Philippe Dufour - The Geneva Watch Auction: XIV Geneva Friday, November 5, 2021 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Philippe Dufour
    Year: 2004
    Movement No: 57
    Model Name: Simplicity
    Material: Platinum
    Calibre: Manual, inhouse, 21 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Philippe Dufour pin buckle
    Dimensions: 37mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by fitted wooden box, International Guarantee and Certificate of Origin dated March 2004 and outer packaging.
    Literature: Philippe Dufour is prominently featured in Twelve Faces of Time: Horological Virtuosos by Elisabeth Doerr and Ralph Baumgarten pp. 10-25 and in Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking by Michael Clerizo pp. 72-91.

  • Catalogue Essay

    After a unique pocket watch and two world premières (first Grande & Petite Sonnerie wristwatch and first wristwatch with dual escapement) Dufour decided to create what would probably be the most incredible time only wristwatch ever made, a watch that would be mindboggling in its beauty and simplicity.

    The aptly named Simplicity was first presented in 2000 and was a break away from Dufour’s wonderfully complex mechanisms. With the Simplicity, the master wanted to demonstrate his unrivalled finishing techniques and to prove that simple could also mean sophisticated. Each watch, like all his other creations, was to be hand-finished and assembled by the master himself.
    The Simplicity was originally presented in a 34 mm case and a larger 37 mm case was offered rapidly after. It was made in pink gold, white gold or platinum with a unique steel version known. Dufour also created two dial types, one in white lacquer and the other with a hand-guilloché dial.

    The world’s greatest collectors recognized a modern masterpiece and icon, and orders flooded in rapidly. Dufour’s quota of about 200 movements was rapidly reached, and those lucky enough to have been able to order a Simplicity had to wait long years before delivery. Everybody else had to wait for a piece to appear on the secondary market.

    In 2020, Dufour announced a last run of 20 Simplicity models in celebration of the model’s 20th anniversary. These anniversary pieces feature a hinged caseback and a different dial to the non- anniversary models. Anniversary piece number 00/20 was sold at Phillips Geneva on November 8, 2020 for CHF 1,361,000.

    The present fresh to the market Simplicity in platinum numbered 57 from 2004, is part of the earlier pieces created by Dufour and part of the same unique collection as the other three Philippe Dufour pieces we have the honor of offering.

    Very few Simplicity models have surfaced publicly, and the combination of a 37mm case in platinum with the hand guilloché dial, most similar to the prototype version Philippe Dufour himself wears, is arguably one of the most desired variants.

  • Artist Biography

    Philippe Dufour

    Swiss • 1989

    Philippe Dufour is a modern master creating some of the most coveted timepieces available today. His watches feature clean, classic lines fitted with high-grade in-house movements and stunning finish and polish. His Simplicity model is near-perfect hand craftsmanship, produced entirely in a traditional manner without the use of modern industrial tools. Over a 12-year period he created approximately 200 examples often customized to the client's wishes. Today it is considered one of the finest mechanical time-only timepieces produced. Also highly sought-after is the Duality, a highly complicated masterpiece made in only 9 examples. Dufour worked for some of the top names in watch manufacturing including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet and Gerald Genta. In 1978, he opened his own workshop creating all his own parts. He is both the man and the brand, and by keeping his production numbers limited, Dufour maintains absolute control over quality and is therefore considered one of the most important independent watchmakers today.

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An extremely rare and fine platinum wristwatch with guilloché dial, original certificate and presentation box

2004
37mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed

Estimate
CHF250,000 - 500,000 
€233,000-467,000
$272,000-544,000

Sold for CHF756,000

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East Director
AGhotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XIV

Geneva Auction 5 & 7 November 2021