F. P. Journe

When many think of Francois-Paul Journe they immediately think of the Chronometre a Resonance. It is arguably Journe’s most iconic and recognisable timepiece, the quintessence of his craftmanship both aesthetically and technically.

As a timepiece it embodies many of the fundamental elements that make the world of horology so alluring a place. It has history, a story behind how and why it was created; it has an unparalleled aesthetics inspired by some of world’s best watchmakers though, at the same time, original and true to Journe’s personal vision; and within, working largely unseen, is the movement. A mechanical marvel again founded in horological history and bought to life by Journe’s incomparable skill, style and finesse. 

At a first glance the Resonance may deceive the public as simply a dual time watch. However, on the contrary, it not only has an appealing dial, but it also has a very exciting and technologically advanced movement. As its name suggests, the Resonance adopts a pair of balance wheels that not only power the two-time zones displayed, but most astonishingly serve together as exciter and resonator which provides more inertia to the movement and results in greater accuracy of time. Abraham-Louis Breguet was the first to discover the principles of 'resonance'. Breguet's resonance watches introduced two independent movements within the same case and in so doing, Breguet was able to demonstrate that the balances became regulated by the 'resonance' phenomenon, oscillating exactly in step with one another.

This Resonance features a brass movement, characteristic of early production and one that has become incredibly sought after as it is estimated that as few as 2000 brass movements were produced. The present example is engraved 143-01R to the case back, which indicates that this watch was produced in 2001. It has further been retained in attractive condition and is offered complete with its warranty card and presentation case.