This weekend, New York will host the last auctions of the year, marking the conclusion of a period in which many important timepieces have been sold.
Among the highlights of the event is the top lot offered by Phillips: an incredible example of Philippe Dufour‘s Grande e Petite Sonnerie. This watch stands out from the very few other examples that have appeared on the market because of its skeletonized dial, which reveals Dufour’s incredible craftsmanship in the creation of his extraordinary calibers.
Let’s discover together the history and characteristics of this timepiece.
Philippe Dufour and the birth of the Grande & Petite Sonnerie
Philippe Dufour’s career was born and developed between two great names in watchmaking, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, where for years he served as a restorer of important vintage watches for private clients and auction houses.
In 1978, Dufour reached a milestone by opening his own independent workshop and beginning to work on commission, making both components and complete creations. Between 1982 and 1988, on behalf of Audemars Piguet, Dufour produced five Grande & Petite Sonnerie pocket watches, but his ambition was to miniaturize this technical complexity into a wristwatch.
After three years of intensive work, in 1992 he presented the first Grande & Petite Sonnerie wristwatch in yellow gold, equipped with a grand feu enamel dial. This historic model was sold last November at Christie’s for the significant sum of CHF 5.1 million (about EUR 5.5 million).
In 1999, Dufour outdid itself by introducing a version with a sapphire dial, which allows the movement to be admired from both the back and the front of the watch.
The operation of the Grande and Petite Sonnerie complication.
Although the extraordinary finish of Philippe Dufour’s creations is striking at first glance, the technical quality of the Grande & Petite Sonnerie complication is equally impressive.
In Grande Sonnerie mode, the clock chimes hours and quarters at the passage of each hour and quarter hour, respectively. In Petite Sonnerie mode, on the other hand, the hours are signaled only at the full hour, while the quarters chime independently.
A system of side levers allows selection of different modes: Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie, silent or minute repeater. The latter function is activated by a coaxial button built into the crown.
The Philippe Dufour Grande et Petite Sonnerie at auction at Phillips
According to Philippe Dufour himself, only eight examples of this complication were made in a wristwatch version. Of these, five feature a white grand feu enamel dial, while three feature a sapphire dial that lets you admire the movement.
For the first time, one of the latter three pieces will be put up for auction. This is the Number 7, a unique creation featuring an 18K white gold case, a hinged case back that allows a view of the movement, and, in addition to the sapphire dial, details in rose gold, such as the external chapter ring and Arabic markers at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock.
These features make the watch more modern than the more classic watches with enameled dials, partly probably because of its manufacture in 2016, but also because of the hands, shaped like arrowheads, which differ significantly from the classic blued Breguet-type hands.
This model represents Dufour’s rarest creation and in this unique creation is surely for many a dream.
Estimate
The watch, which will be sold as lot number 12 in “The New York Watch Auction: XI” on December 7-8, has an estimate starting at no less than USD 2 million.
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