F.P. Journe

When many hear the name Francois-Paul Journe they immediately think of the Chronomètre a Résonance. It is arguably Journe’s most iconic and recognizable timepiece, the quintessence of his craftsmanship both aesthetically and technically.

At a first glance the Résonance may deceive the public as a simple dual time watch. However, on the contrary, it not only has an appealing watch face, but it also has a very exciting and technologically advanced movement. As its name suggests, the Résonance adopts a pair of balance wheels that not only power the two-time zones displayed, but most astonishingly serve together as an exciter and resonator which provides more inertia to the movement and results in greater accuracy of time. The watch draws its inspiration from Dutch mathematician Christiaan Hygens who circa 1665 observed two pendulum clocks placed on the same wall swinging in perfect duplicity. Antide Janvier (1751-1835), the legendary French clock maker then succeeded in using the principle in the art of watchmaking and created “double pendulum clocks”, also called “Résonance clocks”, which he was the first to make. Prior to the 20th century, there were only 5 résonance clocks in the world. Three made by Janvier and 2 made later by Abraham Louis Breguet. One of these clocks made by Janvier is now in the private collection of Montres Journe. 

The present lot features a pink gold movement, a hallmark of Journe's transition to pink gold movements in 2004. At that time, Journe updated the Resonance reference from Ref. R to Ref. RN, marking a unique distinction among the six watch models that switched from brass to pink gold movements. Notably, the Resonance was the only model to undergo a reference ID change. We are delighted to offer this exceptional 'Résonance Nouvelle,' showcasing a pink gold case paired with a silvered dial.