The F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance was officially introduced in 2000, but there is no question that it is the watch of the moment. Earlier this year, one of 20 early “Souscription” (subscription) pieces hammered down for $13.92 million at Phillips, setting a new record for both F.P. Journe and indie watchmakers. The auction house has also sold two other Résonances this year for $6.3 million and $3 million, respectively. Soon another historically significant example will take the spotlight.
Phillips is offering the earliest commercially numbered example of the Chronomètre à Résonance at the Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV this November. The watch was produced in 1999—a year before the model’s launch—occupying a singular place in Résonance history as quite possibly the first piece delivered to a collector.
The Chronomètre à Résonance was the world’s first wristwatch to harness the phenomenon of resonance. Drawing on observations made by late, great horologists Antide Janvier and Abraham-Louis Breguet, François-Paul Journe gave the timepiece a movement with two closely positioned balance wheels and escapements that could influence one another through subtle vibrations until they settled into the same rate of oscillation, thereby improving the chronometric stability (the consistency of timekeeping). The watch was, and still is, a clear standout in contemporary horology, combining innovative mechanics with elegant aesthetics.
