François-Paul Journe may be one of the most revered living modern watchmakers of his time, but his foundation and passion remain firmly rooted in the work of 18th and 19th-century technological innovators, Abraham-Louis Breguet, Antide Janvier, Christiaan Huygens, and more. Breguet, more than any ancient master, served as the inspiration for Journe’s overarching legacy piece, the Chronomètre à Résonance. Created 24 years ago, its significance lies in the fact that it was the first wristwatch to ever achieve the phenomenon of natural chronometric resonance through dual movements that synchronize themselves for greater accuracy.
It was, essentially, the continuation of work first discovered and achieved nearly two centuries before Journe. The concept was discovered by Dutch watchmaker, Christiaan Huygens in the 17th century and was later implemented in watchmaking in 1815 when Breguet debuted the principle in a pocket watch. By the time Journe would introduce it on the wrist 185 years later, it would be solely for the purpose of high-level horological artistry (or nerdery) than any practical purpose, but for those that love the genius of the craft it was a huge feat.
But the Resonance couldn’t ride on technological innovation alone. It was also a beautiful design that married tradition (classic material, shape, and finishing, to name a few) with a modern outlook (two independent watch dials for dual time function that are bolted to the dial in a fashion that would almost be steampunk if it wasn’t so refined). Less than 10 years ago, you might pass Journe’s boutique on the Upper East Side and be struck by the elegance of the timepieces in the window without recognizing the name. Today, however, Journe is a veritable rockstar of indie watchmaking commanding prices on the secondary market that can compete with the likes of establishment kings like Patek Philippe and Rolex. Now, a Chronomètre à Resonance comes with a years-long waiting list and models at auction can sometimes run over a million.
From the article by Allen Farmelo, Paige Reddinger, Victoria Gomelsky, Oren Hartov, Blake Buettner
