Philippe Dufour - Hong Kong Watch Auction: THREE Hong Kong Monday, November 28, 2016 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Philippe Dufour
    Year: Circa 2002
    Movement No: 11
    Model Name: Simplicity
    Material: 18k pink gold
    Calibre: Mechanical
    Bracelet/Strap: Black Philippe Dufour crocodile leather strap
    Clasp/Buckle: 18k pink gold Philippe Dufour buckle
    Dimensions: 37 mm. diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Accessories: With Philippe Dufour International Guarantee and Certificate of Origin dated 15 July 2002, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
    Literature: For another example of a Simplicity, however in white gold, please see Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking by Michael Clerizo, pages 88 and 89.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Property from the Original Owner

    The name Philippe Dufour is synonymous with elegance, tradition and innovation. Having graduated from the Ecole d'Horlogerie in the Vallée de Joux, Dufour honed his craft at Jaeger LeCoultre and Audmars Piguet before striking out on his own, restoring vintage pieces. Dufour famously stated that working with vintage masterpieces inspired himself to create. In 1992, he introduced the Grande and Petite Sonnerie Minute Repeating wristwatch at Basel. It was the first time such a complex wristwatch had ever appeared on the market, and was an instant success.

    Following the success of the Grande and Petite Sonnerie Minute Repeating wristwatch, Dufour introduced the Simplicity in the year 2000. Inspired by the traditional watchmaking methods in the Vallée de Joux, the Simplicity is entirely crafted and assembled under one roof. The name ‘Simplicity’ is a bit of a misnomer, since the watch is anything but. With beautiful hand engraved bridges and polished curvatures on the case, the Simplicity is the result of Dufour’s search for perfection. Dufour only created 200 examples of the model. Its rarity, coupled with elegant looks, has propelled the watch to ‘grail’ status today.

    We are delighted to offer two Simplicities, which provide an insight to the breadth and rage of the model. The first is cased in pink gold with a 37 millimeter case and white lacquer dial. It contrasts wonderfully with the second watch, a 34 millimeter Simplicity cased in white gold with guilloché dial.

    We are incredibly thrilled to offer, for the first time in auction history, two Simplicities that are completely fresh to the market for the pleasure of watch collectors and scholars today.

    Fitted with a lacquer dial, the present watch features Roman numerals, which contrast wonderfully against the white background. Dufour notably chose to use lacquer instead of enamel, as the latter dial would require a thicker case. The present fresh-to-the-market watch has been lovingly preserved by its original owner. It is among the very first Simplicities made, having been completed in 2002. It was bought by the owner sight unseen, attesting to the trust which Dufour’s clients bestowed upon him. The balance cock is subtly engraved ‘PD’ for Philippe Dufour, a nice and unusual touch which is only found on a handful of Simplicity wristwatches.

    當代製錶大師-Philippe Dufour

    Philippe Dufour畢業於瑞士汝拉山谷的製錶學校 (Ecole d'Horlogerie),曾在積家和愛彼錶廠負責修復古董鐘錶。藉由汲取修復古董鐘錶上的寶貴經驗,他成立自家品牌並開始製作腕錶,自1992年巴塞爾錶展上發表大小自鳴三問手錶後,Philippe Dufour開始揚名於世,成為新一代傳統、優雅、創新的代名詞。

    大小自鳴三問手錶受到舉世注目後,2000年推出的Simplicity系列腕錶更獲得了前所未有的巨大成功。有別於”Simplicity”字面上的意思,其實這是一只最不簡單的手錶。Simplicity完全遵照汝拉山谷傳統錶匠的製錶工序,由設計、組件到打磨全由一人手工獨立製作,從美麗的人手雕刻機芯到細緻流暢的拋光角度,無處不見Philippe Dufour所追求的簡約與完美細緻。限量200枚的Simplicity極難遇上,無疑已經成為市場上一錶難求的傳奇系列。

    富藝斯本季為各界藏家精心蒐羅兩枚Simplicity,分別是37毫米口徑的玫瑰金款式,和34毫米口徑的白金款式,拍賣市場首見兩枚珍罕的Simplicity同時出現,一眾錶迷不容錯過!

  • 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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ΟΣ1090

An extremely fine and equally rare pink gold wristwatch with original certificate and fitted presentation box

Circa 2002
37 mm. diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
HK$960,000 - 1,440,000 
€113,000-169,000
$120,000-180,000

Sold for HK$2,000,000

Hong Kong Watch Auction: THREE

Hong Kong Auction 29 November 2016