that rabbit hole. Also, this is piece unique!







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[WatchEater666]

That dial is unreal!!! You can't just not post a movement shot :)

[ansharma]

Big congrats - surely does not get any better! Wear it in the best of health and lets see more pics!


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[brandrea]

Congratulations

Second the movement shot please

[AK797]

Great front but flip reverse it.

[watchucallit]

I own one of their pieces. I love the color combo you selected. Congratulations

[ChaseATX]

Originally Posted by WatchEater666

That dial is unreal!!! You can't just not post a movement shot :)

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[WatchEater666]

How would you compare the finishing on the gronefeld VS journe?

[bigfatpauli]

Amazing Grönefeld!! It really goes to show you what a good dial can be. There really is no substitution for hand guilloche work.

Next to a stamped dial, the contrast is so stark.

Congratulations and wear it in the best of health!

[BobbyC]

Enjoy it!

[JR16]

Congrats, man! It’s an awesome watch, got to try it on once . Goes well w your two great journes. Enjoy !


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[Cozmopak]

Now that is a magnificent watch.

I mean no disrespect when asking this, purely for my own education: are the Journe dials stamped?

[bigfatpauli]

Originally Posted by Cozmopak

Now that is a magnificent watch.

I mean no disrespect when asking this, purely for my own education: are the Journe dials stamped?

Yes.

[Kevin.S]

Very nice!!! congrats

[ChaseATX]

Originally Posted by WatchEater666

How would you compare the finishing on the gronefeld VS journe?

Journe holds up but you can tell the Grönefeld is made with a little more love. The finishings on the movement are hard to capture in photos. It’s quite nice.

I can see why they keep production low. No way that level of quality can scale.


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[bigfatpauli]

Originally Posted by ChaseATX

Journe holds up but you can tell the Grönefeld is made with a little more love. The finishings on the movement are hard to capture in photos. It’s quite nice.

I can see why they keep production low. No way that level of quality can scale.


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There is big difference in not only the type but also the method of finishing the two brands have and use. Grönefeld being quite contemporary and Journe more classic Swiss. Grönefeld being largely hand applied and Journe being largely done by machine.

Very different methodology yields very different results, indeed.

[conkers]

Many congrats very nice!

[Psmith]

Congrats
The constant-force mechanism is interesting, spinning every 8 seconds. Their Principia range is also attractive.

[yoast]

Cangrats! Beautiiful!

[ap1]

Beautiful

[KBM]

Amazing movement!

[rockdrock]

Congratulations!love the color scheme.


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[sgfortino]

Congrats! On quite a roll!!

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by ChaseATX

Journe holds up but you can tell the Grönefeld is made with a little more love. The finishings on the movement are hard to capture in photos. It’s quite nice.

I can see why they keep production low. No way that level of quality can scale.


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Interesting! I really want to see one in person. Have had handled a lot of FPJs but no gronefeld yet.

Congrats again, great choice!

[sgwatchguy]

Congratulations! That’s an outstanding watch. Seeing the remontoire in action on video is cool
Stunning dial. Congrats again!

[edo]

Amazing to find one new... especially with Voutillainen dial... congrats and wear it in great health...

[kunlun]

Originally Posted by bigfatpauli

There is big difference in not only the type but also the method of finishing the two brands have and use. Grönefeld being quite contemporary and Journe more classic Swiss. Grönefeld being largely hand applied and Journe being largely done by machine.

Very different methodology yields very different results, indeed.

Grönefeld is also a horizontal manufacture, with the dials made by a third party and the movement designed by a third party. Tim and Bart are completely transparent about this.

FPJourne is a mostly vertical manufacture with FPJ owning its own dial factory and, of course, the incomparable François-Paul designs his own movements and all aspects of the watch. His company is funded by a small number of longtime friends and collectors who assure Mr. Journe's total freedom and independence. Yes, that's also true of Chanel, which is privately owned by...you guessed it--a longtime friend and collector.

