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 Philippe Dufour is an in dependent watchmaker and an AHCI member living in the Valle de Joux, Switzerland, which is the cradle of high-end mechanical horology. Philippe Dufour is one of the most respected, most innovative and most talented master watchmakers. His creations are considered as the quintessence of watchmaking, above everything that can be bought from known and respected companies.
Philippe Dufour was born in Valle and went to the Sentier technical school when he was 15 years old. He became a watchmaker in 1967 and was employed by Jaeger-le-Coultre. The master watchmaker Gabriel Locatelli gave him a great knowledge of horology. He then worked in the Caribbean islands and came back to Switzerland in 1974, employed by Audemars Piguet and Gerald Genta. He gave life back to old and very complicated watches, including quite a lot of repeaters, working for the Osvaldo Patrizzi workshop. He also made five "grandes sonneries" for Audemars Piguet and, then, decided to produce watches under his own name in 1989.
Since that time, Philippe Dufour is one of the most sought after independent watchmaker. His search for perfection is what makes him so special in this world. He is working alone (with the help of his daughter and of a young assistant) in his workshop, making nearly all the parts of his watches by himself and focusing on an incredible level of finishing and precision that can probably be found nowhere else today.
Basically, Philippe Dufour made three different watches under his own name: the Grande Sonnerie, the Duality and the Simplicity. All of them were produced in very small series. Their outstanding quality can be seen from the first glance but becomes even more impressive under a microscope.
Simplicity, one of the watchmaker’s best timepieces, is a hand-winding mechanical watch with a small seconds-hand at six. Inside its gold case, one immediately sees its beauty, its purity and its solidity. The original form of the mechanism and bridges, among other details, represents the master's signature. One can see the family resemblance between the Simplicity and its famous predecessors. It is of particular interest that the brand and number are engraved on the gold bars and are then adjusted and screwed on the movement.
Finally, this beautiful movement is decorated with Geneva waves. Its solid and reliable conception will ensure its longevity. And as the Simplicity is handed down from generation to generation, Philippe Dufour's tradition of fine watch making will continue.
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