Koller View 3/20

12 FOR CONSIGNMENTS AND ESTIMATES WRISTWATCHES Uwe Vischer vischer@kollerauctions.com Review of the Watches auction on 2 July 2020 Great resonance 1 Audemars Piguet. A very rare Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar wristwatch, 2008. Stainless steel / platinum. D 40 mm. Sold for 66 000 2 Rolex. A highly sought-after Yacht Master wristwatch, 2019. 18K white gold. D 42.5 mm. Sold for CHF 30 000 3 Patek Philippe. A very rare Nautilus Annual Calendar wristwatch, 2012. Stainless steel. D 40.5 mm. Sold for CHF 70 000 4 Patek Philippe. An extremely rare and elegant chro- nograph wristwatch, 2008. Platinum 950. D 42 mm. Sold for CHF 120 000 5 F.P. Journe. An exceptional “chronomètre à réso- nance” wristwatch, 2002. Platinum 950. D 40.5 mm. Sold for CHF 230 000 Among the timepieces in Koller’s highly successful Watchesauctionon2July, whichboastedasell-through rate of 140% by value, one wristwatch is particularly fascinating: F. P. Journe’s “chronomètre à résonance” (ill. 5), which possesses a movement unique in modern watchmaking. All objects possess a natural frequency at which they tend to vibrate, called their resonant frequency. This vibration can be transmitted to another object if it has the same frequency. This can be likened to a child on a swing: if pushed at just the right moment, the en- ergy of the movement is increased, and the child can swing higher. The two balance springs in Journe’swatch use this principle to keep each other accurate: they constantly transfer energy to each other, and when properly adjusted, they resonate in perfect harmo- ny. The legendary horologist Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), who was among the first to experiment with this principle in watches, could not believe at first that it could function in a small timepiece, writing: “This appears to be absurd, but experience proves it a thousand times over.” It may not be impossible, but it is absurdly difficult to make such a watch. For example, the difference in fre- quencies between the two balance springs cannot exceed five seconds per day, and adjusting them is a delicate process. Journe first began working on a res- onance watch in 1983, but perfected it only seventeen years later, when he released his first “chronomètre à résonance” series. The model offered in this sale dates from 2002, and was part of a limited edition of 99 pieces whose dial and movement are coated in ruthenium, a rare metal in the platinum family of elements. The rarity of this watch, as well as the ever-increas- ing popularity of F. P. Journe’s creations, combined to propel the price far beyond its pre-sale estimate of CHF 22 000/42 000, all the way to CHF 232 000. 1 2 3 4