FP Journe Chronomètre à Résonance RQ

One of the first Chronomètre à Résonance RQ’s manufactured by F.P. Journe, we’re pleased to present another heavy hitter in the realm of independent watchmaking. This edition was created for the 20-year anniversary of the Chronomètre à Résonance, released in its original form in 2000, the RQ is the brand’s most technically complex, refined model to date.

There is a longstanding pursuit of resonance in the history of watchmaking. It’s an elusive phenomenon, chased by some of the early greats such as Breguet and Janvier. Both experimented with resonance in clocks, some 200 years ago. It took until the turn of the millennium for someone, François-Paul Journe, to pursue resonance in its miniaturized, wristwatch form. The principle at play is that the inertia of each balance’s oscillation resonates through their shared mainplate, effectively trapping the separate balances to operate in synchronization. This minimizes loss and error in the rate of timekeeping.

Not to be confused with its predecessors, this timepiece features an all-new caliber, Ref. 1520, featuring a remontoire d’égalité and differential. Both introduced to a Résonance for the first time, the latter is seen through the watch’s new dial layout, exposed directly in the center. Compared to earlier timepieces, this updated version features a single barrel to provide energy to both movements. The differential is placed in the first wheel and transmits the energy from the barrel to both gear trains.

Amazingly, both gear trains feature their own remontoire. It feels fitting that this complication finds its way into the Résonance. Found in Journe’s first timepiece, the Tourbillon à Remontoir d’Egalité, it’s been a foundation part of the brand and Journe’s legacy as a watchmaker. Working to further secure resonance, the function of the remontoir in this timepiece is to ensure that the mainspring unwinds evenly and doesn’t negatively impact the balance’s amplitude.

Another difference between this timepiece and predecessors, the case has been redesigned with the crown now placed at 2 o’clock. For such a complicated timepiece, the winding interface is straightforward – winding at position 0, time-setting in position two with clockwise turns for left dial and counterclockwise turns for the right dial, and a final pull of the crown simultaneously resets the seconds to zero.

With a platinum case and 42mm diameter, this is certainly one of the modern icons in independent watchmaking. This Chronomètre à Résonance RQ edition was recently delivered to a customer.