As summer draws to a close, attention turns to the autumn auction season. And for connoisseurs of modern independent watchmaking, there’s much to pique interest in the latest additions to the line up of The Geneva Watch Auction: XIV in November, presented by Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo.

Philippe Dufour is regarded as one of the greatest living watchmakers, working for the likes of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet and Gerald Genta before setting up on his own in 1978. Since then he has become renowned for his clean and classic style and fine attention to detail that extends from the sophisticated look of his timepieces to the precise movements that beat at their heart.

Placing a precedence on traditional, impeccable craftsmanship, production numbers of his watches are naturally limited and it is a rare occasion when fine examples come onto the market together. Here, four timepieces will be offered in a single season, assembled over the years by a private collector.

‘To us and a huge community around the world, Philippe Dufour is the horological equivalent of Michelangelo, the importance of his work cannot be overstated. This “set” of four Philippe Dufour timepieces has been an epiphanous moment for us,’ says Aurel Bacs, senior consultant at Bacs & Russo, and Alexandre Ghotbi, head of watches, Continental Europe and Middle East. ‘Offering his four creations – the Grande and Petite Sonnerie pocket watch, Grande and Petite Sonnerie wristwatch, Duality and Simplicity – is truly humbling and mind boggling. Dufour is a living icon and his creations are as coveted as oeuvres by the greatest artists of our time.’

An expert in the restoration of antique and vintage timepieces, Dufour’s passion for this horological heritage is reflected in his original creations. The Grande and Petite Sonnerie pocket watch (estimate CHF 400,000-800,000), with its technically advanced chiming mechanism, is a unique piece, the only watch of its kind that features his name on the dial. Meanwhile, the Grande and Petite Sonnerie wristwatch (CHF 1million – 2 million) sees this complex movement painstaking miniaturised, with this the first such example produced of just four in total.

Also going under the hammer is another one of his most iconic designs, the Duality (estimate CHF 800,000-1.6 million), which when it was introduced in 1996 was the world’s first wristwatch incorporating a double escapement. This particular model, number 8, is the last one ever made, and one of only three pink gold versions produced. The Simplicity (estimate CHF 250,000-500,000) is perhaps the purest expression of his pared-back aesthetic, a testament to the beauty and skill found in his craftsmanship and finishing.

phillips.com