F.P.Journe
Case Rose gold case 750/1000, sapphire caseback, winding crown at 12 o'clock, pulled down flyback crown at 4 o'clock Strap Original turquoise Alligator strap, with a original rose gold pin buckle Dial grained salmondial, with 2 symmetrical silver time indications, power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock, blued polished hands Movement Massive hand wound rose gold movement with horizontal Geneva stripes, 2 individual gear trains Cal. 1499-2 Ref. 278-RN D= 40 mmlot
01
F.P.Journe
Chronomètre à Résonance
Starting bid
CHF 100 000
Fixed price
CHF 210 000
Increment
CHF 5 000
Current bid
CHF 100 000
Winning bidder
Enrico, 50
Total bids
1
Time left
10 day(s)
Buyer’s premium will not be charged
Register to bid
Buy it now CHF 210 000
Daniel Isaak
Watch Expert / Watchmaker
Estimate
CHF 160 000 / CHF 210 000
Specification
Case
Rose gold case 750/1000, sapphire caseback, winding crown at 12 o'clock, pulled down flyback crown at 4 o'clock
Strap
Original turquoise Alligator strap, with a original rose gold pin buckle
Dial
grained salmondial, with 2 symmetrical silver time indications, power reserve indicator at 12 o'clock, blued polished hands
Movement
Massive hand wound rose gold movement with horizontal Geneva stripes, 2 individual gear trains
Cal.
1499-2
Ref.
278-RN
D=
40 mm
Condition report
Case:
Very good, signs of wear
Strap:
Brand new
Dial:
Mint condition
Movement:
All functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):
Approx 320°
Accuracy (Dial on top):
Approx +2 sec/day
Details
An extremely attractive, rare and
iconic second-generation resonance and dual time
wristwatch of the Swiss watch brand F. P. Journe, founded in 1999 by the French watchmaker François-Paul Journe. Production period: 2004–2009; the present example is most probably produced in 2008. Case in
18k rose gold
, diameter 40mm, thickness 9.1mm, solid rose gold matt dial, silver subdials with clous de Paris guilloché pattern, fine circular grooves and slim metal screw-fixed frames. Sapphire caseback.
Slim manual-wound
caliber 1499.2 with mainplate and bridges in solid 18k rose gold, twin independent movement coupled with
aerodynamic resonance system.
Power reserve up to 40 hours. Functions – hours, minutes and small seconds hands for
local and zone time,
power reserve indicator, synchronization function for seconds hands when the crown at 12 o’clock is pulled out. Grey F. P. Journe leather strap, 18k rose gold F. P. Journe pin buckle.
Lot essay
François-Paul Journe is one of the few watchmakers to have developed a wristwatch with a
twin movement and resonance effect.
Resonance is a physical phenomenon of interaction between two independent systems, which are characterized by oscillations with close frequencies. With a strong resonance, both systems begin to operate at the same frequency, that is, in relation to timepiece mechanisms, the
two mechanisms begin to move synchronously.
Mechanical resonance in clocks was discovered in the 17th century by the famous Dutch scientist Christian Huygens, before the French watchmaker Antide Janvier was able to apply this effect for the first time in a pendulum clock in 1780, with Abraham-Louis Breguet implementing it in a pocket watch in 1814. François-Paul Journe began experimenting with resonance in his early pocket watch in 1983, however, success in applying this physical phenomenon came later, when he undertook the development of the
Chronomètre à Résonance wristwatch in the late 1990s.
His resonance caliber uses the aerodynamic interaction of the balances of the twin mechanism. Currently, this is the
only brand to offer serial production
of wristwatches with an aerodynamic resonance system.
The present lot features a beautiful second-generation hand-wound F. P. Journe 1499.2 caliber, developed to a high standard, hand-finished on all parts, including chamfering and polishing, with a 18k rose gold mainplate and bridges finely decorated with côtes de Genève and perlage.
Production of the Chronomètre à Résonance watch began in 2000. The watch featured the caliber 1499 (1st generation) with a
rhodium-plated brass mainplate and bridges,
the first wristwatch caliber utilizing the aerodynamic resonance phenomenon.
Thejourneguy.com
indicates that just under 400 of this series have been made (this number does not include watches from the Ruthenium limited edition). In late 2004, F. P. Journe started production of the
2nd generation caliber 1499.2
, with the mainplate and bridges in
solid 18k pink gold,
as in the present lot. The watch of the second generation received the nickname Résonance Nouveau, respectively, the reference is designated as RN. Later, in 2010, the caliber 1499.2 was replaced by the 1499.3 version in solid gold and with a newly-introduced
24-hour zone time digital indication
system. Caliber 1499.3 was discontinued in 2020. We should also point out another unusual feature of this watch – the method of marking the power reserve indicator, made in the tradition of
chronometers of the 19th century.
The pointer hand indicates the time elapsed after the complete winding of the mechanism, meaning, when fully wound, it points to zero.
F. P. Journe has produced more timepieces cased in platinum than pink gold making the present example in pink gold with matt rose gold dial even more covetable. Our estimates show that approximately
1/6 to 1/4 of the production was rose gold models,
which had two dial options, in matte rose gold, like the present example, or in matte white gold.
Reasons to buy
The Chronomètre à Résonance Ref. RN ‘The Second Generation’ in a
rare 18k rose gold execution
would be an extremely attractive purchase for the collector and F. P. Journe watchmaking expertise aficionado, with an opportunity to obtain an extremely attractive and iconic wristwatch from this famous watch brand, one of the undoubted leaders in the haute horlogerie watch market. The present lot features a beautiful
second-generation hand-wound F. P. Journe 1499.2
caliber, developed to a high standard, hand-finished on all parts, including chamfering and polishing, with a 18k rose gold mainplate and bridges finely decorated with côtes de Genève and perlage. The branded symmetrical dial layout with blued steel hands and Arabic numerals,
personally designed by François-Paul Journe
, is a reflection of the functionality of the complicated mechanical resonance movement, highly appreciated by true connoisseurs of luxury mechanical watchmaking.
