1,792 articles · 307 videos found · page 59 of 70
Wristshot gallery from the Horlogeforum Patek Philippe thread.
The 1932 Patek reference that set the template for every modern dress watch.
Gérald Genta's 1976 Patek sports watch. Sketched on a restaurant napkin at Baselworld 1974.
Patek's 1997 accessible sport watch alongside the Nautilus. Rounded-octagonal case, tropical strap.
Quill & Pad
True solar time is measured by the position of the sun and can run up to 16 minutes ahead of and 14 minutes behind the time shown on our clocks and watches. Our friends at The Watches TV spent a day with Philippe Dufour to have a look at this phenomenon in a personal way.
Quill & Pad
“I have no secrets as past watchmakers had. There are graveyards full of secrets and that’s enough.” – Philippe Dufour, 2014. That quote alone is enough to understand why he matters. But, as GaryG writes, there is much more.
Time+Tide
Philippe Dufour. It’s a name any die-hard watch enthusiast should know. Considered by many as the greatest living watchmaker today, Dufour is known for his unrivalled level of movement finishing. One of the more well-known references he creates, The Simplicity, has a bit of a misleading name. Yes, it is, on the surface, a simple … ContinuedThe post Watchmaking legend Philippe Dufour looks to one particular brand for his daily wearer… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A quartet representing the entirety of Philippe Dufour’s repertoire went under the hammer last year, with the Grande Sonnerie wristwatch no. 1 setting the record for any Dufour sold publicly when it achieved the equivalent of US$5.2 million including fees. Sold at the same auction, but for substantially less, was the Grande Sonnerie pocket watch no. 1. Despite the relative values, the pocket watch is arguably a more significant timepiece within Mr Dufour’s work. Why? Initial thoughts In today’s wristwatch-centric era, the fact that it is a pocket watch counts against it. That was also the verdict of the market – the pocket watch sold for half as much as the wristwatch in November 2021. But the Grande Sonnerie pocket watch is the ultimate distillation of Philippe Dufour’s philosophy, the ideal synthesis of the inspiration and impetus behind his creations. He has long stated, both publicly and to me in past conversations, that his watches are a reverential homage to the haute horlogerie produced in the Vallée de Joux during its heyday before the Quartz Crisis, the period between the late 19th to the mid 20th centuries. Timepieces of that era, especially those with ebauches made by the valley’s best specialists like Louis-Elisee Piguet and Ami LeCoutre, are the best watches ever made in Switzerland in his view. And the Grande Sonnerie pocket watch can pass for a timepiece from the late 19th century, perhaps even one made by Mr Dufour’s favourite historical w...
Quill & Pad
In this video, Philippe Dufour and Claude Sfeir discuss the results of the November 2021 Phillips auction featuring the Grande et Petite Sonnerie No. 1 pocket watch (1989), the Grande et Petite Sonnerie wristwatch (1992), the Duality (1996), and the Simplicity (2004). And they drop a hint that something new might well be in the works.
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Quill & Pad
The Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction: XIV in November 2021 was one of the watch auctions of the decade. Here are the eye-watering results raised by the four historical Philippe Dufour watches.
SJX Watches
One of the most anticipated sales during Geneva’s watch auction week just concluded with a big number – the Philippe Dufour Grande Sonnerie wristwatch sold for CHF4.749 million, or about US$5.2 million, including fees. While bidding was steady, it was restrained. Three bidders were the key movers behind the result – a phone bidders represented by Yong Ho and Alex Ghotbi of Phillips in Hong Kong and Geneva respectively, as well as an online bidder in Singapore. At the end it was down to the Singaporean buyer and Mr Ghotbi’s phone bidder, who clinched the watch with a hammer of CHF3.9 million. I wrote just earlier this week that I expected the Grande Sonnerie to sell for between US$4.0-5.0 million, so the result was well within my expectation. While there was talk of a far higher number prior to the sale, a variety of factors led me to that range, including the number of known potential buyers as well as the values of comparable watches. And that was how it turned out.
