The neo-classical Swiss watchmaker partners with renowned British gunmaker Holland & Holland to release a very special timepiece with a Damascus steel dial.

When a partnership is announced between brands from two different industries, their PR teams try to focus attention on their shared values, like craftsmanship, tradition, etc. That’s also the case with the partnership between independent Swiss watchmaker F.P. Journe and British gunmaker Holland & Holland.

But what struck me in terms of what these two have in common is their production times. The conception of a F.P. Journe watch can take up to three years, and it’s no wonder as each watch is finished in house by hand and boasts a movement made of 18K rose gold. As a result, the company only makes about 900 chronometer certified timepieces per year.

To make a bespoke Holland& Holland gun, on the other hand, can also take up to two years – and we would expect no less from a detail-orientated company that was founded by a champion pigeon shooter back in the 1800s.

Naturally, then, the new F.P. Journe Chronomètre Holland & Holland limited edition was also a labour of love that took some time to come to fruition.

The collaboration started with a pair of rare antique Damascus steel Holland & Holland guns, each over one hundred years old. The Swiss watchmaker immediately jumped on the chance to turn those beautiful barrels into a unique watch series.

The barrels were first cut and rolled out and then sent to the watchmaker’s “Les Cadraniers de Genève” where the dials were cut out. They were then sent back to Holland & Holland for “browning”, a traditional gunmaking technique that helps protect the steel and highlights the patterns of Damascus steel.

The beautiful steel dials do all of the talking on the otherwise pared down timepieces. To match them, a new steel case was made for the series that is modestly sized at 39mm.

It houses the manual winding in-house calibre 1304, which provides a solid 56 hours of power reserve. As with all of its movements, this one too is made from rose gold.

All in, the 66 piece limited edition is a great example of a partnership done well. Of course, that comes at a price - each F.P. Journe Chronomètre Holland & Holland timepiece retails for 45,000 Swiss francs.