Philippe Dufour personifies excellence in the handcrafting of watches, whether in his mastery of the techniques of watchmaking or the incomparable level of finish he affords to each piece. Historically, the Vallée de Joux is the cradle of time measurement in all its complexity, and it is here that Philippe Dufour trained, at the Ecole d’Horlogerie de la Vallée de Joux. He perpetuates a tradition in which the master watchmaker produces every part of his watches himself and in complete independence.
Having completed his studies, in 1967 Philippe Dufour was hired by Jaeger-LeCoultre. From there he joined General Watch & Co, where he was assigned to an assembly unit in the Caribbean. Returning to Switzerland in 1974, he worked first for Gérald Genta then Audemars Piguet. His desire for independence prompted him to buy a fully-equipped workshop in 1978, where he devoted his time to restoring antique watches, learning new skills and extending his knowledge of watchmaking along the way. He went on to make his very first movement, a grande sonnerie for pocket watch: Audemars Piguet ordered five, each requiring two thousand hours of work.
In 1992’s Basel fair. Philippe’s own brand took off. This first timepiece has since been joined by two others: Duality, with two escapements, and Simplicity. Today Philippe works with his daughter Magali, herself a master watchmaker.
Member since: 1977
Nationality: Swiss
Born: 1948 – Le Sentier, Switzerland
Philippe Dufour
1, ch des Auberts
1347 Le Sentier
Switzerland
T: +41 21 845 53 70
F: +41 21 845 41 95