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Independents

How do you appreciate watches by Dufour and Voutilainen?

 

Apologies for the newbie question, I've been lurking and trying to learn as much as I can for the past 2 years, I do realize the beauty is in the quality of finishing and the amount of effor that went to it, but I'd like to hear it from the resident experts and owners who do they go about analyzing and observing the discerning qualities of their Dufours or Voutilainens? I know there are other independents who produce work similar to these masters but for someone like myself who had all these watches laid out in front of them, how do I understand the differences between them.

I do realize I'm asking a very subjective question as beauty lies in the eye of the beholder but these names seem to come up quite alot in this forum.

Thank You,

S

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13 Comments view entire thread 

The cliche is true

 
By: Gary G : May 5th, 2008-21:28
That is, that pictures do no justice. I fell in love with the look of the Observatoire just by seeing pictures, and knew I had to have one. That said, I was completely unprepared for seeing a finished movement in person at Kari's atelier. It just glows --... 

It's kinda like a great cigar, Salman.

 
By: ThomasM : May 7th, 2008-09:16
Cigars, cigarettes; cigarillos are all the same. Or are they? What are the differences among the very best, among aficionados? Some can tell the difference (not all can) Some who can tell care about that difference. (not all do) For both Voutilainen and D... 

They are both beyond words, and I want to add----

 
By: Mostel : May 7th, 2008-17:46
that the Vacheron Constantin Les Historique Chronograph also has 'that glow'. I say this because it is a watch you can find if you really search, and one you can (relatively) afford.... Perhaps it does not equal the GLOW of these Masters, but it is a watc... 

Please, no flames, but...

 
By: ThomasM : May 7th, 2008-18:25
"the Dufour is made from a blank page" - no, it is not. I do not recall, in my several conversations with Mr. Dufour, that he EVER claimed the movement was conceived from a blank page, or that he made all the parts; not even the wheels. In fact, I specifi... 

ps: now that I know you and I are in the same town, Mostel,

 
By: ThomasM : May 7th, 2008-18:29
I strongly suggest we get together so you can see the Dufour and VC Les Historiques Chrono side by side. I happen to be a VC Les Historiques fan, and find them incredible values (or at least were, before they started creeping ever upward in market price..... 

Thanks Thomas--what I meant was that his movement is

 
By: Mostel : May 8th, 2008-08:34
designed from scratch. I know that he himself does not 'manufacture' every piece of the movement. I was trying to say that he dreamed this movement up from a blank page in his imagination. Whereas the Kari movement 'existed' before he worked his magic upo... 

At this juncture I think it's worth mentioning Romain Gauthier

 
By: tony p : May 10th, 2008-05:21
...as he has designed a movement absolutely and utterly "from scratch", imbued it with a startling number of clever and original design ideas, laid it out with a keen eye for beauty and symmetry, and then finished it to a level not all that far off PD and...