PHILIPPE DUFOUR. AN EXTREMELY FINE AND VERY RARE 18K WHITE GOLD WRISTWATCH

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Truly one of the greatest watchmakers of all time, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels, Philippe Dufour is referred to as a “living legend” by his peers in the industry and his watches have been called “masterpieces” by the French magazine Le Point. But the appeal of a Philippe Dufour work is not just about rarity, it is about one man’s lifetime quest for perfection and beauty through the preservation of the traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques, embodying all of his own personal values of dedication, hard work, honesty and passion.Born in 1948 in La Sentier in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking hub of the Valle de Joux to a family of watchmakers, Dufour learnt the basis of his craft at the École Technique before going on to work for such titans of the industry as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Gerald Genta and Audemars Piguet. But it was when he decided to start restoring watches on his own that he understood how things were done in the past, with fewer tools in an age before CNC and computer aided designs. Dufour then embarked on a 2,000 hour project to make a grande sonnerie minute repeating pocket watch which he eventually sold to Audemars Piguet in the neighbouring watchmaking village of Le Brassus, and who went on to order 5 pieces in total. Following this project Dufour decided it was time for his own name to appear on the dial so in 1989 started on the road to create a wristwatch version of Grande and Petite Sonnerie Minute Repeater which was presented at Basel World in 1992. Christie’s was honoured to provide the debut for this historically important piece when it was sold in the May 2008 Geneva auction for 457,000 CHF.As Benjamin Clymer of Hodinkee put it succinctly “Dufour builds watches the way he believes they should be made, by hand and each on direct commission” with each one of his early watches constructed and finished to the highest of standards exclusively by the hands of the master watchmaker.” His success is not only due to a mere mastery of technique honed over a lifetime dedicated to the craft, it is Philippe Dufour’s sheer commitment to perfection and his desire to leave a small part of himself in each of his creations that differentiate his watches from those of other watchmakers.Famous architect Mies van Der Rohe once said “God is in the details” and seen in the light of this quote, one understands why Philippe Dufour has been repeatedly referred to as “the god of watches”. And the Simplicity strikes admirers with the most handsome of details in every corner of the movement: from the wide and even Côte de Genève engraving emanating from the ruby at the centre of the movement, to the elegant design of the black polished single piece click spring, a part that is traditionally made of multiple components, and his signature curves, bevels and interior angles to the bridges.Simplicity is considered by many collectors to be among the most superb pieces of horology ever made, beautifully displaying the finest finishing techniques in a straight forward time-only presentation. For astute collectors lucky enough to own one of his watches, most would consider it the pinnacle of their collection and it would be the one piece to remain if all others had to go. Representing the auction debut for this model, it is an immense privilege for Christie’s Hong Kong to be offering one of the most superb example of watchmaking by a living legend, especially in the desirable and attractive combination of 37 mm. white gold case and silver guilloché engraved dial.THE PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTOR

PHILIPPE DUFOUR. AN EXTREMELY FINE AND VERY RARE 18K WHITE GOLD WRISTWATCH

SIGNED PHILIPPE DUFOUR, SIMPLICITY MODEL, NO. 61, CIRCA 2003

Details

PHILIPPE DUFOUR. AN EXTREMELY FINE AND VERY RARE 18K WHITE GOLD WRISTWATCH
SIGNED PHILIPPE DUFOUR, SIMPLICITY MODEL, NO. 61, CIRCA 2003
MOVEMENT: Manual, Cal. 11, 21 jewels
DIAL: Silvered brushed, engine-turned centre, applied Arabic and dagger numerals, subsidiary seconds
CASE: 18k white gold, glazed snap on back, 37 mm. diam.
STRAP/BUCKLE: Philippe Dufour crocodile strap, 18k white gold Philippe Dufour buckle
ACCOMPANIED BY: Philippe Dufour Certificat d’Origine et de Garantie dated 6 March 2003, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

Special Notice

> Some watches are pictured with straps made of endangered or protected animal materials such as alligator or crocodile. These endangered species straps are shown for display purposes only and are not for sale. Christie’s will remove and retain the strap prior to shipment from the sale site. At some sale sites, Christie’s may, at its discretion, make the displayed endangered species strap available to the buyer of the lot free of charge if collected in person from the sale site within 1 year of the date of the sale. Please check with the department for details on a particular lot. > Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory, tortoiseshell and crocodile. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lindi Cheng

lcheng@christies.com +852 2978 6861

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