F. P. JOURNE CELEBRATES A DECADE OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RIVA TROPHY 2026

On 26 and 27 June 2026, the Côte d’Azur became the setting for the 16th edition of the Riva Trophy, an event that brings together owners and enthusiasts of the Italian marque’s boats for two days of sailing, competition and social gatherings. F. P. Journe returned as an official partner, continuing a relationship with the event that has now extended across a decade.

The connection between the independent Swiss watchmaker and Riva is rooted in an appreciation for craftsmanship and tradition. It is also personal: F.P.Journe’s association with the trophy reflects a longstanding friendship between watchmaker François-Paul Journe and Lia Riva, daughter of Carlo Riva, whose name remains closely connected to the development of Riva’s celebrated wooden runabouts.

The 2026 edition welcomed 22 crews representing 12 countries, with participants travelling from across Europe as well as Dubai and Brazil. Rather than a conventional speed competition, the Riva Trophy is structured around regularity, placing emphasis on maintaining a prescribed pace as crews navigate between Monaco and Pampelonne.

The event began in a setting closely tied to Riva’s history. The opening gathering took place inside the Riva Tunnel, a 100-metre gallery beneath Monaco’s Rock. Created in 1959, the tunnel became associated with Riva after Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly agreed to the company establishing its commercial base in Monaco. Its relationship with the marque continues today, and the space remains associated with Riva’s collection of mahogany boats.

From there, the participating fleet set out towards Saint-Tropez. The boats represented different chapters of Riva’s history and contemporary range, from the Super Ariston to the 88′ Folgore. The journey took approximately 90 minutes, bringing the crews to Saint-Tropez for the first evening of the programme.

The following day centred on the return journey and the concours d’élégance, one of the defining elements of the trophy. Alongside the racing and boating programme, the event created opportunities for owners, collectors and guests to spend time together away from the water.

F.P.Journe’s involvement extended to its own collector community. The Maison’s Paris boutique invited selected collectors to join the event aboard a Riva 82 Diva finished in F. P. Journe colours, adding another dimension to the relationship between the two houses.

The atmosphere on land was deliberately connected to Riva’s cultural history. The first evening in Saint-Tropez paid tribute to Brigitte Bardot and the 1960s, a period closely associated with the transformation of the Côte d’Azur into an international centre of cinema, fashion and leisure. It was also the era in which the Riva Aquarama became strongly associated with Mediterranean glamour.

The second evening moved back to Monaco for the official prize-giving ceremony at the Yacht Club de Monaco. The evening adopted a blue-and-white “Love Boat” theme, echoing Riva’s visual identity and providing the setting for the presentation of the principal prize.

The winning couple received two watches from F.P.Journe’s Élégante collection. Created in Titalyt®, the pair comprised 40mm and 48mm versions, both fitted with turquoise straps and engraved “Riva 2026”. The choice connected the watches directly to the occasion while incorporating Riva’s characteristic turquoise tone.

The Élégante occupies an unusual position within F.P.Journe’s catalogue. Unlike the Manufacture’s mechanically driven watches, the collection uses an electro-mechanical movement designed around a high-efficiency system that enters standby mode when the watch is not being worn. Its approach to timekeeping therefore differs substantially from the traditional mechanical architecture for which the independent Maison is best known.

The watches presented at the Riva Trophy also underline the broader relationship between the two brands. Riva’s boats combine traditional materials and construction techniques with contemporary marine engineering, while F.P.Journe’s work frequently draws on historical horological principles while approaching them through modern manufacture. The partnership therefore sits within a shared interest in preserving specialist knowledge without treating heritage as something static.

F.P.Journe’s own history began long before the establishment of the modern company. Born in Marseille in 1957, François-Paul Journe trained at the École d’Horlogerie de Paris before working with his uncle, an antique-watch restorer in Paris. His early career was shaped by the restoration of historical timepieces and by research into the work of earlier watchmakers. He later developed complications in Switzerland and established his own manufacture there.

In 1994, Journe began developing his vision for contemporary watchmaking, and in 1999 he presented a collection of wristwatches bearing the name F. P. Journe and the Latin inscription “Invenit et Fecit”, meaning “invented and made”. Montres Journe SA was formally created in July 1999. The brand’s early collection included the Tourbillon Souverain with remontoir d’égalité, establishing the technical and independent character that continues to define the Manufacture.

That philosophy remains visible in F.P.Journe’s approach to watchmaking. The Manufacture describes its work as a continuation of the intellectual traditions of historic horology, combining research into earlier mechanisms with original contemporary designs. Its relatively small production and emphasis on in-house development have helped establish a distinctive position within independent haute horlogerie.

The Maison maintains an international network of boutiques, including locations in Geneva, Paris, London, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Dubai. Its Dubai boutique is located in The Dubai Mall on Fashion Avenue, First Floor, while the Geneva Manufacture and headquarters are situated on Rue de l’Arquebuse.

For Riva, meanwhile, the relationship with craftsmanship extends across more than a century of Italian boatbuilding. Today the marque forms part of Ferretti Group and continues to produce a range spanning smaller open boats through to larger flybridge yachts and superyachts. Its current range includes models such as the Aquariva, Rivamare, Iseo Super and 54 Metri, alongside a wider collection extending from approximately eight to 54 metres.

The Riva Trophy’s appeal lies partly in this continuity. The event does not simply place historic boats in competition; it creates a setting in which design, engineering, collecting and social tradition intersect naturally. F.P.Journe’s decade-long involvement adds another layer to that culture, linking two specialist disciplines that have each built their reputations through precision and attention to detail.

As the 2026 trophy demonstrates, heritage has greater resonance when it remains active rather than merely commemorative. On the water, in the workshop and at the collector’s table, the value of craftsmanship is sustained through continued use, care and reinterpretation. The partnership between F. P. Journe and Riva is consequently less about looking backwards than about maintaining the standards that make the past relevant to the present.

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