GPHG 2014: In conversation with Philippe Dufour, the voice of a master

The director will officiate the 14th Award ceremony on 31st October 2014. Preparing for it will be a full-time job for the leading figure who is obsessed with her mission: internationalization and recognition. Here is our interview.

Did the GPHG change your life?

You are referring to the Special Jury Prize I received last year. It has not made a big difference but yes, it was a great honor and a pleasure. I have often been told that I was famous abroad and this prize means recognition; it is a distinction I have received in Switzerland. I was awarded the Special Jury Prize and that was the end of it, it has not often been mentioned to me. The fact that I am member of the Jury for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2014 will allow me to establish an interesting contact with different people and skills. And since it is the first time that I have been part of this Jury, I am looking forward to our debates.

Is media exposure dangerous for a man like you?

It is not dangerous but time-consuming. I cannot say no to anyone; that’s me. Everything I do is for Vallée de Joux and not for me. As far as I’m concerned, I will never be able to carry out or participate in every project that I am offered and I do not need to. But I say yes to anything that gives me an opportunity to show another side of watchmaking. I have always liked to share. Sharing, exhibiting, and transmitting knowledge benefits everybody.

How many people are currently waiting for one of your watches? Does the famous Philippe Dufour waiting list still exist?

I have a few orders, but in this case the clients are ready and know they will have to wait. I do unfortunately receive a lot of orders from all over the world, which I cannot fulfill. I receive emails from the Fiji Islands or New Zealand listing all the details they wish to include on the Simplicity. I can only thank those people for their interest in my work and inform them that I am out of stock!

And all this without advertising; I have never advertised my products. It takes a long time to make a watch. Take the “Duality” for example. When I released it in 1996, I had to make 25; I sold 9 of them and afterwards there was no more demand for it. Then in 2007, the platinum number 00 was up for auction at Christie’s and it was the first time that a Philippe Dufour watch was being auctioned. It was interesting to see how it did. And it managed on its own and all! Today, 64 people want one because they know it. But it took them ten years to want it.

What practiced gesture or particular skill would you like to leave to generations to come?

A gesture? If you set about making a watch, it needs to be precise, a fact that is not stressed upon often enough, but that is essential. Every watch needs to be precise. Thus, I would say precision and aesthetics is what every watch needs. Now, aesthetics is not only a matter of functionality but, as far as I am concerned, is necessary to justify a high price. Every piece and every gesture are unique: if, for instance, I make a decoration or a chamfering on a Friday or a Monday it will certainly be different. Indeed, I could most of the times very clearly distinguish when exactly I made it and what my state of mind was at the time. Every piece thus has its own character –its particularity.

Is a good job a source of satisfaction?

Of course, a good job is always a source of satisfaction, regardless of who has done it. When I see a well-executed product, I feel respect for the maker, that’s it. I have bought only one new watch in my whole life, only one.