Today, I would like to talk to you about a figure who is part of a multigenerational family of watchmakers in the small village of Soillat, in the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland. For those in the know, I will be talking about David Candaux. But before presenting the DC6, one of his creations, I will discuss his career that led him to present his first watch in 2017.
The Vallée de Joux is a region renowned for its centuries-old watchmaking tradition, and it is here that David Candaux learned the subtleties of craftsmanship from an early age. Growing up in such an environment, surrounded by nature, the ticking of gears, and the meticulous attention to detail that defines fine craftsmanship, David Candaux developed a deep appreciation for the art of horology.
At the age of 13, Henry John Belmont, then CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre who lived next door to David Candaux, was looking for apprentices and suggested to his parents that he visit Jaeger-LeCoultre. Without hesitation, David Candaux began with an internship in 1993 and then started an apprenticeship in 1994 at only 15 years old. The apprenticeship involved splitting his time equally between the factory and school for three years. In the fourth year, he spent his time entirely at school. He practiced at Jaeger-LeCoultre and studied theory at the École Technique de la Vallée de Joux (ETVJ). It was at that time that he had the great opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Henry-John Belmont, as well as to meet Günther Blümlein, the man behind the phrase that would follow him throughout his life and become his motto: “Le cœur et l’esprit l’imagine.” – “Le cœur et l’esprit.”
Quite gifted, at the end of his apprenticeship, during which he was trained to become a watchmaker and then a restoration watchmaker, he was hired and spent 18 wonderful years learning the métier from A to Z. In fact, he held various positions. The first, in 1998, in the restoration department of antique watches. In 2001, he became head of the training department. Then, from 2004 to 2011, he moved to the Technical and Prototyping Office for the development and refinement of Grand Complications. During all these years, he met great watchmakers such as Gabriel Locatelli, who taught him order and discipline. He worked on numerous projects. The main ones were the Master Minute Repeater in platinum with a very strong carillon, the Reverso Triptyque, and finally the Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie (with the improved sound volume being the principal achievement). In parallel, he attended evening classes for 13 years, notably in micromechanical engineering, and completed an MBA in management.
His career at Jaeger-LeCoultre was exceptional, but as the company grew, it naturally became more compartmentalized and he needed more direct interactions. In 2011, he left Jaeger-LeCoultre to work with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht on a development for Van Cleef & Arpels, the Poetic Wish (a “poetic animation” and a 5-minute repeater mechanism). Then, he spent six years as an independent watchmaker subcontractor, opening an independent development office joined by three friends. Together, they worked on a series of creations including the HM6 Space Pirate for MB&F, designs for Bovet, then Badollet, Rebellion with designer Eric Giroud, and the FB1 for Ferdinand Berthoud with designer Guy Bove.
Throughout these years, David Candaux became a complete watchmaker while continuing his studies in restoration and design. Horology has always been his life, yet he never truly had the chance to spend ample time dedicated solely to bench work. Eventually, he forced himself to realize his dream and began building his own watches. Through hard work, he forged a reputation for his exceptional know-how, which led him, in 2017, under the impetus of his mentor and friend Philippe Dufour, to express it by launching his eponymous brand with the presentation of the DC1. The development and manufacture of this first model, with all its specificities, took much longer than expected. He notably had to learn to work with titanium and to create a 30° inclined tourbillon. Overall, it was a long genesis. In fact, he often tells people that it took him 17 years to go from the first idea to the creation of the DC1.
Now a distinguished member of the prestigious Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), David Candaux wished, with his brand, to express his love for the history of craftsmanship. However, for him, tradition should not be reduced to mere repetition. While he is a perfect representative of the Vallée de Joux’s know-how – which signifies complicated horology and refined craftsmanship – his watches are in a class of their own. Creating a watch without compromise with an association of symmetry and asymmetry, that was the initial idea. He drew inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. The two sapphire domes, arranged along an east-west axis, confer symmetry. Conversely, the power reserve indicator and the magic crown are positioned asymmetrically. His specific vision is that of forms found on antique captain’s watches and on many navigational instruments from the 18th and 19th centuries that fused horology, mathematics, philosophy, and astronomy.
