Why David Candaux is a Big Deal in Watchmaking
As watch fans, we tend to attribute designs and innovations to certain brands. But when it comes to truly groundbreaking high-end complicated watch movements, there are a small number of individual elite watchmakers at the top doing most of the actual inventing. David Candaux is among that elite. If you’re into luxury watches, you might have heard of watches like the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate or the Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie even if you didn’t know David Candaux was involved. Since 2017, he’s been putting his efforts into his own brand, and D. Candaux watches are getting plenty of deserved attention in the over-$200,000 segment.
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With over 30 patents to his name (they’re listed later in this article), the amount of technical contributions that David Candaux has made to watchmaking is immense. He is arguably most known for 30° inclined tourbillons, movements made of titanium, a telescoping “magic crown” that pops up when you push it, and several improvements to both chiming watches and retrograde complications. In this article we’ll take you through various innovations he’s made for past clients and employers, as well as the impressive work his brand is doing today.
Career Path
Truly elite watchmakers often work in the restoration departments of established high-end brands early in their careers. Then, they’ll open up their own workshops and act as third-party consultants to many of those same brands, before shifting their focus to making watches under their own name. This was the path taken by Roger Smith, F.P. Journe, Peter Speake-Marin, Roger Dubuis, Kari Voutilainen, and now David Candaux.
It was also the path of Philippe Dufour, who Candaux counts as a neighbor and mentor. Dufour, the man behind one of the most expensive watch brands in the world, is regarded by many as the greatest living watchmaker. He sponsored Candaux’s membership in the prestigious AHCI in 2017, at which point Candaux already had over 20 years of experience in the luxury watchmaking industry. The watch that Candaux submitted for consideration (the DC1) would become the first release under his own brand. But let’s start at the beginning.
As a third-generation watchmaker from the Vallée de Joux, Candaux began his fateful watchmaking apprenticeship at Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1994 when he was only 15 years old. He started working in the restoration department within a few years, and by age 22 he was running their watchmaker training program. And in 2005, when David Candaux was 25, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first watch based on his patented innovations hit the market. Even as he experienced success at JLC, he continued to take night classes to learn all the skills necessary to be a “complete watchmaker.” That means he can design, build, assemble and test almost every part of a watch himself.
Notable JLC Watches by David Candaux
Candaux would ultimately contribute to at least 13 patents while working for Jaeger-LeCoultre. They’re owned by Richemont, which is also the company who owns Cartier, IWC, Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne, Van Cleef & Arpels, and many more. Candaux worked at JLC for 18 years, and a very special minute repeater was one of his first major innovations for them.
Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre (2005)
It’s worth noting that high-end watches are usually the result of the efforts of several people, and while David Candaux made significant contributions to all the watches we’re about to show you, others deserve some credit too. The Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre that debuted in 2005, for instance, has a movement based on a caliber by Eric Coudray–another member of the aforementioned watchmaker-inventor elite.
The partially skeletonized look is popular in the hyperwatch segment nowadays, but it was less common at the time. See this photo courtesy of Rostovsky Watches:
This watch added one of Candaux’s earliest and most interesting patented innovations: a chiming mechanism that resonates directly through the crystal, rather than the metal case. That helps make the sound louder and clearer. Plus, the torque meter is an interesting (and advanced) complication that measures the torque coming from the mainspring. Note that this is not a power reserve indicator; it’s just measuring the current flow of power into the movement. Also notable is its 50m water resistance–very good for a minute repeater.
Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque (2006)
The first JLC Reverso model with three dials was the Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque released in 2006. With three faces, six patents, and 18 complications, it’s an absolute monster of a watch. It took four years to develop, and its complications include some of the most prestigious in watchmaking, like a celestial sky chart and an equation of time indicator. The equation of time shows you the difference between “normal” time and solar time–i.e. how far off from noon will the sun actually be directly overhead?
The coolest complication of all, though, has to be the “Cinderella” perpetual calendar. The perpetual calendar display is shown on the third (bottom) face of the JLC Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque, and it can be incredibly thin because it’s not actually connected to the gears/movement of the watch. However, every night at midnight (as long as the watch is closed), the movement advances the perpetual calendar display by one day. It’s a pretty cool example of modern outside-the-box thinking being applied to an ultra-traditional complication.