Quill & Pad
In November 2021 collectors have the chance to see (and possibly buy) all four Philippe Dufour watches in one place, making Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction: XIV what could well be the watch auction of the decade. Joshua Munchow takes a look at each of the four Philippe Dufour models on the block and examines why this is likely to leave its mark on the auction world for years to come.
Hodinkee
"When you have a fantastic brand like Patek, you have to protect the brand and not just one product." – Thierry Stern
Hodinkee
For Patek, history isn't just something you remember – it's something you make.
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Time+Tide
In recent years, there’s been a noticeable trend for watch cases returning to the smaller and more classical sizes of old. Robbie Jones (@robbiethepainter) takes it to a whole other level. The artist creates impeccably detailed models of miniature watches. How tiny? They have diameters under 5mm wide. “When I was five-years-old, my grandmother used … ContinuedThe post From Patek to Omega, the artist creating the tiniest watches in the world appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Coming Up For Sale: Four Stunning Philippe Dufours at Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XIV
Quill & Pad
A collaboration between renowned watch designer Alain Silberstein and the founder and director of the Utinam Besançon clock manufacture, Philippe Lebru, this imposing, colorful timekeeper meets the eye and runs away with it.
Quill & Pad
Philippe Dufour's daughter Daniela has now completed her formal watchmaker studies and has begun working with her famous independent watchmaker father. Notably, she just completed her first new-generation Simplicity.
Quill & Pad
It’s no secret: GaryG is an immense admirer of Philippe Dufour. Part of greatness, of course, is leaving a legacy; not only through one’s works, but in the skills and inspiration passed on to those who follow, which Dufour has liberally done. But who, if anyone, will history regard as the lineal heir to the Dufour tradition? Gary has reached what may seem a counterintuitive conclusion: Romain Gauthier.
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Quill & Pad
Philippe Dufour is the epitome of traditional watchmaking, and it was his time-only Simplicity that really brought the Vallée de Joux-based watchmaker horological fame. Here The Naked Watchmaker deconstructs three examples of this watch for our pleasure.
Time+Tide
The tide seems to be shifting in the auction world towards scarcity and craftsmanship, rather than scratched-up provenance and movie-star affiliations. We could see results of this theory already in our story on the latest Antiquorum auction here. In Monaco, the auction darlings of the last five years, steel sports Rolex, did OK, whereas the … ContinuedThe post Recommended Reading: Dufour and Journe are basically the Patek and Rolex of the Indies, and they are on a tear appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Now that the Patek Nautilus 5711/1A is officially retired, what are some alternatives in the genre that one can aspire to?
Time+Tide
I will be perfectly honest, ever since starting to write about watches, my sincere wish has been to meet up with the Time+Tide team at Basel, SIHH or even some far-flung Far Eastern destination. But then, KER-CLUNK! It was as if a giant hand pulled down a large POWER OFF handle, the lights dimmed and … ContinuedThe post Rolex, Patek, Tudor and TAG plus 34 other brands to show at Watches and Wonders in April appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Quill & Pad
A two-and-a-half-minute trailer was recently released for the forthcoming documentary 'Keeper of Time.' The film primarily follows four independent watchmakers: Maximilian Büsser (MB&F;), François-Paul Journe (F.P. Journe), Philippe Dufour, and Roger Smith. It also features interviews by scholars in physics, physiology, and philosophy as well as primarily New York City-based watch industry observers, weaving related topics about time into its fabric.
