Here, M. Dufour answers my question about turn-around time for service by explaining, "I don't know - I've never received one back!"

 M. Dufour and Ron are old friends, as Ron spent part of his apprenticeship in the village...

Although most watchmakers start out with simple movements and proceed to the more complicated, M. Dufour has reversed this process. His first movement was his most complicated: the Grande Sonnerie (stock photo)...

  ...which today features both a display back and a hinged front cover to reveal the absolutely gorgeous skeleton movement; one can literally follow the striking mechanism through its entire operation. And unlike most watches with skeleton movements, the Grande Sonnerie is highly readable. To this date, only five of these masterpieces have been produced.

His second model was the Duality (stock photo)...

  ...featuring a double escapement to compensate for errors of rate caused by gravity. M. Dufour believes this type of movement to be more complicated than a tourbillon, as it requires two balance wheels operating independently but in synchronization with each other. The last article I read about this movement stated that there were only ten of these watches in existence.

 The final model - and one on which much attention has obviously been lavished  - is the Simplicity..

  ...the only one of his three models in serial production. At first, one blinks at the idea of a 'simple' three-handed, hand-wound watch that currently sells for around CHF50,000. What do you get for such a princely sum? Near-perfection, actually: a hand-made timepiece with a Breguet overcoil - and no regulation - and pure beauty in every line and curve. Here's Chris, showing off the Simplicity:

Next are pictures (courtesy of Ron DeCorte) showing the raw and finished versions of the click:

  ...and the degree of finish on the teeth of the ratchet wheel:

Finally, the Simplicity itself:

 ...and a few more:

 Such is Philippe Dufour's dedication to the 'ethic' of traditional watchmaking that even the hands and strap buckles of his watches are of his own design and manufacture. Being able to meet one-on-one with such an artisan and defender of centuries-old techniques was a great thrill, and we were all reluctant to leave.