Pascal Dubois on watch culture

Although little-known to the general public, Dubois Dépraz is a respected name in the Swiss watchmaking milieu. The original workshop quickly specialised in the assembly and later manufacture of chronographs. In 1937 it triumphed with the unforgettable 13¾”‘ calibre, a precise and economical chronograph with neither column wheel nor blocking lever. In 1969, all eyes turned to another of its inventions, the Chronomatic. The brainchild of Gérald Dubois, as well as being the first self-winding chronograph, it was also the first modular chronograph. Since then, the company has become a master in developing complications, either as independent modules or integrated into various base movements. While the chronograph is still very much its speciality, Dubois Dépraz also excels in the manufacturing of calendars, striking mechanisms and grandes complications, with a total 52 patents to its name since its creation. Its core business is still to manufacture its own products, although the company also works under contract for other firms.

An ingrained culture

A qualified watchmaker, calibre-maker and micro-mechanical engineer, Pascal Dubois joined the company in 1992. Asked what “watch culture” means to him, he naturally refers to his family background. “Everyone in the family knows what a watch represents. We know how to differentiate between products, recognise their different merits, understand the functions and talk about them using precise terminology. Rest assured we know the difference between a chronometer and a chronograph. Our watch culture is essentially to know what we are talking about, whether we’re a watchmaker or not. This is something we share with most people in the Vallée de Joux. I can discuss watches with friends or neighbours who don’t work in the branch and always feel they understand exactly what I mean.”

Watchmaking is omnipresent in the region, and for this reason Pascal Dubois is also convinced that the valley’s inhabitants are familiar with the very specific structure of the sector and the changes it has undergone. They are, he says, more up to date with who does what among brands and suppliers than the majority of collectors and buyers, who barely suspect the myriad firms involved. The watch culture that runs through the valley goes beyond this almost inborn knowledge to influence the very way of being. “People here tend to be orderly, meticulous, almost obsessively so. We don’t leave things lying around, paintings hang straight on walls, cars are well-maintained, that kind of thing.”

Performance and quality above all

At Dubois Dépraz, watch culture implies a complete familiarity with the achievements of the past. “When you develop products yourself, you cannot ignore what has gone before as these are the things we build on and improve,” Pascal Dubois observes. Not that the company expects its staff to be walking encyclopaedias of watchmaking. “Our designers complete their training with us, working alongside their seniors. We’ve even seen how a good watchmaker isn’t necessarily someone who has trained as a watchmaker. An engineer, for example, can be more exacting than a watchmaker, who might be tempted to file down a part to “make it fit.” As a general rule, we look for complementary qualities in development and production with a totally contemporary approach.”

“We are among the most well-equipped firms in terms of high-tech machinery, and we make a point of combining traditional methods and modern techniques to best advantage. Whereas a brand has to live up to an identity, we can put all our efforts into quality and performance. Our main concern is with the technical qualities of our products. Of course we care about traditional finishes and how a movement looks, but there is no Dubois Dépraz style or finish. Because of this, some of our watchmakers, the younger ones in particular, might be tempted to go work for a brand where they can be proud to contribute to prestigious products, the ones that take pride of place in shop windows. At Dubois Dépraz, we don’t have this obsession with image. What we do offer is diversity and the opportunity to work regularly on all types of complication. In fact it’s not unusual for watchmakers to come back to us because they miss the variety they enjoy in working for us.”

At Dubois Dépraz, watch culture is more science than sensation. And with 100% Swiss-Made production, it has solid and authentic foundations too.