If you are a true watch enthusiast and are looking for the crème de la crème of Swiss luxury watchmaking then the exquisite pieces of Philippe Dufour are just the thing to suit your requirements. This legendary Swiss watchmaking brand has been steadily producing some of the most exquisitely crafted timepieces since its inception in 1998.
<h2>History</h2>
Philippe Dufour is the brainchild of Swiss-born watch-maker Philippe Dufour, whom over the years has become a legend in the world of horology. His passion for horology began at the tender age of twelve, and he has been tirelessly perfecting his craft over the years. At the age of twenty-one, he realised his dream of setting up a watchmaking atelier in Le Sentier.<h2>Characteristics</h2>
The Philippe Dufour watch collections are characterised by exquisite precision, while paying tribute to the traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques. Their calibres are based on traditional designs, but they feature modern elements such as in terms of ergonomics and overall design. The movements are produced with the help of advanced machinery and also crafted manually using manually operated tools. Philippe Dufour is also renowned for using unusual materials in the construction of his watches, including titanium, meteorite and platinum.<h2>Models</h2>
The Philippe Dufour watch collections include a variety of timepieces that suit different needs. The Grande Complication Duality is one of the brand’s most popular models, and is a hand-winding watch with a power reserve of 80 hours. Meanwhile, the Simplicity is the flagship model of the collection and features a hand-winding calibre. There are also a number of chronographs, ladies’ watches and tourbillons on offer.
Philippe Dufour is a leader in the high-end watch market and its timepieces are of the utmost quality. Their commitment to traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques is obvious in all of their products, and their innovative materials and designs make these timepieces truly stunning. These luxury watches are a perfect combination of old-world craftsmanship and modern day sophistication and are sure to have a place in any horological aficionado’s collection.
{Philippe Dufour} (born 1948) is a {Swiss-born} watchmaker from {Le Sentier}, {Vallée de Joux}. He is viewed as the greatest master of modern watchmaking, and his watches are described as among the best ever molded. He polishes all of his watches himself by hand. In 1992, {Dufour} was the first watchmaker to put possibly the most difficult of complications in a wristwatch, a {Sonnerie}. His other two models include {Duality} and {Simplicity}.
After middle school, at the age of 15, {Dufour} resolved to select a profession rather than pursuing academics. Upon his decision to study mechanics, he got his first training at the Ecole d’Horlogerie de la Vallée de Joux and finished his course in 1967.
{Following} the completion of his studies, he was hired by {Jaeger-LeCoultre} in 1967. After working for several companies, {Audemars Piguet} ordered 5 Sonnerie movements for pocket watches from {Dufour} and he started to work on the project in 1982. The last part was sent in 1988. After finishing the order, he commenced to become one of the first independent watchmakers and introduced his first wristwatch in his own name at the {Basel World} fair in 1992. {Following} the world’s first Sonnerie wristwatch, he engineered the Duality in 1996. The concept of the watch was based on the differential system that averages errors between two balance wheels. Only 9 pieces were made.
In 2000, he proposed his most well-known model: {Simplicity}. The model was the only current production watch from {Dufour} and about 200 were planned to be fabricated. He reportedly has so many orders he is not taking any more.
One of his Simplicity watches is displayed at The {Espace Horloger} watch museum at {Switzerland}.
In 2016, {Phillips} sold one for €260,000.
In 2017, {Sotheby’s} sold one for €176,000. In that same year, {Phillips} sold one for €192,500.
One of the 9 Duality models ever produced was sold in 2017 at {New York} by {Phillips} for almost US$1,000,000.
In 2020, a special edition of the {Simplicity} marking its 20th anniversary and personally offered by {Dufour} himself was sold for a record US$1.512 million at a {Phillips} auction in {Geneva}, becoming one of the most expensive watches ever sold at auction.
In 2021, the first version of the {Grande et Petite Sonnerie №1} was sold for a world record of US$5.210 million at a {Phillips} auction in {Geneva}, making it the most expensive timepiece made by an independent watchmaker or brand sold at auction.
{Apart from} his own creations, {Dufour} is also a known collector of vintage watches. In an interview during {SIHH 2016} he stated: “{Datograph} is the only neutral watch I bought for myself”, a timepiece from {A. Lange & Söhne}.
In an interview with watch industry publication {Hodinkee}, he stated: “The best chronograph ever made is the {Datograph}”.
At {Baselworld 2019}, he was seen wearing a {Rolex GMT Master II ref. 126710}.
{Philippe Dufour} features in the documentary feature film {Making Time}, which also features {Maximilian_Büsser}, {Aldis_Hodge}, {Ludovic Ballouard} and {Nico_Cox}.