Hybris Mechanica à Grand Sonnerie (2009)
The 1,300-part Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica à Grand Sonnerie is even more complicated than the Triptyque. It debuted in 2009 with a total of 26 complications including a perpetual calendar, grande sonnerie, power reserve indicators for both the sonnerie and the movement, retrograde date, a minute repeater that chimes the Westminster Quarters (the “Big Ben tune”), and many more. We know Candaux was instrumental in creating this watch, but other master artisans were undoubtedly involved as well.
The Hybris Mechanica à Grand Sonnerie was originally sold as part of a trio (including the aforementioned Reverso Grande Complication à Triptyque as well as a Gyrotourbillon model and a fancy German safe to keep them all in) for $2.5 million. Note that it is not the most complicated wristwatch in the world, although it often gets mislabeled as such. That honor goes to Franck Muller’s 36-complication Aeternitas Mega.
The Freelance Years (2011-2017)
After leaving JLC in 2011, Candaux began working on complicated movements for other brands via his own companies (Du Val Des Bois and later Hepta Swiss) with a small number of partners. Here are the watches that David Candaux worked on during his six-year freelance era (that we know of).
C.H. Meylan Jump Hour Prototype (2012)
One of David Candaux’s first innovations as a freelancer was an “annular ring” seconds hand for a 2012 C.H. Meylan prototype. Instead of a traditional seconds hand, a “floating” dot rotates around the edge of the dial. Interestingly, the seconds indicator on this watch only advances 3 times per second (8 is the modern standard and 5-6 is common on older watches). It also has a jump hour.
Van Cleef & Arpels Poetic Wish (2012)
Van Cleef & Arpels, largely known as a jeweler, has made some legitimately impressive watches over the years. Their Poetic series is particularly exotic, and Candaux worked on the movement of the Poetic Wish, a 2012 ladies’ release.
The Poetic Wish, interestingly, has a 5-minute repeater mechanism. Its unique retrograde hour mechanism is represented by a lady who “walks” from left to right, while the retrograde minutes marker is a kite, “flying” above the beautiful enamel artwork scene of the dial underneath. Candaux worked with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht on this watch, telling Monochrome that it was “exactly the kind of straightforward interaction and collaboration I wanted.”
Fonderie 47 Inversion Principle (2013)
Fonderie 47 is a jewelry and watch brand that was founded by Peter Thum, the guy behind the Ethos bottled water brand that Starbucks bought for $8 million in 2005. Ethos uses a portion of their revenue to provide sanitary water to African communities, while Fonderie 47’s mission is to destroy (and artistically recycle) as many AK47’s in Africa as possible.
According to their website, Fonderie 47 has destroyed 70,000 assault rifles and counting. Philanthropy aside, their 2013 release known as the Inversion Principle is a seriously cool watch: it has a tourbillon, a jump hour, and an expansive retrograde minutes indicator spanning 240° of the dial.
“Never before has there been a watch with jumping hours with such large retrograde minutes,” David Candaux told Watch Collecting Lifestyle. Creating the Inversion Principle watch was an impressive technical feat by Candaux, and credit for the interesting design of this watch goes to Adrian Glessing. The central tourbillon rotates once every three minutes (instead of the typical once per minute), which allows a “quasi-retrograde” 60-second scale to be displayed using only 1/3 of the dial.
Each of the three evenly spaced teeth around the tourbillon cage spends 2/3 of its time hidden behind a gold gunsight-like ring, and thus the seconds are indicated by the one visible tooth. When one tooth reaches 60, it becomes hidden as another one emerges at 0. Two other interesting touches: a lateral power reserve indicator on the left side of the case, and a ratchet wheel capped with darkened steel from one of those destroyed AK-47’s. The six-day power reserve is also impressive.
As of November 2024 there are still some Inversion Principles available at $195,000, and the brand says each sale will fund the destruction of a thousand assault rifles. Obviously that’s a lot of money, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the remaining ones get snapped up soon as hardcore watch collectors increasingly realize what a big deal David Candaux is.
