Dufour sourcing blanks?!

Hi guys,

Sorry but one DOES NOT need a CNC to manufacture a blank. One can perfectly well make all the plates etc, buy having a few lathes properly calibrated for milling, drilling, etc. Don's work is the most direct proof of this !
I was under the impression that Dufour's movements start as a rod of German silver that's cut into wafers, which are each then turned and milled to be the base plate, then the bridges are done accordingly (all in-house). These are all finished in house, and then AFTER he has the movement running and beating good, He sends all the plates to be rhodium bathed. Then assembled again, timed and cased, and timed again...

Dufour sources his cases, dials and hands, strap, buckle, (of course jewels as well) but all the pinions, plates etc are done in house. His relationship with the JLC cal movement was that it inspired the 'design' of his own movement. JUST like Louis Audemars 19th century sonnerie double barrel movemnts had a big influence on his design of his sonnerie pocket watches he sold to AP.

Please don't compare the Ferrier watches (which yes are very nice!) but 100 miles apart from the skill, thought, work and passion of a Dufour. Read up on both of the history behind these two men and you'll see just what I mean. And I am not saying one is better than the other, just apples and peaches!

Have a good weekend,
S

A quick question on Dufour and Ferrier

By: Wees : May 19th, 2011-08:32

Bernard's latest post has reminded me to ask a question - who manufactures the base movement/plates for the Dufour Simplicity? Does anyone know if the same company supplies base movement/plates for the Ferrier double spiral tourbillion?

No real knowledge, just...

By: DonCorson : May 19th, 2011-13:04

suspicions so I won't spread them. But in general there is not a lot of love between the companies in the Vallée de Joux and those in Geneva. (the Geneva Seal was initially made to marginalise the companies in the Vallée) There are many candidate companie...

Interesting minutia

By: Mostel : May 19th, 2011-15:17

who knew of these obscure rivalries?? Thanks Don.

Thanks. I was under the impression that

By: ArthurSG : May 19th, 2011-17:37

Dufour made his entire movement in-house base up. Doesn;t detract from his great finishing though.

dufour has concieved his movement fully inhouse but since

By: alex : May 19th, 2011-19:10

He doesn't have a CNC machine he has someone cut the plates and bridges for him

I thoguht he got a "hint" from JLC Cal. 478....

By: KIH : May 21st, 2011-05:10

... just heard from someone who asked the question and the answer from Mr. D was "yes". If I am wrong, I am sorry in advance, but I am pretty sure that I heard it right - but still I didn't hear it directly from the man..... Having said that, everyone get...

I beg to differ Don

By: alex : May 19th, 2011-19:14

The Geneva seal was not made to aleniate the makers from the Vallée who had been supplying movement blanks to the Genevan houses for years but rather to fight cheeper counterfeits with Geneve on the dial as a sales pitch but which were not made in Geneva

Well... AP told the story differently at a recent SSC conference [nt]

By: DonCorson : May 20th, 2011-05:37

and along the lines that the Geneva movement makers were complaining that most of the high end movements sold by Geneven watch companies were actually made in the VdJ. So to protect themselves they invented the Geneva Seal. Don This message has been edite...

well, that wouldn't make much sense, IMO...

By: SuitbertW : May 20th, 2011-07:54

Hi Don, I'm sure it would be hard to find a real b/w truth here, but my impressions are more along the line of what Alex wrote above. There were very few Geneva based movement suppliers - the large majority of movement blanks (ebauches) were supplied from...

Thank you Alex and Suitbert

By: Mostel : May 20th, 2011-08:47

very interesting and informative.

Thanks

By: Wees : May 20th, 2011-09:34

Thanks everyone for your informative responses. Lots of background information here - actually quite interesting. I wonder if the movement blank manufacturers for Dufour or Ferrier leave a little mark of their own, like the stonemasons used to leave a bit...

Dufour sourcing blanks?!

By: Ancienne Le Brassus : May 21st, 2011-13:40

"movement blank"

By: Wees : May 21st, 2011-21:28

Sorry, "movement blank" manufacturer is probably too wide or insufficiently nuanced a phrase to use. From what I understand, it is not anywhere near the same scenario as, say, a brand having base movements manufactured by a third party ebauche manufacture...

Hello, Sebastian,.

By: SuitbertW : May 22nd, 2011-04:18

...I've been in Ph. Dufour's workshop only one time and spoken tohim only on two occasions briefly - so you might know a lot more ? But to my knowledge his plates and bridges are custom ordered and supplied by a (certainly first rate) specialist. This is ...

he could use lathes and milling machines inhouse BUT

By: alex : May 22nd, 2011-07:46

He would be making 2 Simplicities a year at that rate. Dufour doesn't hide the fact that he has the components cut and milled by a specialist but cutting components isn't a big deal, its the hand work that has value.

Thanks for correcting my views

By: Ancienne Le Brassus : May 22nd, 2011-20:39

Guys, Thanks for correcting my information- I appreciate it, and sorry for sounding like an ass in my first post- i just reread it and I apologize for sounding so preachy. Could there have been a change in production methods between the first 100 and seco...

Independents

Dufour sourcing blanks?!

A quick question on Dufour and Ferrier

No real knowledge, just...

Interesting minutia

Thanks. I was under the impression that

dufour has concieved his movement fully inhouse but since

I thoguht he got a "hint" from JLC Cal. 478....

I beg to differ Don

Well... AP told the story differently at a recent SSC conference [nt]

well, that wouldn't make much sense, IMO...

Thank you Alex and Suitbert

Thanks

Dufour sourcing blanks?!

"movement blank"

Hello, Sebastian,.

he could use lathes and milling machines inhouse BUT

Thanks for correcting my views

he wasn't cuttingthe plates back in 2001 when I first visited him and

thanks

i agree ...