Philippe Dufour is the watchmaker’s watchmaker. Every watch he makes is important. It’s the most understated power statement in the watch world – wear one of Philippe’s watches and about 2,000 people in the world will know you are at the pinnacle of watch tasting, and no one else will have any idea. There's even a fan club in Japan.
In 1992 he finished the first wristwatch with a grande and petite sonnerie, and he still works mostly alone in Le Solliat, finishing every part by hand. He has been a member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) since 1997.
I can source any watch, new or used, even very hard-to-get. I chose these examples to guide you.
1992 · 41mm · Manual windTap to see the back
About $5,370,000 at Phillips in 2021
Dufour’s 1992 sonnerie was the first wristwatch to strike the hours and quarters on its own and to repeat the time to the minute when you press the crown. He made only a handful.
1996 · 34mm · Manual windTap to see the back
About $4,140,000 at Phillips in 2021
Two balance wheels, joined by a differential, average out each other’s errors. Dufour made fewer than ten.
2000 · 34 or 37mm · Manual windTap to see the back
$662,000 at Sotheby's in 2020
The Simplicity tells the time with small seconds, and Dufour finished it by hand down to the parts nobody sees. Collectors treat it as the benchmark for hand finishing. He made about 200, in 34mm and 37mm cases.
Dufour trained at the watchmaking school in Le Sentier, in the Vallée de Joux, and spent years restoring complicated pocket watches. In 1992 he finished the first wristwatch with a grande and petite sonnerie. The Duality followed in 1996 and the Simplicity in 2000. He works in Le Solliat, mostly alone, and finishes every part by hand. All his watches are hand-wound.
He is generally pre-sold a few years in advance. If you have to ask the price, a Dufour is not for you. If you can find a pre-owned Dufour, the prices are much higher. I can get you a Dufour, but you'll have to be patient.