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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Open face grande and petite sonnerie minute repeating pocket watch

Audemars Piguet Grande et Petite Sonnerie Pocket Watch No.1 by Philippe Dufour

Partially verified

This open face pocket watch in 18k yellow gold represents the first timepiece constructed and commercialized by master watchmaker Philippe Dufour. Commissioned by Audemars Piguet in a limited series of five pieces and originally retailed by Asprey London, it features a twin-barrel two-train manual-wind movement incorporating grande and petite sonnerie alongside a minute repeater. The fired white enamel dial displays elongated Roman numerals, an outer minute track, blued spade hands, and a sunken subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock. The 61mm case features dual caseband slides flanking the top crown to control striking and silence modes.

Dial and front view of the 18k yellow gold Audemars Piguet Grande et Petite Sonnerie Pocket Watch No.1
Dial and front view of the 18k yellow gold Audemars Piguet Grande et Petite Sonnerie Pocket Watch No.1 — PHILLIPS. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.phillips.com
Category
Pocket watch · Open face grande and petite sonnerie minute repeating pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Philippe Dufour for Audemars Piguet
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
127
Source-reported date
1982
Source-reported place
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
No. 1

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Historical Context and Origin

This 18k yellow gold open-face pocket watch represents the first timepiece constructed and commercialized by Philippe Dufour. Commissioned by Audemars Piguet as part of a series of five pieces, the watch was delivered in 1982 and retailed by Asprey London.

While designed and assembled by Dufour, the dial is signed 'AUDEMARS PIGUET'. The watch is identified as the first of the series, and it is reported to be the only piece of the five to include Dufour's signature on a dial-side movement plate.

Evidence for this section
  • “the very first pocket watch ever built and commercialized by the master Swiss watchmaker Philippe Dufour”
  • “Audemars Piguet, who contracted Dufour to create a total of five grande and petite sonnerie pocket watches”
  • “Dufour delivered the first pocket watch – the exact one included in The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII – in 1982”
  • “the only one of the five to include Dufour’s engraved signature (on a dial-side movement plate)”

Movement Architecture and Complications

The manual-wind movement incorporates grande and petite sonnerie alongside a minute repeater. It utilizes a twin-barrel system to maintain power to both the timekeeping train and the sonnerie mechanism. A governor regulates the speed and pace of the hammer strikes on the two gongs.

Visible finishing includes anglage and Côtes de Genève. The movement layout includes an L-shaped bridge and a bridge securing the governor, with various interior and exterior angles present.

Evidence for this section
  • “two-train minute repeating timepiece with grande and petite sonnerie”
  • “utilizes an intricate winding system with two separate mainspring barrels”
  • “The sonnerie barrel connects to the second train, which incorporates a governor mechanism to regulate the speed and pace at which the hammers strike the gongs”
  • “The anglage and Côtes de Genève are exemplary”

Dial and Case Specifications

The watch features a 61mm yellow gold case with a fluted winding crown and an oval pendant bow. Two caseband slides flanking the crown control the sonnerie mode and the minute repeater/silent mode settings.

The white enamel dial displays Roman numerals, an outer minute track, and spade hands. A sunken subsidiary seconds register is positioned at 6 o'clock. The movement-side features a cuvette with internal engravings.

Evidence for this section
  • “The polished 18k yellow gold case is impressive in its stature, with a 61mm diameter”
  • “There are two different slides on the caseband on opposite sides of the 12 o’clock crown”
  • “The dial is crafted from glossy fired white enamel with the Audemars Piguet wordmark, as well as elongated Roman numerals, a minute track, and heat-blued spade hands.”
  • “inner cover is embellished with labels such as “Audemars Piguet,” “Swiss Made,” “Grande Sonnerie,” “No.1,” and “Asprey.””

Open research questions

  • What are the locations and provenance of the remaining four pieces in the series?
  • Are there records of the specific suppliers for the dial and case components in the Vallée de Joux?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Audemars Piguet Grande et Petite Sonnerie Pocket Watch No.1 by Philippe Dufour
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Case Material and Size18k yellow gold, 61mm diameter“The polished 18k yellow gold case is impressive in its stature, with a 61mm diameter”
Delivery Date1982“Dufour delivered the first pocket watch – the exact one included in The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII – in 1982”
ComplicationsGrande and petite sonnerie with minute repeater“two-train minute repeating timepiece with grande and petite sonnerie”
Dial ConstructionFired white enamel with sunken subsidiary seconds“The dial is crafted from glossy fired white enamel with the Audemars Piguet wordmark, as well as elongated Roman numerals, a minute track, and heat-blued spade hands. A sunken seconds sub-dial made out of a separate enamel disc has been soldered to the main dial at six o’clock.”
Manufacturing EffortApproximately 2,000 hours per watch“Dufour has said that he spent approximately 2,000 hours on each of the five pocket watches that he created for Audemars Piguet”
Previous Auction RecordSold in Hong Kong in April 2012 for HKD 1,340,000“It has appeared at auction only once before, in April 2012 in Hong Kong, where it sold for HKD $1,340,000.”

Visible details

  • Open face case in yellow gold with an oval pendant bow surrounding the fluted winding crown at 12 o'clock.
  • Glossy white enamel dial with black Roman hour numerals and blued steel spade hands.
  • Sunken subsidiary seconds sub-dial positioned at 6 o'clock with Arabic numerals at 10-second intervals.
  • Dial signed 'AUDEMARS, PIGUET' below 12 o'clock and marked 'SWISS MADE' at the bottom perimeter.

Research qualifications

  • Internal cuvette engravings, movement plates, and Dufour's dial-side signature are concealed beneath the dial and closed cuvette in this front view.
  • Internal striking mechanisms, chiming train, and movement condition cannot be visually confirmed from this exterior photograph.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

A Technical Overview Of Philippe Dufour's First Pocket Watch

Reviewed 2026-10-25 · Record a8faa1d925

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.