Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player Kyle Kuzma spotted wearing F.P. Journe

Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards was photographed arriving at a venue dressed in an orange Detroit Tigers baseball jersey layered over a white hoodie, light-wash jeans, and white sneakers. On his wrist sat one of the most technically singular watches in independent horology: the F.P. Journe Élégante in titanium with Titalyt surface treatment, fitted with a bespoke orange rubber strap that mirrored his outfit with deliberate precision.

The Élégante is built around Calibre 1210, an electromechanical movement that François-Paul Journe developed to address a genuine engineering problem — how to power a quartz-regulated watch for an extraordinary length of time without requiring a case-opening service. The answer lies in a proprietary mechanical motion detector, visible as a small oscillating rotor at the 4:30 position. When the watch detects no movement for roughly 25 minutes, it cuts the power circuit entirely, preserving battery life to a stated autonomy of more than eight years. The tortue-shaped case in Grade 5 titanium receives an exclusive Titalyt treatment that enhances surface hardness and gives the metal a distinctive warm gunmetal tone, resisting scratches far better than standard titanium. The white enamel-style dial carries F.P. Journe's signature blue-steel hands and Arabic numerals, with a small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock.

From a collector standpoint, the Élégante occupies an unusual position in the F.P. Journe catalogue. It was originally conceived as a ladies' watch, which for years kept it undervalued relative to the brand's tourbillons and resonance pieces. That perception has shifted sharply. The Titanium Titalyt variant, available exclusively through F.P. Journe boutiques, commands strong secondary-market premiums precisely because it combines a compelling movement concept with the brand's strict production limits — approximately 900 watches per year across every reference.

Kuzma has developed a reputation as one of the NBA's more informed watch collectors, gravitating toward independent brands and unconventional references rather than the mainstream luxury sports watches typical of professional athletes. Choosing an Élégante — a watch many collectors had to be educated into appreciating — signals a level of horological literacy worth noting.

At a retail of $18,750, the Élégante Titanium Titalyt is relatively accessible by F.P. Journe standards, yet grey-market pricing around $50,000 reflects the brand's chronic supply constraint and growing global demand. For a watch that defies easy categorization, that multiple is a persuasive endorsement.