Bovet Dimier Récital 15 (2014)
Bovet is a very high-end and arguably underrated luxury watch brand today. David Candaux is listed as an inventor of a few patented technical movement improvements for Dimier 1738, Bovet’s in-house movement manufacturer.
One of Candaux’s Bovet-owned patents is for an improved design of a retrograde mechanism, allowing it to be more compact. Although Bovet doesn’t publicly credit Candaux, I believe this retrograde design was used in the Bovet Dimier Récital 15, another jump hour watch. It was released in 2014–the same year that patent was filed.
MB&F Space Pirate (2014)
David Candaux’s best-known contribution during his freelance years is likely his work on the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate, also released in 2014. MB&F is known for making absolutely wild designs and the Space Pirate lives up to that reputation. It has ten separate sapphire crystals, including the exhibition caseback. There are two each covering the two turbines and the two spherical time displays (hours on the left, minutes on the right), as well as one over the central tourbillon.
The watch has two winding crowns. The right one sets the time, and the left one can raise/lower a spherical shield over the central tourbillon. It’s obviously not for everyone, but the Space Pirate has generated plenty of buzz and sells secondhand for just a bit less than $200,000 in titanium. Other versions have also been released, including a rose gold model and a sapphire-case model.
Rebellion Sapphire Case (2016)
Candaux, undoubtedly a master of mechanical watch movements, proved his mastery of case production with the Rebellion Magnum 540 Grand Tourbillon Saphir in 2016. Sapphire-case luxury watches are among the most expensive and challenging watches to make. Even a sapphire case with a simple shape takes countless hours of grinding to form, and Rebellion’s case design is deceptively complex and angular.
It took Candaux a lot of time (and specialized software) to engineer the 8-part sapphire case. Only four sapphire-case Rebellion watches were produced. The Magnum 540 Grand Tourbillon Saphir is a unique piece, and Rebellion later made three non-tourbillon “RE-Volt Sapphire” models, crafting one each in red, blue, and clear sapphire. According to Watchonista, each case took almost 800 hours of machining.
David Candaux Watch Brand (2017+)
The David Candaux brand was launched in 2017, and today it encompasses three families of watches: DC1, DC6, and DC7. Candaux works alongside his father (a former Patek Philippe restorer) and a couple of other artisans in a barn in Le Solliat, and it takes months of work to make each watch. They aim to eventually make 30 watches per year, although their output is probably half that right now.
Just as Luxury Bazaar CEO Roman Sharf believes “Purnell is the next Richard Mille,” he sees David Candaux as the next Rexhep Rexhepi. Simply the cream of the crop.
Six Key Traits of David Candaux Watches
- Case diameter between 43-44mm
- Retractable telescoping “magic crown” at 6 o’clock for winding and time-setting
- Titanium movement
- Sloped dial (the entire dial is actually tilted downward towards 6 o’clock for a better viewing angle)
- Single-axis tourbillon inclined at 30°
- Côtes du Solliat movement finishing (a proprietary finish similar to Côtes de Genève)
While Greubel Forsey makes a 30° double tourbillon, that’s a bit different–that’s essentially a tourbillon nested within another tourbillon cage at an angle.
David Candaux uses single-axis tourbillons. Tourbillons theoretically perform slightly differently when they’re upright (i.e. perpendicular to gravitational force). The inclined tourbillon makes it less likely that the balance wheel will rest in exactly horizontal or vertical positions, thus reducing variance. Plus it looks sweet.
David Candaux’s First Watch Under His Own Brand: DC1 (2017)
The inclined tourbillon of the DC1, the debut release of the D. Candaux brand, fills a space on the dial that is horizontally symmetrical to that of the off-center time display. It’s a pretty cool look, especially with the push-button “magic crown” at 6 o’clock just waiting to be popped up like a heated-seat button on a Toyota. Candaux essentially engineered the watch’s whole movement around his special crown, and it’s perhaps his most inimitable design signature.
The dial, which slopes downward from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock, adds some interesting visual depth. “I try to have perfect symmetry between 3 and 9 o’clock, and complete dissymmetry between 6 and 12 o’clock,” Candaux said in an interview with Tourbillon Watch Studio.
