Our Take

Sometimes, hype doesn’t feel deserved. For all of us, this probably conjures an image of a specific watch that comes to mind. It’s difficult to find collectors that feel that way toward F.P. Journe timepieces though. Especially with his complications, Journe deserves the hype as one of the true titans of independent watchmaking. Our estimate is that the future will receive Journe like the present receives George Daniels, one of the select few in the pantheon of major figures in horological history. And that’s why we’re beyond thrilled when we have the opportunity to handle one of the legend’s timepieces – the “RT” Chronomètre à Résonance here.

Nicknamed the “parking meter,” the RT Chronomètre à Résonance was released in 2010 for the tenth anniversary of the timepiece. It’s the only timepiece in the Journe catalogue to feature a rotating 24-hour disc for time indication. For us, we appreciate that the anniversary was celebrated with an evolution. Journe could have easily released a timepiece in a different precious metal or with an altered dial color, but instead he chose a more challenging path. Here, it’s important to remember that the 24-hour disc means the power required for the drive system differs for each of the two movements. The absence of symmetry isn’t merely aesthetic. In this case, there is an impact on the fundamental mechanics behind the change in aesthetics.

Tenth anniversary changes aside, the RT Chronomètre à Résonance represents Journe’s largest contribution to the tradition of watchmaking: the first successful application of resonance in a wristwatch. A.L. Breguet tinkered with and implemented the concept of resonance in pocket watches, notably in “The Prince Regent’s Resonance” from 1818, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that it found its first application in a wristwatch under Journe’s name. With independent gear trains, therefore two movements, both balances synchronize in close proximity to minimize positional errors in each balance. Ultimately, resonance between both balances catches dissipating energy to help regulate the frequency. Considering this is the first wristwatch to utilize resonance, the Journe’s standard “Invenit et Fecit” (Invented and Made) on the dial feels much more like a flex than a mere description.

The Details

Brand: F.P. Journe

Model: RT Resonance

Movement: Winding : Manual, Movement in 18K rose gold : 36 jewels

Case: Rolse gold case

Diameter: 40 mm

Overall height: 9.1 mm

Dial: white Gold and whitened guilloché Silver, double display (analog 12 hours)

Hands: blued Steel