Master watchmaker and Friend of MrWatchMaster François-Paul Journe marks 20-years since the realisation of his ground-breaking first wrist-watch with ‘resonance’®.
The Chronomètre à Resonance, is a clear demonstration of F.P. Journe’s research for precision in watchmaking. Perfect harmony is achieved when the two balances are in movement, thanks to the ‘resonance phenomenon’ and begin to beat naturally in opposition.
Journe devised, developed and built this movement to meet the demands of actual wear on the wrist and thereby provide chronometric performance driven to extremes, this watch represents one of the toughest challenges in the field of mechanical watches.
The journey – inspired by French clockmaker, Antide Janvier – to create this extraordinary movement, actually began around 35-years ago with a hand-made movement (below) that didn’t resonate continuously. According to F.P. Journe, this was down to a lack of experience as the gear trains had not been made correctly.
After much soul-searching, calculating, pondering, failures and restarts calculating and designing until he truly enters into intellectual resonance with Antide Janvier. This period of great learning for Journe enables him to truly understand, can follow the same path and think in the same way. More prototypes followed (below).
Fast-forward to 2000 and his dream becomes a reality. This mechanism revolutionises established standards and offers an amount of precision that had never been equaled in a mechanical wristwatch.
In 2004, F.P.Journe finally makes another dream come true, manufacturing its haute horology movement in precious metal, 18K rose Gold. The Chronomètre à Résonance thus features for the first time an 18K rose Gold movement. A specificity that would from then on apply to all the precision chronometers of the brand.
At the entrance of the F.P. Journe Manufacture’s ateliers, a fascinating clock occupies the place of honour, the second of three double regulators constructed by Antide Janvier.
For more information please visit https://www.fpjourne.com/en