Early on, Philippe Dufour’s friend, watchmaker Antoine Preziuso alerted him to the dedicated following in Japan for his classically styled and mechanically complex craft. Dufour created the Simplicity, a watch that catered to the sensitivities of that market, as a way to thank Japanese enthusiasts for supporting his vision.
Between 2000 and the present day, it is understood that around 220 Simplicities have been created, and according to Dufour, nearly 120 of them are in Japan. Dufour continues to work on the series, and it is believed that there are a few clients still waiting to receive their watches. More recently, the watchmaker committed to creating further examples in a series to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Simplicity.
Above all, Dufour wanted to make a watch that he would wear. He says, recalling his thoughts at the time, "I wanted to make a simple watch to please myself. I took inspiration mostly from watches made in the 50s and 60s, and back then, nearly all the watches had 30mm movements for their watches, so I took inspiration from these types of very classical pieces."
This particular example is a very early piece numbering below 50, and the case size is at 34mm. This is an unusual sight, as most 34mm examples are more typically found with collectors in Japan, and hardly seen on the market as a whole. To add to that, the model was more commonly produced in white-gold, with fewer pieces were cased in rose-gold, making this example all the more unusual, and rare thanks to this specific combination of features.
The three-part case has a rounded bezel and a caseback rim. These parts sandwich a slim midcase that also has a curved profile. The point where the long, slim lugs meet the midcase is clearly defined. The substantial, knurled crown is crafted from rose gold and is unsigned. The smaller sized case fits the dial beautifully, as it appears well-proportioned and elegantly placed.
The classical case is paired with a solid silver dial with a guilloché adorned centre in a wave-like pattern. This section is hemmed by a sauté piqué rim, interrupted only by the overlapping subsidiary seconds register. This register has an engine turning in a concentric circular pattern, with a printed chapter of black markers. The outer section of the silver dial has a sunburst quality, featuring a black chemin de fer minutes track followed by an applied quarter of Arabic numerals. The other hours are plied by faceted markers. All hour markers have been mirror polished to perfection. The hours and minutes hands are faceted dauphine-style, while the second’s indicator is of a feuille form. A discreet cartouche in the central portion of the dial wears the maker’s mark, while the place of origin and the dial maker’s mark are printed just under the seconds register.
Visible through the exhibition case is a thoroughly reimagined iteration of the Valjoux calibre VZSS, a movement that has powered many of the finest watches over the last century. As is the maker’s style, the Calibre 11 is superlative both in its construction and finishing. It is laid out to closely resemble pieces created in the Vallée du Joux, during the early 20th century. The finishing is of course achieved entirely by hand, by utilising traditional tools and techniques. The bridges are made from rhodium-plated brass and finished with classic Geneva stripes. The seamless transition between the stripe and the angling on the side of the bridges demonstrates the watchmaker’s skill. It features a Breguet hairspring and a large balance wheel, with adjusting weights at the two arms for micro-timing. And there is no regulator, as all Philippe Dufour watches are free sprung. It has 52 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
Looking back on his long history with creating these pieces, Dufour mentions: "I would say every Simplicity has its own character. Because if I finish a movement on Monday, or on Friday, there will be some little differences. Most of the people cannot see the difference, but I know the difference."
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Philippe Dufour Simplicity will be subject to 20% VAT
