Phillips is bringing an exceptionally early F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance to auction this November. Its estimate already reaches CHF 1 million, although recent results suggest bidders may be willing to go much higher.
The watch carries the serial number 022/99R and will appear at The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIV on November 7 and 8, 2026 (via Hodinkee). Phillips has given it an estimate of between CHF 500,000 and CHF 1 million.
Those figures look relatively modest beside another Résonance sold earlier this year. The Chronomètre à Résonance Souscription No. 007 reached $13.922 million at Phillips in June, setting a new auction record for an F.P. Journe watch.
What makes 022/99R important is how early it appeared. The Chronomètre à Résonance officially launched in 2000, but this example dates from 1999 and has remained with its original owner for 27 years. Phillips describes it as the earliest commercially numbered example of the model and believes only around ten pre-production pieces were made.
Its serial number adds another layer of significance. The first 20 Résonance watches were reserved for collectors who had supported Journe’s earlier Tourbillon Souverain Souscription project, while number 021 remained with Journe as a presentation watch. That made 022 the first number available to a regular buyer.
The watch has a 38mm platinum case, a shiny pink gold dial with silver-toned sub-dials and an early brass movement. Other details include shallow engravings on the caseback, which distinguish it from later production examples.
The Résonance uses two closely positioned balance wheels that influence one another through tiny vibrations until they settle into the same rate. Journe was the first watchmaker to bring this principle into a wristwatch when the model launched in 2000.
Whether 022/99R reaches the same level as this year’s record-breaking examples remains uncertain. Still, its early production date and place at the beginning of the Résonance story could push the final price well beyond its estimate.