Philippe Dufour is a renowned Swiss independent watchmaker based in Le Solliat, specialized in high-end horology defined by exceptional hand-finishing and traditional craftsmanship. Born in 1948 in the Vallée de Joux, Dufour completed his education at the Ecole d’Horlogerie de la Vallée de Joux in 1967 before working for prestigious manufacturers like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Gérald Genta, and Audemars Piguet. Seeking independence, he established his own workshop in 1978, where he initially focused on restoring antique watches.
Collectors highly value Dufour’s watches for their uncompromising dedication to artisanal techniques that have largely disappeared from the broader industry, such as his mastery of perfecting sharp interior angles on bridges using manual tools like wooden pegs and diamond paste. His timepieces are considered a pinnacle of horological art due to their meticulous manual decoration and extremely limited production, often cited at approximately 15 to 18 pieces per year.
The brand’s portfolio is distinguished by three primary models: – Grande et Petite Sonnerie: Introduced in 1992, this was the first wristwatch to feature an incredibly complex chiming mechanism that automatically strikes the hours and quarters.
– Duality: Launched in 1996, it was the first wristwatch to utilize a double escapement with a differential system to improve timekeeping accuracy.
– Simplicity: Debuted in 2000, this time-only watch is regarded as a benchmark for movement architecture and superlative manual finishing.