These instruments, such as compasses with a viewing area partially embedded in metal, allowed only portholes to display the required indications. In this way, these demi-savonnette watches, with their domes and guilloché finishes on the top of the case, offered excellent protection for the crystal, hands, and movement against shocks in extreme conditions. In the DC6 Titanium, David Candaux reinterprets this technique by infusing it with a contemporary vision: transforming a wristwatch dial into a tactile and sensory experience, offering collectors a unique and intimate interaction with their timepiece. Now, let us move on to the presentation of the watch.
Table of Contents – David Candaux DC6
What are the features of the David Candaux DC6?
Case
The David Candaux DC6 features an asymmetrical case with fluid lines, crafted entirely in titanium, in the shape of a slightly curved bassinet, with hand-finished sandblasted, satin, and polished surfaces. Measuring 44 mm in diameter with a thickness of 12.60 mm, the case boasts a bold design that is not only aesthetic but also enhances ergonomics and comfort on the wrist. Although this watch remains quite imposing, the short and curved lugs perfectly conform to the natural curve of the wrist, which is highly appreciable and optimal.
Water-resistant to 30 m, this case has a distinctive feature of note. For better handling, one can observe, at 6 o’clock, a very intriguing crown. Indeed, the “magic crown” is concealed, much like a retractable pen. Patented, it unlocks by pressure and offers 3 positions: neutral, winding, and time-setting. This crown, composed of 31 components, is flanked by raised engravings reading “David Candaux” on the right and “Handcrafted” on the left, both placed on a black lacquered, crescent-shaped rim for added contrast. The bear, subtly yet significantly present on the crown, is more than a symbol; it echoes the affectionate nickname given to David Candaux.
Dial
The David Candaux DC6 is adorned with a rather nonconformist dial featuring two spherical domes. This unusual geometry facilitates time reading by optimizing the user’s field of view. On the sapphire of the left dome at 3 o’clock, the 30° inclined tourbillon is displayed, with its bluish index indicating the seconds marked on the perimeter of the biplanar tourbillon cage inclined at 30°. On the right dome at 9 o’clock, a similarly spherical micro-dial displays the hours and minutes with two curved hands in electrically treated blue steel. Complementing this is an aperture protected by an arched sapphire crystal at 12 o’clock for the power reserve (indicated via a cam system) that reminds one of the fuel gauges of vintage cars. It is inscribed with the brand’s motto, Le Cœur & L’Esprit, adding a pleasing touch to the display.
The symmetric and asymmetric design is further enhanced by an additional tactile element—a guilloché pattern that he created and named “Pointe du Risoux.” Designed as a contemporary approach to traditional antique guilloché, this motif was not only conceived to be visually striking but also deliberately designed to invite the user to feel a sensual emotion with its complex surface, thereby adding a level of interaction between the timepiece and its owner. This hand-engraved guilloché on two titanium plates is inspired by the vision David Candaux had when he was still passionate about paragliding. It recalls for him the view from the sky of the treetops forming the conifer forest of Risoux, at the edge of which his workshop is located in the Vallée de Joux.
Movement
The David Candaux DC6 houses the Calibre 1740, a manually wound titanium movement entirely designed by David and introduced in the DC1. It features the patented “Magic Crown” winding system and a 30° inclined tourbillon with a 60-second revolution that further improves chronometric precision. Depending on the movements of its owner’s wrist throughout the day, David Candaux’s biplanar tourbillon was created to ensure a continual change in the orientation of its cage and regulating organ, thereby optimizing its ability to compensate for the negative influence of gravity on its chronometric performance. Beating at a frequency of 21,600 A/h (3 Hz), the movement is composed of 287 components and 47 jewels. Thanks to two coaxial barrels with rapid rotation, coupled in series with a fixed-brace spring, the movement ensures perfect isochronism and guarantees a chronometric power reserve of 55 hours.
According to the most advanced developments, the balance wheel is fitted with a Breguet-type hairspring with a Phillips terminal curve. This ensures a perfectly concentric movement, reducing friction on the balance wheel’s axle regardless of its verticality. Finally, the end of the hairspring is held by a specially developed pignon that guarantees reliable and durable fixation. Such details ensure the movement operates perfectly over time while maintaining its chronometric qualities.
