In June 2023, independent watchmaker Philippe Dufour celebrated his 75th birthday and made an important announcement: he launched the Philippe & Elisabeth Dufour Foundation with his wife.
This is a charitable fund that aims to help solve some of the climate, environment, education and health problems currently facing human society, mainly for some underdeveloped regions, such as India, Peru, Lebanon and other backward regions.
Philanthropy requires money, Philippe Dufour does not have to pay for it himself (of course, he will also pay for part), he specially made a Simplicity unique watch for the launch of this foundation, blue aventurine dial, two-needle design, different from the ordinary Simplicity small three-needle model, this watch will be used for charity auction, the auction proceeds will be used as the start-up of this fund.
Philippe Dufour also invites other artists and his guests to participate in his and his wife's philanthropy.
On the current market, the sale price of the Simplicity regular model is 7.8 million Swiss francs, such as a 34mm 18K white gold model numbered 63 at the Fullis Geneva Spring Auction, which sold for 762,000 Swiss francs. The highest price in the Simplicity collection was the prototype 00 watch that was auctioned in 2020 for the launch of the 20th anniversary model, which sold for CHF 1.36 million.
In 2023, the auction price of this unique product should hit a new high, 2 million Swiss francs? Maybe it will be higher, because charity auctions, various effects superimposed, there will always be miracles. Moreover, this unique product also has the importance of stabilizing the market price of Simplicity. Although the price of 7.8 million Swiss francs was already very expensive, which had doubled from the 300,000 Swiss francs before 2019 and was already more than ten times the original price, it was still a lot down from 1 million Swiss francs at the 20th anniversary, and it was necessary to do something to stabilize the market.
The Philippe & Elisabeth Dufour Foundation also established a board of directors, along with four founders, including their daughter Danièla Dufour, and their old friend, the "military master" Claude Sfeir, the business operator. Another Martial Fragnière, a veteran of the watch industry, was involved in the Time aeon Foundation initiated by independent watchmakers such as Greubel & Forsey and Philippe Dufour in his early days, promoting the operation of the Time aeon Foundation as the actual executive chairman. Another woman, Maricela Lancoud, has also worked in the watch industry for many years, working for Bucherer, Switzerland's largest watch retailer.
