Property of the Mark Cho Collection
900Σ︎
F.P. Journe
Chronomètre à Résonance, "Parking Meter", The Armoury
An exceptionally rare, important and highly attractive limited edition platinum dual-time wristwatch with navy blue dial, double escapement, 24-hour disc, power reserve indication, guarantee and presentation box, one of a limited edition of 5 pieces made exclusively for The Armoury
Estimate
HK$6,000,000–12,000,000
€684,000–1,370,000
$769,000–1,540,000
Manufacturer
F.P. Journe
Year
Circa 2018
Case No
168-RT
Model Name
Chronomètre à Résonance, "Parking Meter", The Armoury
Material
Platinum
Calibre
Manual, cal. 1499.3, 40 jewels
Bracelet/Strap
Leather
Clasp/Buckle
Platinum F.P. Journe pin buckle
Dimensions
38mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
Accessories
Accompanied by F.P. Journe guarantee stamped Montres Journe New York, dated 21 December 2018, USB manual, product literature, cloth, additional crocodile strap and 18K white gold deployant clasp, fitted presentation box, and outer packaging.
Full-Cataloguing
Good to know:
- Special commission by Mark Cho, offered here is his personal piece
- One of only five examples ever produced, representing the final 38mm platinum Chronomètre à Résonance "Parking Meter"
- Distinctive navy blue dial configuration unlikely ever to be repeated
- The serial no.168 was by coincidence the same street number as The Armoury's flagship shop in New York
A singular creation born of friendship, providence, and a passion for horological excellence, this F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance RT, one of only five "Mark Cho Specials", represents a convergence of personal narrative and watchmaking artistry that is unlikely ever to be replicated. Commissioned by Mark Cho, co-founder of the renowned menswear emporium The Armoury, and graciously facilitated by Pierre Halimi, head of Montres Journe America, this extraordinary timepiece stands as a testament to the relationships forged through a shared devotion to independent watchmaking at its most refined.
The story begins in 2012, when Mark, already a devoted collector of F.P. Journe, acquired a 36mm Octa Divine from a California dealer. Two years later, upon presenting the watch for service at the New York boutique, he was informed that it had been stolen from F.P. Journe's Paris boutique a decade earlier and would be confiscated and returned to the insurer. Yet from this unfortunate circumstance emerged an unexpected friendship with Pierre Halimi, a rapport that would ultimately lead to the creation of the present masterpiece.
During a visit to the New York boutique, Mark expressed his enduring affection for the smaller case sizes F.P. Journe once produced (38mm and below), lamenting their discontinuation. François-Paul Journe, it transpired, was occasionally willing to create one-off pieces for the brand's most esteemed clients. Through the good offices of Halimi and with the advocacy of a prominent American collector, Mark's application was submitted. Pierre generously lent Mark his personal 38mm Resonance, one of the few examples to have developed a profound patina, for a period of four months, allowing intimate familiarity with the very qualities that would inspire the present commission.
The design process was one of careful evolution. Mark produced initial renders in Photoshop, drawing inspiration from two watches that resonated deeply: the Souverain minute repeater, distinguished by its white dial and navy markings, and Pierre's patinated Resonance, whose softly faded hues possessed a warmth and subtlety that mass-produced pieces could never achieve. A visit to the Andreas Gursky exhibition at London's Southbank Centre provided the final chromatic impetus, a large photograph of a blue-grey ocean against cream and taupe cliffs, whose palette would inform the dial's principal colours.
The resulting design is a harmonious synthesis of these influences: a warm, subtly toned main dial reminiscent of a well-worn Resonance, paired with a right-side sub-dial in the minute repeater's crisp white and navy. Notably, the "A" in "Chronomètre à Résonance" is printed in The Armoury's signature gold, a discreet yet personal signature that acknowledges the watch's unique provenance.
F.P. Journe agreed to utilise the last of its 38mm platinum cases for this exclusive series of five examples, each destined for Mark, his friend who lent the repeater, and three close companions, all of whom Mark met through The Armoury. Delivered in 2018, these watches represent the final expressions of the 38mm Resonance in platinum, a fitting valediction for a case size that has since been retired from the collection.
Offered here is a rare opportunity to acquire a watch of genuine personal significance, one of only five examples ever produced, representing the final 38mm platinum Chronomètre à Résonance "Parking Meter", and bearing a unique dial configuration unlikely ever to be repeated. For the discerning collector who values provenance, narrative, and the rarefied intersection of horological excellence and human connection, this “Mark Cho Special” Resonance RT offers a singular proposition: a watch that is not merely an instrument of time, but a chronicle of friendship, resilience, and the enduring pursuit of beauty.
