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$600,000 for a watch?
Madness? Or merely obsessed? Meet Philippe Dufour: master watchmaker extraordinaire. As a one-man manufacture, Dufour has shown virtuosity never seen since Abraham Louis Breguet.
Born in the traditional home of watchmaking in the Le Sentier, at the Valee de Joux, Switzerland in 1948, Dufour began his career in watchmaking after obtaining his Certificat d’horologer rhabilleur (fully qualified watchmaker specializing in repair). He apprenticed locally, but soon, his desire for working abroad drew him to work with watchmakers in London, Frankfurt, and the Virgin Islands.
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On his return, he began work on his own in 1978, setting up his own workshop, and specialized in repairing old and valuable watches. Work that he finds exacting and stimulating, “Most of the watches were work from the great watchmakers of the past. Some were signed, and some were not, but I came to recognize each Master’s touch.” |
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In 1982, he began some 2000 hours of grueling work on the world’s first Grand and Petite Sonnerie minute repeater pocket watches. From 82 to 88, he made 5 further examples of this magnificent piece.
The works were signed by the large manufactures like Audemars Piguet, but nonetheless could be recognized with Dufour’s master touch…as he has recognized others before. In 1989, he went into recluse to research for himself, and in 1992 stunned the Worldwide Watchmaking and Jewelry Fair in Basel with the wristwatch version of the Grande and Petite Sonnerie.
Fascinated by a 1930s table and pocket watch which featured complex dual escapements, he began work on a wristwatch version. In 1996, he claimed his place in the horological history books with the creation of the first wristwatch to feature a double escapement. The Duality, as the watch is called, saw instant success, and was proclaimed as a technical marvel. Priced at SF95,000 each, Dufour has sold 10 pieces of this masterpiece. No small feat, considering that each piece is exceedingly complicated, and completely hand manufactured by him.
In Basel of 1999, he revealed a new version of the Grande and Petite Sonnerie, featuring a hidden lever to activate the striking mechanism, and a new glass dial, allowing the owner to gaze at the beautifully finished striking works. This watch is priced at SF600,000 and is available on special order from Dufour.
Finally in Basel 2000, he decided to add the irony of a simple wristwatch – aptly named Simplicity, to his cap…a watch that, in its simplicity is a show of virtuosity.
I met up with Dufour recently in the Worldwide Watch and Clock Fair in Basel recently, and interviewed him.
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PC: Phillipe, what is so special with the double escapement? PD: The aim of the double escape is to even out the effects of gravity on the escape hairspring, much like the effects of a tourbillion, only more difficult to make. PC: How so? PD: It comprises of more parts than a tourbillion, and because I designed it from scratch on my computer, I wouldn't be sure that it would work until I finished the movement. The first one (he shows me the watch he was wearing serial number 01), took me 12 months to make. |
PC: (looking at the movement via a 10x loupe) Wow! this is a very beautifully made movement. Do you hand make the complete movement yourself?
PD: Oh yes! I am a one-man show. I do everything. I use very traditional equipment. Other than the design, which is done on a computer, the entire movement is hand made and completely hand finished by me. I don't have any employees.
PC: Even the case? How do you make the case? How long would it take you to make one now?
PD: I don't make the case. It is hand made, and the lugs are hand soldered by a goldsmith friend. The watch can be ordered in white gold, rose gold, or in platinum. I don't even making the movement until it I get an order.
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PC: How does the double escape take the energy from only one mainspring and provide the timing to just one movement? PD: The concept, simple though it sounds, and incredibly complex to execute, is to use a flat differential method. |
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Same as a car's differential, where either wheel is free to spin independently of each other, whilst taking power from just one engine. Except that the differential is flat. (shows me a hand colored, computer plot of a drawing of the differential)
Both escapements are beating at 18,800 bph, and completely independently to each other. The differential averages out the beats, summing the errors to net at close to zero.
The idea of using a
differential is nothing new. It has been used successfully in power reserve
indicators. But ensuring that it runs with the efficiency of a tourbillion and
able to net out the positional errors of the escapes, is quite a feat.
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PC: Are the orders overwhelming? PD: I have sold 10 to private collectors. Give me an order...I will make one for you...(smiles) PC: How much would one be? |
PD: About SF85,000. I will need 3 months or so to make.
PC: Do you intend to limit the production?
PD: Due to limitations to the one man show, and I insist that for a watch to bear my name, I must have made the whole movement by my own hands, I am putting an arbitrary limit of 25 pieces.