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SJX Watches
Soon after the very first of the Simplicity 20th Anniversary sold for a record US$1.51 million, Philippe Dufour revealed that Lebanese watch collector and gem merchant Claude Sfeir will now be his exclusive retailer worldwide. Historically selling direct to clients but also represented by a handful of retailers around the world, most notably Shellman in Tokyo, Mr Dufour has now streamlined his distribution. Having known Mr Dufour for some 40 years, Mr Sfeir will handle the sale of the 20 Simplicity 20th Anniversary watches, as well as whatever timepieces Mr Dufour may debut in the future. With Mr Dufour himself keeping the last of the 21 anniversary timepieces, the first 10 examples will be sold direct to clients. While not revealing the specifics of the allocation process, Mr Sfeir noted during a phone conversation he hoped to that the watches would be evenly distributed around the world. The last 10 watches will be allocated in a lottery that will take place in Switzerland. It will be a formal event, with a huissier de justice – an officer of the court in Switzerland – serving as a witness. According to Mr Sfeir, the restructuring of the distribution will not only help Mr Dufour build a more commercially sustainable business, but also ensure the Dufour brand name can continue into the next generation. Mr Sfeir also let on that Mr Dufour’s daughter, Daniela, is almost done with her watchmaking education. She will join Mr Dufour at the bench at the end of 2020, o...
SJX Watches
The very first Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary to leave Mr Dufour’s workshop was the first major example of independent watchmaking at Phillips’ Retrospective: 2000-2020 auction. It set a very high bar, hammering for 1.1 million Swiss francs, or 1.36 million francs including fees, which is equivalent to US$1.51 million. Almost forty times the retail price of the Simplicity when it was launched in 2000, the price is a new record for the model. The result handily crosses an earlier record set just a month ago at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, where an 34 mm example from the original production run sold for US$662,000. The Simplicity 20th Anniversary features a hinged hunter back, a feature not found in the original series Impressive as it is, the record price was reached swiftly. Although the estimate was 200,000-400,000 francs, a bidder on the phone represented by Tiffany To of Phillips opened with a 450,000 franc bid. The phone bidder was joined by a handful of fellow phone as well as in-room bidders – Mr Bacs commented during the proceedings there were seven phone lines active – along with a solo bid online from Singapore. The price rose quickly in 50,000 and 100,000 franc steps, with Ms To’s phone bidder clinching the prize. The seven-figure price for the Simplicity elevates Mr Dufour to the rarefied territory of living independent watchmakers whose wristwatches have sold for above US$1m at auction. There are just two watchmakers who can make that clai...
Time+Tide
The luxury watch industry is only growing around the world, and with many online publishers covering the world of horology extensively it has never been easier to learn about timepieces, their value, and the level of demand. One thing I do truly love about this hobby is there is a clear sense of community, a … ContinuedThe post Found a Patek or a Daytona at a suspiciously low price? It could be stolen stock from Amsterdam Vintage Watches. Check the serial numbers here… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s fall watch auction in Hong Kong included a diverse selection of independent watchmaking, including two examples of the Philippe Dufour Simplicity, both with silver guilloche dials. The first to go on the block was a 37 mm specimen in white gold with a movement number of 68. It sold to a client represented by Joey Luk of Sotheby’s watch department for HK$3.528m including fees, which is a little over US$455,000. That was substantially above the US$250,000-300,000 range that the Simplicity had generally sold for, setting a new record for the model. The next lot was a 34 mm Simplicity in platinum, numbered “100”. And then the record was broken. After a few minutes of back and forth between an online bidder, as well as phone bidders represented by Ms Luk and John Chan, also of Sotheby’s watch department, Mr Chan’s bidder triumphed with a bid of HK$4.1m. Inclusive of fees, the total was HK$5.136m, or about US$662,000, well over double the most recent high for the Simplicity. Part of the reason behind the price is rarity, not only absolute but also relative to other Simplicities. Platinum is unquestionably the rarest metal version for the watch, and 34 mm examples is are regarded to be fewer than 37 mm. The record price for both watches bode well for the Simplicity 20th Anniversary “00/20” – fresh from maker and offered by Mr Dufour himself – that will be sold at Phillips’ November auction in Geneva.
Quill & Pad
In this installment of Behind the Lens, GaryG shares a series of photographs of one of the great watches of our time, the Philippe Dufour Duality. The Duality, with its linked twin escapements, was originally planned for production in a series of 25 watches. In a turn of events that seems almost unbelievable today, a lack of initial demand eventually led Dufour to limit production to just nine pieces, one of which is owned by a good friend of Gary's.
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