To the new owner of the watch: The Armoury will custom-make the winner one of The Armoury’s signature garments as a gift.
- Special commission by Mark Cho, offered here is his personal piece
- One of only five examples ever produced, representing the final 38mm platinum Chronomètre à Résonance "Parking Meter"
- Distinctive navy blue dial configuration unlikely ever to be repeated
- The serial no.168 was by coincidence the same street number as The Armoury's flagship shop in New York
A singular creation born of friendship, providence, and a passion for horological excellence, this F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance RT, one of only five "Mark Cho Specials", represents a convergence of personal narrative and watchmaking artistry that is unlikely ever to be replicated. Commissioned by Mark Cho, co-founder of the renowned menswear emporium The Armoury, and graciously facilitated by Pierre Halimi, head of Montres Journe America, this extraordinary timepiece stands as a testament to the relationships forged through a shared devotion to independent watchmaking at its most refined.
The story begins in 2012, when Mark, already a devoted collector of F.P. Journe, acquired a 36mm Octa Divine from a California dealer. Two years later, upon presenting the watch for service at the New York boutique, he was informed that it had been stolen from F.P. Journe's Paris boutique a decade earlier and would be confiscated and returned to the insurer. Yet from this unfortunate circumstance emerged an unexpected friendship with Pierre Halimi, a rapport that would ultimately lead to the creation of the present masterpiece.
During a visit to the New York boutique, Mark expressed his enduring affection for the smaller case sizes F.P. Journe once produced (38mm and below), lamenting their discontinuation. François-Paul Journe, it transpired, was occasionally willing to create one-off pieces for the brand's most esteemed clients. Through the good offices of Halimi and with the advocacy of a prominent American collector, Mark's application was submitted. Pierre generously lent Mark his personal 38mm Resonance, one of the few examples to have developed a profound patina, for a period of four months, allowing intimate familiarity with the very qualities that would inspire the present commission.
The design process was one of careful evolution. Mark produced initial renders in Photoshop, drawing inspiration from two watches that resonated deeply: the Souverain minute repeater, distinguished by its white dial and navy markings, and Pierre's patinated Resonance, whose softly faded hues possessed a warmth and subtlety that mass-produced pieces could never achieve. A visit to the Andreas Gursky exhibition at London's Southbank Centre provided the final chromatic impetus, a large photograph of a blue-grey ocean against cream and taupe cliffs, whose palette would inform the dial's principal colours.
The resulting design is a harmonious synthesis of these influences: a warm, subtly toned main dial reminiscent of a well-worn Resonance, paired with a right-side sub-dial in the minute repeater's crisp white and navy. Notably, the "A" in "Chronomètre à Résonance" is printed in The Armoury's signature gold, a discreet yet personal signature that acknowledges the watch's unique provenance.
F.P. Journe agreed to utilise the last of its 38mm platinum cases for this exclusive series of five examples, each destined for Mark, his friend who lent the repeater, and three close companions, all of whom Mark met through The Armoury. Delivered in 2018, these watches represent the final expressions of the 38mm Resonance in platinum, a fitting valediction for a case size that has since been retired from the collection.
Offered here is a rare opportunity to acquire a watch of genuine personal significance, one of only five examples ever produced, representing the final 38mm platinum Chronomètre à Résonance "Parking Meter", and bearing a unique dial configuration unlikely ever to be repeated. For the discerning collector who values provenance, narrative, and the rarefied intersection of horological excellence and human connection, this “Mark Cho Special” Resonance RT offers a singular proposition: a watch that is not merely an instrument of time, but a chronicle of friendship, resilience, and the enduring pursuit of beauty.
To the new owner of the watch: The Armoury will custom-make the winner one of The Armoury’s signature garments as a gift.
F.P. Journe
Swiss | 1999Founded by watchmaker François-Paul Journe in 1999, the F.P. Journe brand is relatively young, but already is as highly regarded by collectors as many distinguished manufacturers with centuries-old heritage. In the minds of the world's savviest collectors, Journe is producing some of the finest wristwatches the market has ever seen. Mastering his craft from restoring historical timepieces, he was the first to create a wristwatch incorporating two escapements that benefit from the phenomenon of resonance — the Chronomètre à Résonance.
Key models include the Résonance, tourbillon wristwatches incorporating a remontoir and the limited edition Vagabondage series. Especially sought-after are his earliest "souscription" watches, made in 1999.