Worth Reading
The Watchmaker
Philippe Dufour was born in 1948 in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux, to a mother and father who were both watchmakers. At the age of fifteen, he attended the Ecole d’Horlogerie in Le Sentier, where he excelled in his studies. Upon graduation, in 1967, he joined Jaeger-LeCoultre, spending time in their after-sales department. Whilst there, he worked closely with Gabriel Locatelli, who became a mentor for the young watchmaker, educating him on “all the things you don’t learn at watchmaking school,” Dufour recalls.
In the following years, he worked for a few different manufactures, including Audemars Piguet, before focusing on restoring antique and vintage watches for collectors and auction houses. Dufour then struck out on his own as an independent watchmaker in 1992, where he would go on to create the groundbreaking Grande et Petite Sonnerie pocket watches as well as his Simplicity series.
The Duality was conceived in 1996, and although there were initially 25 planned for this series, only nine were ever made. Given the success of his Simplicity series, Dufour felt that he couldn’t divide his attention between both types of pieces, and decided to stop producing the Duality, making this a rare piece not only for technical reasons, but because of its limited numbers.
The Two Faces of the Duality
This Duality is composed of a series of complementary aspects: the contrast in the type of dial finishing used for the sub-dial and the main dial, the visual distinction between the simple elegance of the watch face against the complication of the movement contained behind the sapphire caseback, and of course, the mirrored double escapements within the movement itself.
Although rather understated, the main dial is beautifully brushed, and the engine-turned sub-dial provides a subtle divergence from the rest of the watch face, a relatively calm surface masking the deep waters that run beneath this watch. A railroad track design runs towards the centre of the dial, while the rhodium-plated hands complement the subtle decoration throughout.
Furthermore, Dufour’s movement finishing remains impeccable, with a mixture of deep yet delicate Geneva stripes that provide an interesting interplay of textures and depth. As is customary with Dufour’s watches, the movement bears chamfering, black polishing, and hand engraving, which are finished to the highest standard. The signature ‘horns’ that can be seen on the movement are also incredibly difficult to create and are a prominent part of Dufour’s work.
At 34mm in diameter, the watch sits perfectly balanced on the wrist, co-existing with the wearer rather than overwhelming them.
The Complication: A Double Escapement
Those interested in horological history will be familiar with the problem Abraham Louis Breguet faced in trying to create a ‘natural escapement’, and over the years, watchmakers such as George Daniels, Roger Smith, and F.P. Journe have come up with many interesting answers to creating an escapement.
Dufour's double escapement is unique as it regulates the release of energy to allow for more accurate timekeeping. Based on certain school watches made in the Vallée de Joux in the 1930s, it essentially consists of two escapements linked by a differential.
Clearly viewed through the sapphire caseback, the movement is beautifully finished, and at the bottom of the movement we see the two escapements running parallel to each other, in addition to a hint of the further complexity lying underneath the glass.
A Collected Man is the approved re-seller of pre-owned Dufour Watches.