The power reserve window at the top of the dial is a nice touch, too. A few ultra-limited and even unique configurations of case materials and dial colors have been made. The DC1 was the world’s first watch with an all-titanium movement, and that has since become a hallmark of the brand. Titanium is notoriously labor-intensive to work with, and Candaux is proud of the proprietary techniques used by his brand to machine and finish titanium parts.
DC6 (2019)
The DC6 is arguably David Candaux’s most popular and interesting release so far. It’s very similar to the DC1, except for two key differences: first is the Pointe du Risoux guilloche dial texture, a handmade texture Candaux invented himself.
The second difference is that, by removing the central seconds hand, Candaux negated the need for the sapphire crystal to cover the entire dial–so instead, there are two separate domed sapphire crystals covering both the tourbillon and the hour-and-minute display. You can literally touch the dial and feel the guilloche texture.
A tooth was added to the tourbillon cage to act as a seconds indicator now that the central seconds hand is gone. The DC6 has been made with both titanium and carbon cases in a handful of colorways, but all of the variants have that signature Pointe du Risoux finish on the dial.
DC7 (2021)
The DC7, released in 2021, is the most straightforward and “normal” of David Candaux’s current offerings. A single sapphire crystal once again covers the entire dial, and it has central hour and minute hands–a first for the brand. The power reserve indicator is gone and the tourbillon is now at 12 o’clock, but the DC7 has all the other design cues you would expect from a D. Candaux watch, like a sloped dial and the now-familiar magic crown.
David Candaux Watch Prices
The market value of David Candaux watches as of 2024 is generally around the $200,000-$280,000 range–close to their original retail prices.
Now, let’s look back at all the major David Candaux watchmaking patents that we know of.
David Candaux Patents
Here’s a list of over 30 patents that list Candaux as an inventor. Note that for many of these, he isn’t the only inventor. One particularly frequent collaborator is Gaetan Willemin, now of Jämes Aubert Le Brassus S.A.–a high-end watchmaking subcontractor.
| Patent Number | Priority Date | Description | Patent Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| US2008165630A1 | 2005-03-11 | Fastening mechanism for watch gongs that directly attaches them to the watch crystal, causing sound to transmit through the crystal (which improves the volume and sound quality) | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| EP1837718A1 | 2006-03-21 | Novel direct-impulse escapement mechanism, featuring a unique blocker with a rest ellipse and positioning arm, designed to reduce friction and potentially eliminate the need for lubrication in the escapement system | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| EP2048548A2 | 2007-10-10 | Hammer mechanism for a striking complication with a two-part articulated design for a clearer/louder chime | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH700088A2 | 2009-01-13 | Compact spherical differential mechanism with a torque-limiting device that uses friction coupling to enable precise power reserve indication while preventing damage from overwinding | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| EP2207069A2 | 2009-01-12 | Support element for mounting multiple striking gongs in a timepiece, featuring a stepped face that allows for precise parallel alignment of multiple gongs while ensuring efficient sound transmission through a single, rigid connection to the watch case | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH700987A2 | 2009-05-15 | Elastic fixation device for attaching bridges to plates, increasing compactness and serviceability | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701217A2 | 2009-06-04 | Return device for hammer pallets in a chiming watch mechanism that uses elastic force to enable the return of multiple hammer pallets simultaneously | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701227A2 | 2009-06-08 | Hammer speed regulator that combines centrifugal mass displacement with a progressive friction-based energy dissipation system to make chiming more precise/consistent | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701257A2 | 2009-06-11 | Striking mechanism with coaxially arranged cams for hours, minutes, and quarters, along with a unique shutter mechanism for quarter-hour strikes, all designed to improve compactness and manual time-setting reliability in complex chiming watches | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701256A2 | 2009-06-11 | Chiming mechanism with 15-step snail cam (instead of the usual 60), eliminating the need for a “surprise mechanism” found in most minute repeaters | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701200A2 | 2009-06-11 | Striking mechanism with a retractable drive tooth on the rack, allowing for better-controlled activation of the striking hammers | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701258A2 / CH701255A2 | 2009-06-11 | Striking mechanism with a direct kinematic link to the movement, ensuring accurate chiming even soon after manual time-setting | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701359A2 | 2009-06-26 | Mechanism that prevents manual time adjustment while a watch is chiming, protecting it from potential damage | Jaeger-LeCoultre (Richemont) |
| CH701671A2 | 2009-08-17 | Push-button time-setting mechanism (instead of a crown) | Gaetan Willemin, David Candaux |
| CH701670A2 | 2009-08-17 | Automatic winding mechanism with a movable horn connected to a flexible membrane, allowing the watch to be wound with angular movement | Gaetan Willemin, David Candaux |
| CH705986A2 | 2012-01-15 | Novel double-toothed wheel featuring two conical gear sets with different angles on a single piece | Badollet |
| EP2869137A1 | 2013-11-04 | Compact power reserve indicator using a threaded axis and rotating cam (suitable for watches with fusée-and-chain systems, unlike most PR indicators) | Ferdinand Berthoud (Chopard) |
| EP2869139A1 | 2013-11-04 | Tourbillon mechanism with an “interlocking puzzle piece”-like coupling between the cage and driving wheel, eliminating screws and allowing for larger wheel diameter and simplified assembly | Ferdinand Berthoud (Chopard) |
| EP2869134A1 | 2013-11-04 | A compact “flying” barrel design with a transmission axis integrated within the barrel arbor, allowing complications to be powered by barrel rotation without a differential | Ferdinand Berthoud (Chopard) |
| EP2869135A1 | 2013-11-04 | Cantilevered fusée system eliminating the need for a supporting bridge and incorporating a differential gear mechanism | Ferdinand Berthoud (Chopard) |
| CH709204A2 | 2014-01-20 | Control device with a rack-and-spring system, allowing compact retrograde displays | Dimier 1738 (Bovet) |
| US2017336760A1 | 2014-09-02 | A rotating ring around the movement with a mark on it (instead of a traditional hand) | C.H. Meylan |
| CH710344A1 | 2014-11-07 | Simplified small and efficient bidirectional automatic winding mechanism | David Candaux Horlogerie créative |
| CH710674A2 | 2015-01-18 | Balance wheel featuring T-shaped arms with a reinforced upper portion, allowing for thinner and lighter arms | Dimier 1738 (Bovet) |
| CH710636A2 | 2015-01-18 | Winding mechanism with spherical planetary gear system, enabling faster winding | Dimier 1738 (Bovet) |
| CH710675A2 | 2015-01-18 | Three-dimensional, multi-engagement tooth profile that combines a radial gear with a conical gear (seems to be an improvement on the 2012 patent) | Dimier 1738 (Bovet) |
| CH710893A1 | 2015-03-18 | Optimized, modular tourbillon mechanism | De Grisogono |
| CH710914A1 | 2015-03-26 | Method for manufacturing anisotropic micromechanical components, such as balance wheels and tourbillon cages, using composite materials with precisely oriented fibers | Convergence Composite |
| CH712032A2 | 2016-01-08 | Waterproof push-button mechanism for advancing a date (or other complication) | Dimier 1738 (Bovet) |
| EP3206090A1 | 2016-02-08 | Movement with two inclined balance wheels on opposite sides of a central plane, connected to separate escapements and a single mainspring | Hepta Swiss SA |
| EP3208662A1 | 2016-02-08 | Movement with a two-spring constant-force mechanism (not a remontoire, but similar) | Hepta Swiss SA |
| CH712484A1 | 2016-05-24 | Retractable “Magic Crown” with a telescopic control stem that engages different watch functions at different axial positions | Hepta Swiss SA |
| CH712485A1 | 2016-05-24 | Movement that optimizes space within a flat-bottomed watch case by using slightly inclined accessory mechanisms | Hepta Swiss SA |
| CH713611A1 | 2017-03-23 | Improved power reserve indicator mechanism with a guided cam system that moves linearly along a threaded shaft without rotating (suitable for watches with fusée-and-chain systems, unlike most PR indicators) | D. Candaux Sàrl |
What’s Next for David Candaux?
Candaux has told collectors to expect a new line of watches in 2025 called the DC12, featuring a new movement. It will probably have a magic crown, and phenomenal finishing, but we can’t predict much beyond that. We’re looking forward to it.
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