Duality
Philippe Dufour says that people come to him because he creates watches that cannot be found elsewhere. "I'm obliged to innovate" he says pragmatically. But do not feel sorry for him. The challenge to create the world's first double escapement wristwatch was seized gladly.
The aim of the double escapement is to compensate for errors in the rate of the watch, produced by the effect of gravity on the regulating organs. In this sense, it challenges the existing champion, the tourbillon device, invented by Breguet in 1801. Philippe Dufour's double escapement has proved already to be effective. Compared with the tourbillon, it possesses the additional quality of retaining all its efficiency when reduced to the dimensions of a wristwatch. The key to the concept is a complex dif-ferential system, positioned, with the two escapement mechanisms, on the fourth wheel. The two balance wheels operate completely independently of each other. The differential system averages out the differences between them, and thus reduces the potential error in rate by half. The differential system alone, without the regulating organs, has twenty-one parts, twice as many as the tourbillon. And yet the entire assembly is only 30 mm in diameter, and 4 mm high. It fits neatly into a 34 mm watch.
How may the Duality be recognised? This master of complications says that, aesthetically speaking, he likes simplicity. For the Duality this means a smooth, finely polished case in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold or platinum. A silvered dial carries Dauphine-style hands pointing to raised hour markers and Arabic numerals. A distinctive feature of the dial is the unusual placing of the small seconds-hand at half-past seven, reflecting the layout of the movement. The strap is in top quality, hand stitched crocodile leather.