They are both great and excellent, but each have a unique approach.

[bigfatpauli]

Originally Posted by kunlun

Grönefeld is also a horizontal manufacture, with the dials made by a third party and the movement designed by a third party. Tim and Bart are completely transparent about this.

FPJourne is a mostly vertical manufacture with FPJ owning its own dial factory and, of course, the incomparable François-Paul designs his own movements and all aspects of the watch. His company is funded by a small number of longtime friends and collectors who assure Mr. Journe's total freedom and independence. Yes, that's also true of Chanel, which is privately owned by...you guessed it--a longtime friend and collector.

They are both great and excellent, but each have a unique approach.

Sure. None of that has any bearing on if the end product is good, or bad. If one's priory is "in house", all of that would surely be important.

One has to make the choice which one prefers. For example, to chose a flat stamped dial over a rich hand made one by Voutilainen, because it is "in house". I suppose that is a personal decision.

[kunlun]

Originally Posted by bigfatpauli

Sure. None of that has any bearing on if the end product is good, or bad. If one's priory is "in house", all of that would surely be important.

One has to make the choice which one prefers. For example, to chose a flat stamped dial over a rich hand made one by Voutilainen, because it is "in house". I suppose that is a personal decision.

In house and vertical manufacture certainly have a bearing in this case, as here it means everything precedes from the vision of one master watchmaker, for a unified aesthetic on micro and macro levels. Keep in mind, it's all subjective, people who fall under the spell of Journe's genius find a lot of added value in a watch that comes from that vision and skill.

FPJ's dials are stamped, but not so flat, have another look at them, they are very well made. And for the finishing, Philippe Dufour himself approved it (not a man to pull his punches). Certainly, Grönefeld and a few others surpass it, but then FPJ isn't trying to be the last word on finishing.

Personally, I appreciate hand-finished guilloché and OP's dial is very interesting with a pleasing harmony of tones. Andreas Strehler's movement found inside is very cool as well. The finishing speaks for itself, and it's in steel. It's a great watch. I also like their new automatic. Tim and Bart are also very nice people.

[bigfatpauli]

Originally Posted by kunlun

In house and vertical manufacture certainly have a bearing in this case, as here it means everything precedes from the vision of one master watchmaker, for a unified aesthetic on micro and macro levels. Keep in mind, it's all subjective, people who fall under the spell of Journe's genius find a lot of added value in a watch that comes from that vision and skill.

FPJ's dials are stamped, but not so flat, have another look at them, they are very well made. And for the finishing, Philippe Dufour himself approved it (not a man to pull his punches). Certainly, Grönefeld and a few others surpass it, but then FPJ isn't trying to be the last word on finishing.

Personally, I appreciate hand-finished guilloché and OP's dial is very interesting with a pleasing harmony of tones. Andreas Strehler's movement found inside is very cool as well. The finishing speaks for itself, and it's in steel. It's a great watch. I also like their new automatic. Tim and Bart are also very nice people.

"Fall under the spell of Journe"

Interesting choice of words. I would agree with your choice.

It is also interesting that you mention that Dufour "approved" of Journe's finishing - A man renowned for his unrelenting pursuit of the perfect finishing, someone who fired all his staff because none were up to his standard - implying that the finishing on a Journe watch is very good, if not the best only to then say in the following sentence, that Journe isn't "the last word on finishing".

I would be very curious as to when Dufour made claim to "approve" of Journe's finishing - whatever that would even mean or imply. Was it during his time working restoring watches? Was it when he was working for a larger company? Was it when he was working on the Opus project? And if it was any of those, it has no bearing on current Journe watches as they, as we all know, are never touched by Journe himself before leaving the factory.

I don't think anyone questions Journe's ability as a watchmaker. He isn't, however, a watchmaker at FP. Journe. A President? Sure. A product engineer? Maybe. But not a watchmaker in the classical sense.

At any rate, people can read all the comments, look at the photos, and draw their own conclusions.

You and I will certainly never change the others view.