Simply Abu Dhabi XXXIV

1 3 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I S IMPLY T IME BY NICK R ICE Time-HonouredLegacy David Candaux is widely regarded in the hushed circles of haute horology as one of the most talented master watchmakers of his generation. Or any generation. After more than two decades creating remarkable timepieces for prestigious brands, the designer watchmaker is conceiving and constructing magic at the helm of his own eponymous brand. B orn and raised in the Vallée de Joux, the crucible of the Swiss luxury and high-end watchmaking industry, David Candaux has been shaped by his environment. Both his grandfather and father are master watchmakers, and Candaux is furthering the family legacy in superlative style. He was barely into his teenage years when he began to linger at watchmaking workbenches, and by the age of 15 he took an apprenticeship at the Vallée de Joux Technical School. Graduation was followed by an outstanding career with world-famous fine watchmakers, where he flourished and continued to build on his strong foundations as a designer and watchmaker. From 1994 to 2011, Candaux worked at Jaeger-LeCoultre, where he contributed to incredible timepieces such as the Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie. After 17 years at JLC Candaux established a movement development company named Du Val Des Bois. Candaux is really an “all-rounder” in that he does everything involved in the process of making a watch from nothing. From the sketching and visual conception though to extreme micro-engineering, Candaux can turn his hand to any aspect of the process, and he holds numerous technical watchmaking patents. David Candaux