F. P. Journe celebrates 20 years of the Chronomètre à Résonance with a new rendition of the celebrated resonance watch, with a new movement – the caliber 1520. Four variants, in two case sizes 42mm and 40mm, and in red gold or in platinum are proposed.
Press Release with Editorial Commentary
When he presented his first Résonance wristwatch in 2000, it was baptized Résonance under the patented brand name Résonance ®.
The F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance is the only wristwatch in the world that utilizes the “physical natural resonance without any mechanical transmission” phenomenon, previously known as double pendulum or double balance. Conceived, developed and built to meet the demands of actual wear on the wrist and thereby provide chronometric performance driven to extremes, this watch represents one of the wildest challenges in the field of mechanical watches!
Each of the two balances alternately serves as exciter and resonator. When the two balances are in movement, they enter into harmony thanks to the resonance phenomenon and begin to beat naturally in opposition. The two balances then support each other, giving more inertia to their movement. This result is possible only if the difference of the frequency from one to the other does not exceed 5 seconds per day cumulated on six positions. Their setting is an extremely delicate task.
Whereas an external disturbance affects the running of a traditional mechanical watch, the same disturbance, for the Chronomètre à Resonance, produces an effect that accelerates one of the balances as much as it slows down the other. Little by little, the two balances come back towards each other to find their point of harmony, thus eliminating the disturbance, and beating in perfect synchronization.
The concept of a resonance was first explored in a wrist watch by François-Paul in his first Resonance watch introduced in 2000. As indicated, he have had several iterations over the years, improving the visuals, and design bit by bit with each.
Lately the idea was picked up and developed in a different direction from Journe by Armin Strom in their Mirrored Forced Resonance watches. We discussed some technical details in this article, click here, but the essential difference is that the Armin Strom uses a clutch to mechanically couple the dual balances. The original Mirrored Force Resonance of 2016 had only one timezone, but Armin Strom followed this up in 2018 with the Dual Time Resonance Masterpiece 1 which was equipped to tell time in two timezones.
This emblematic watch that distinctively signs François-Paul Journe’s horological research on precision was awarded Grand Complication of the Year at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. François-Paul has conceived several versions of his wristwatch throughout the last 20 years; the first 20 by Subscription (2000), the first collection series (2001), the Ruthenium series (2001-2002), with movement in 18K rose Gold (2005), the digital 24 hours Résonance (2010), the analogic 24 hours Résonance (2019), and the new Chronomètre à Résonance (2020).
F. P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance 2020
The new Chronomètre à Résonance has only one single barrel spring to provide power for the two movement. A differential placed on the first wheel, visible in the centre of the dial, transmits, independently, the energy of the barrel mainspring towards the two secondary gear trains. Each secondary gear train is equipped with a Remontoir d’Egalité of a frequency of 1 second. Working in such a way, the force received by the escapements remains linear and assures isochronism during 28 hours.
This is a key difference between the Chronomètre à Résonance 2020 from anything else in the market, including its predecessors. The use of a remontoir d’égalité is a very complex and notoriously difficult to tune constant force device. And to use two shows the savoir faire of F.P. Journe. The remontoir d’égalité as a constant force device is not new to François-Paul as he has used one in his Souverain Tourbillon in 2000, and have perfected the art through various iterations, including in the Vertical Tourbillon of 2019.
The new Chronomètre à Résonance features a redesigned case with a crown now placed at 2 o’clock easing the winding of the watch in position 0 and the time setting in position 2, clockwise for the left dial and anti-clockwise for the right dial. The pulling of the crown at 4 o’clock simultaneously resets
both seconds. On the movement side, 2 remontoirs d’égalité (constant-force device) provide a linear force to each of the two balance springs to remain isochronous during 28 hours.
This is the key difference in the Caliber 1520 used in this new watch from the Caliber 1499 in earlier iterations is the use of a double remontoirs d’égalité devices on both trains. The moving of the crown from 12 and 4 to 2 and 4 is also significant. At 12, the crown is in a difficult to access location, and couple with the rope motif of the crown, which looks fantastic, the crown can be quite sharp. At the 2 and 4 locations it is now, it is more practical. Moving crowns are not simple exercises in the design of a movement, and considerable work is done to accomplish this.
The new Chronomètre à Résonance is available with a case in Platinum or in 18K 6N Gold in 40 and 42 mm diameter. The dial is proposed in 18K white or 6N Gold with 2-hour subdials in whitened Silver Guilloché clous de Paris. Leather strap or Gold or Platinum bracelet.
F. P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Technical Specifications
Movement: Calibre 1520 in 18K rose Gold, Manual winding / 31 turns of crown
Dimensions: Overall diameter: 34.60 mm / Casing-up diameter: 34.20 mm
Overall height: 7.97 mm / Height of winding stem: 3.39 mm / Diameter of stem thread: S1.20 mm
Balance: 2 Independent linear escapements, 15 teeth / 2 Independent balances with 4 inertia weights / 2 Flat micro-flamed Anachron balance springs / 2 Mobile stud carriers / Free sprung / 2 Springs laser pinned to Nivatronic collets / 2 Pinned GE studs / Frequency: 21,600v/h, 3Hz
Inertia: 10.10 mg/cm 2 / Angle of lift: 52° / Amplitude: 0h dial up: > 260°
24h dial up: > 260°
Main Characteristics: 2 position winding crown at 2h
Manual winding in position 0 – Time adjustment in position 2: clockwise for
the left dial and anti-clockwise for the right dial / Resetting the seconds to zero by pulling the crown at 4h / Indications: Double time display: Left analog – indicating 24 hours / Right analog – indicating 12 hours / 2 small seconds at 6h / Power reserve at 12h
Total autonomy: 42 hours / Efficient running time – 28 hours +-2
Finishing: High quality / Partial circular graining on baseplate Geneva waves on bridges / Screw heads polished and beveled, with chamfered slots
Pegs with polished rounded ends / Steel components hand finished
Case: Platinum or 18K 6N Gold
Diameter: 40 and 42mm
Total height: 11 mm
Dial: 18K white or 6N Gold and whitened Silver hour subdials with guilloche clous de Paris
Number of parts: Movement without dial : 378
Cased up with strap: 427
Jewels: 62