PC: Do you make any other watches?
PD: Yes. I have a Grande Sonneire. (shows me the picture)
Grande
and Petite Sonnerie
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PD: Well, this is a World Premiere. Very first watch to incorporate the extremely complex mechanism of a Grande and Petite Sonnerie. All previous versions were on pocket watches…of which I made 5 when I returned from the Virgin Islands in 1978. Four of these were made, one in yellow gold, one white
gold, another rose gold, and the final one in platinum case. |
The Grande and Petite Sonnerie Wristwatch. World premiere, 1992 |
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Sidebar:
How does it function? A repeater watch is one where the watch mechanism is
able to strike gongs to tell the time on demand by pressing a lever. For
example, with the minute repeater set at 12:59, the watch will strike twelve
high notes (ting) to signify 12 hours have passed, three high/low notes
(ting/tong) to signify that 3 quarters have passed, and fourteen low notes
telling us that 14 minutes has passed since the last quarter. (see http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/customhouse/111/1259.wav
to hear how this sounds like, and http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/customhouse/111/repeater.htm
for more information.) It is a complex virtuoso piece, showing the
craftsmanship of a master watchmaker. The on-demand minute repeater is the
base of the Grande and Petite Sonnerie as executed by Dufour. In
a Grande Sonnerie, the watch can be set, via a lever to either strike or
silent mode. In silent mode, it is similar to any other repeater watch: it
strikes the time only on demand. In strike mode, it will sound the time every
hour by striking the hour, and every quarter
by sounding the hour and quarters, which has, elapsed since, on the
hour automatically. Like a Grandfather clock. In
a Petite Sonnerie’s strike mode, the watch will strike the hour with each
passing hour, and announce the quarter as it passes, striking only the
quarters. |
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Philippe repeated this extremely complicated feat, with another, even more complicated Grande and Petite Sonnerie wristwatch in 1999, adding a glass dial showing the full intricacies of the movement. He created his design for the hands, calling them: Dufour hands, handmade out of steel, and patiently blued by application to a flame. By 1999, he was gaining the reputation of horologer compliquee – watchmaker of complicated watches. This 1999 premiere featured a hidden lever. See watch below. |
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PD: I wanted to create a watch, that one could see the striking work properly. In the process, I also wanted to make the dial of the watch more readable than usual. Those were my two challenges. PC: So this resulted in this beautiful 18k white gold case, highly polished, cambered, with soldered horns? PD: Yes. And the unusual feature of the casework is this hinged outer bezel, which swings open to reveal the repeater slide bolts, and their hand engraved and enameled titles, set in the caseband beneath. PC: Remarkable! |
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PD: Look at the movement: the form of the mechanisms and bridges, the way they are decorated, and particularly, the system of ratchet wheels, are rarely used today…simply too expensive to execute! But I think they should be maintained. I even created a buckle that fastens the
crocodile strap. And made by me, right down to the smallest screw. Totally
mechanical, and totally and completely made by me. |
Basel 2000
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PC: So, Phil, having made the most complicated watches in the world, what’s your next challenge? PD: Simplicity! PC: Simplicity? PD: Yes, simplicity. In the watchmaking craft, it is easier to make something more complicated than it needs to be. |
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Collectors like yourself marvel at these creations. But it is more challenging to create something which is bare simplicity, yet still finished to perfection, yet still bearing all the trademarks of good craft, yet still allowing my signature style to shine. |
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I began work on this on September 7, 1999, and worked non-stop to complete it early March 2000.
PC: (putting loupe to eye and examining the movement). This is even more breath taking! The simplicity of the watch, makes it even more attractive!
PD: Yes (with obvious pleasure). All the craft elements are here: the sharp edges of the bridge, the polished stainless steel jewel cap for the escape wheel, an adjustable mass, free sprung balance, the immaculate finish. I have given my all to this watch.
As usual I made everything myself - from first sketch to final adjustment. The family resemblance is remarkable.
You like it?
PC: More than the others!
PC: Final question, Phil, what watch do you like most, other than your own?
PD: I really admire the A. Lange & Sohne range. Excellent quality movement. (kisses his own fingers). Especially the Pour La Merite Tourbillion. I have restored many old Lange pocket watches, and they are all exquisitely made.
PC: Thank you, Phil. It has been a great pleasure to have talked with a great living legend in the world of watchmaking.
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Grande and Petite Sonnerie 1999. |
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