It is a well-known fact that the first approach of François Paul Journe to watchmaking was in the workshop of his uncle Michel Journe. Apparently, watchmaking talent runs in the Journe family: Michel was one of the foremost restorers of antique clocks in France. Without a doubt, during these years François Paul had the (quite incredible) opportunity of studying some outstanding timepieces from some of the greatest watchmakers ever such as Breguet, Janvier or Leroy.

No longer content on restoration work and the creation of one off masterpieces Journe decided to launch his eponymous brand. However, he faced a new problem: how to finance the launch of his brand and the creation of his first model. A friend suggested that he use the subscription system already used by the great Abraham-Louis Breguet whereby a few trusting clients would make a down payment for a watch that had not been made in exchange for a discount on the retail price. This would allow Journe to finance his workshops, tools and components.

Journe thus made his first 20 “Souscription” (subscription in French) tourbillons delivered in 1999, each featuring its individual number on the dial.

His second model followed rapidly after: the Chronomètre à Resonance. Drawing inspiration from 18th century French royal clockmaker Antide Janvier's double pendulum clocks, in 1983 Journe succeeded in miniaturizing Janvier's system by creating the first pocket watch to incorporate dual balances oscillating in resonance. This feat was considered near impossible to translate to wristwatch scale at the time, but Journe's visionary talent and determination led him to accomplish this 17 years later, unveiling the Chronomètre à Resonance in 2000.

This mechanism is composed of two independent balances, alternatively serving as an “exciter” and “resonator” and as such evening out each other's variations resulting in a higher accuracy rate.

The earliest F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance examples can be divided into three categories. After the first two years of case production (99R and 00R), the characteristics of the Résonance become more standardized, until the brass movement series is discontinued in its entirety by 2004.

No. 001 – 020: The Souscription watches like the present example. These were first offered to those twenty clients of Journe who purchased his Tourbillon Souverain, funding his brand. They bear the suffix /00R for their production year of 2000. They were not necessarily delivered in that order, contrary to previous schools of thought, but many of the clients who purchased a Souscription Tourbillon also ordered a matching Résonance. They have the deeper engravings to the caseback, as Journe used laser-etching for this series.

No. 021 – 03X: The Pre-Production watches, with suffix /99R. These were in fact the first approximately 10 Resonances created by Journe and are numbered after the Souscription watches but produced and sometimes delivered before. About 10 examples. With shallow engravings.

No. 03X – 05X: The Pre-Souscription watches, with suffix /00R. Estimated 30-40 examples. These were ordered before the Souscription Resonances and bear the shallow engravings and shiny dials typical of the earliest references R and T.

The present number 2 was destined for the owner of the "souscription" tourbillon number 2, however since the latter did not wish to purchase it, this Chronomètre à Resonance was subsequently sold to the current consignor and as such is not officially considered "souscription" by F.P. Journe.

The present example from the original owner is a true piece of horological history as it is the second subscription Resonance to be made (bearing number 002) as well as being the second subscription to grace the auction market.