In 1983, François-Paul Journe sought to emulate the legendary Antide Janvier by creating a pocket-watch using the resonance phenomenon, and 16 years later, he introduced his now-iconic Chronomètre á Résonance wristwatch. It was the world’s first wristwatch to use the resonance phenomenon, whereby the movement is composed of two independent balances, alternatively serving as an “exciter” and “resonator”. When in motion, the balances create the resonance effect and synchronously beat in opposition, naturally evening out each other’s discrepancies and permitting greater accuracy. Not only a wonderful tribute to technical watchmaking, the Chronomètre à Résonance can also be used as a dual time watch.

In production from 2000 to 2005, the first generation Chronomètre á Résonance (reference R), like the present lot, features a rhodium-plated brass movement and a 38mm diameter case.

According to reliable sources, between 70-80% of the production of -02 Resonances were cased in platinum, making a pink gold-cased -02 R exceptionally rare. Even rarer is the combination of a pink gold case with pink gold dial. Only five examples, of which the present lot is the fifth, in a pink gold case with pink gold dial, have appeared publicly in the past two decades.

The present lot, fresh to the auction market and bearing a richness of pink gold that is particularly sought after by connoisseurs, offers the rare opportunity of obtaining a historically important timepiece that has become one of the most important horological breakthroughs of the past decades.