Simply Abu Dhabi XXXIV

1 3 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I TheHeart andtheSpirit Simply AbuDhabi: Growing up in the Vallée de Joux, you were surrounded by watchmaking history. But at what age did you know that the world of horology was for you? David Candaux: At the age of 13, I was honoured to attend an internship at both Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre, which in result had a great impact on the thought of my future. At that moment, I knew the world of horology was for me. I had such an unexplainable, amazing experience, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to become a watchmaker and one day be able to create my own timepieces. SAD: You started watchmaking as a young man and spent 17 years at Jaeger- LeCoultre. Then you founded Du Val De Bois – but was founding your own brand always the end goal? DC: Founding my own brand was a secondary consideration. The most important goal for me was to create a handmade, explicit timepiece. A watch with tribute to the ancient techniques, but that also included a contemporary style. SAD: Your father andgrandfather were bothwatchmakers, your fathermaking an incredible 14 watches during his 29 years at Patek Philippe – what is it like working together at D. Candaux? DC: It’s an immense pleasure and privilege to be able to share this experience with my father. I believe we complement each other, as I’m able to learn from his experiences. As well as he is able to learn from my modern ideas, which he does not always understand (David says laughing). It creates such a pleasant and positive atmosphere at our workshop. SAD: Your creations embody many qualities, particularly high-performance elements and extreme innovationanddesign–howdo youkeepgeneratingnew ideas, where do the sources of inspiration keep coming from? DC: Growing up and paying close attention to my grandfather and father, has allowed me to be very creative and be able to work with new ideas. They both inspire me in ways that I cannot be more grateful for. I get inspirations beyond my limits which make me think and see things in new ways. Challenging the impossible and making it most certainly possible. SAD: Themagic crown is awonderful feature – can you tell us about the idea for that and a little bit about to process to achieve it? DC: When I started to draw my first watch, the main idea was to find a structure to create a watch that was comfortable to wear and that had a crown that was protected. I wanted to create something different and more modern than the classic crown. After many long nights and drawings, the “Magic Crown” literally popped out (he says, laughing again). I thought it was simple, yet strong and durable. It took more than three years to finalise the crown, which is entirely mechanical and consists of 31 components. Candaux helped to create the movement of the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate watch, produced the Fonderie 47 Inversion Principle Tourbillon and contributed to the Montandon Windward TMA01 V1 watch amongst others. His own debut collection of watches – the 1740 First 8 – were named after the Meylan family, one of the first families to introduce watchmaking to the Jura region where he grew up. During Baselworld 2019, David Candaux unveiled his latest watch, the D. Candaux DC6 Solstice Titanium Half Hunter “1740”, which will be explored in detail soon, but first, the master watchmaker himself discusses his journey so far.