The omnipresence of Grade 5 titanium, used for all the movement components despite the complexity of its fabrication, reflects the strategic choice of the watchmaker-designer due to its exceptional properties: natural appearance, corrosion resistance, anti-magnetism, thermal stability, lightness, and biocompatibility, thus conferring enhanced longevity to the timepiece. Composed of an alloy of 90% titanium, 6% aluminium, and 4% vanadium, David Candaux had to rethink all these manufacturing and finishing techniques to achieve a result worthy of the greats. The extreme tensile strength of titanium renders traditional milling operations, as well as manual processes such as satin finishing, brushing, and anglage, significantly longer, more costly, and more difficult. Moreover, the milling required to cut these parts necessitates the use of multiaxis head machines equipped with automatic extinguishers, as the titanium swarf and chips produced can become flammable.
This innovative movement, protected by several patents, mechanically embodies the philosophy that inspired the 1740 collection, its asymmetric aesthetic approach combined with the art of chronometry. No detail requiring meticulous examination was spared. For example, the technical imperatives linked to the concealed, retractable crown required inclining the entire gear train and bridges by 3° relative to the horizontal. This reinterpretation of traditional construction principles modified the positioning of the bridges relative to each other. Due to this variation, each is now inclined by 3°.
As a result, they display a general surface on the back of the movement that is no longer uniformly flat but cascades, revealing the inward angles of the bridges, offering complete immersion in the movement. The titanium base plate, adorned with handcrafted Côtes du Soillat in homage to the natural environment of the village of Soillat, with wide and generously spaced striations, creates an original visual effect. Each requires execution by expert hands to give the impression that a single band contains three. The finishes include beveled edges, polished chamfers, and a perfectly executed perlage. Notable details include a gold plate engraved with the watch number and a yellow gold medallion bearing the emblematic logo of the bear’s head.
Strap
The David Candaux DC6 is delivered with a hand-stitched rubber strap featuring a Velcro closure, accompanied by a 316L stainless steel and titanium tang buckle. As you can see, the strap was too large when the watch was first handled, but I hope to try it again this time with a size S strap.
What is the price of the David Candaux DC6?
The David Candaux DC6 is offered at a price of CHF 225,000 (Excluding VAT). The watch is not limited in number, but its very low production makes it a coveted piece for discerning collectors.
David Candaux DC6: A Wristpiece Masterpiece That Redefines Gravity
The David Candaux DC6 is a watch of exceptional precision that moved me deeply. Every element is thoughtfully designed, considered to have functionality, practicality, and remarkable uniqueness. You can feel that this watch is fully realized and that everything it does has a concrete explanation. I greatly appreciate its universe, which brings together the classic with a strong dose of creativity. I also found that, for its size, the watch is as light as a feather, which surprised me when I tried it on. Lightweight, bold, and truly timeless, the DC6 Titanium embodies the essence of David Candaux’s unique horological vision.
David Candaux’s work has not gone unnoticed in the world of high horology, yet his output remains very limited. I eagerly await the arrival of their next model, the DC12, which will further secure the brand’s future and increase production. David Candaux’s goal is to manufacture about thirty watches per year with a small, dedicated team while maintaining the same high standards of quality, consistency, and a strong brand DNA—a true challenge.
Today, the small team consists of David Candaux handling design, machining, decoration, and assembly; his father, who is involved in component machining and assembly; and a young watchmaker who assists with assembly and finishing. David Candaux not only perpetuates a family tradition but also that of his native region by giving new life to the heritage that traverses the Vallée de Joux, and I find that very beautiful.
I would like to thank Caroline Pita, who works to promote David Candaux’s work and who allowed me to meet him. I appreciate such passionate and humble people who love to share their vision of horology. Of course, you may find the pricing quite high, but believe me, the finishing of the piece is exceptional, keeping in mind that all processes had to be rethought to work with titanium.
David Candaux DC6 – Watch Specifications
- Brand: David Candaux
- Model: DC6
- Case : Titanium
- Dial: «Pointe du Risoux» Guilloché
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds and Power Reserve Indicator
- Movement: Grade 5 Titanium In-House Movement, Manual-Winding, 21’600vph frequency (3 Hz), 47 jewels and 287 parts
- Power Reserve: 55 hours
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Caseback: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 43 mm (Diameter) × 12,6mm (Thickness)
- Strap: Rubber Velco with Stainless Steel and Titanium Pin Buckle
- Availability: Limited Edition of 8 pieces
- Retail Price: CHF 225’000 (Excluding VAT)
Did you know about David Candaux’s universe? Please feel free to share your thoughts on this piece in the comments section.
For more information about David Candaux, click here.
