After a few quiet years, David Candaux has introduced the DC12 MaveriK – the brand’s fourth model and its first without a tourbillon. A deceptively complicated time-only watch, the DC12 features twin escapements linked by a differential, a mechanism deeply rooted in the twentieth century history of the Vallée de Joux.

Housed in an organic 39.5 mm titanium case, the DC12 is the most affordable watch yet from the Le Solliat-based watchmaker, but retains the brand’s signature push-button crown below the dial.

Initial thoughts

An experienced constructor who can count the MB&F HM6 and Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie among his credits, David Candaux launched his eponymous brand in 2017. But he would be the first to tell you it was not an easy start, managing to sell just 14 watches during his first four years in business.

This is not uncommon in the world of independent watchmaking; look around at some of the most popular independent brands today and you’ll hear a similar story about their early days. Mr Candaux’s business subsequently picked up some momentum, and in the past four years the brand claims to have made an additional 42 pieces. If true, it’s an encouraging sign for a watchmaker with something of a chequered past as an independent constructor, who is said to have had difficulty meeting obligations to client brands.

In some ways, the DC12 is the embodiment of this journey, being simpler and cheaper than Mr Candaux’s previous models. But it’s no less ambitious, and the differential is far more rare than the tourbillon. At a time when many independent brands are looking at mid-century watches for design inspiration and producing highly finished simple movements, Mr Candaux’s commitment to his own enigmatic design codes feels refreshing.

Mr Candaux’s watches have always been distinctive due to the prominent retractible ‘magic crown’ positioned at six o’clock. This feature, combined with the brand’s organic, multi-piece barrel-shaped case, make the brand’s watches instantly recognisable. The DC12’s 39.5 mm titanium case sits reasonably close to the wrist at 11.9 mm, making it the most compact watch with a differential since Philippe Dufour’s diminutive 34 mm Duality, which Mr Candaux cites as his direct inspiration.

In terms of materials and construction, it’s hard to fault the DC12’s dial. But subjectively it seems like it’s trying to cram too many different elements into a single design. The gilded German silver dial itself features a chapter ring made of white opal, and is flanked by 32 grey gold markers applied to a bowl-shaped dial flange. Add in the differential, which is displayed through a sapphire crystal window at twelve o’clock, and there’s a lot going on.

The primary intellectual appeal of the DC12 is its all-new movement with dual escapements linked by a planetary differential. This mechanism helps improve chronometric performance by averaging the rates of the twin balances to make the overall rate more stable. Mounted on the fourth wheel close to the action, the differential carries the running seconds hand on the dial side. The free-sprung balances tick at 3 Hz and the movement features a 58-hour power reserve.

Priced at CHF98,000, the DC12 is the brand’s most accessible watch to-date, and arguably its most interesting. While not cheap, the pricing is in line what we’ve seen for other watches with this unusual ‘complication’ in the recent past.

A little bit of magic

Since inception, a signature feature of all David Candaux watches has been the ‘magic crown’ positioned on the face of the watch beneath the dial. Featuring a machined engraving of the brand’s bear head logo, the crown pops up when pressed, enabling the user to wind and set the watch; it retracts just as easily.

The magic crown itself is comprised of 31 components, and despite this complexity the DC12’s case manages to earn a 50 m water resistance rating. It’s not exactly the kind of watch you’d want to take swimming, but it’s illustrative of the industrial precision with which the components are machined.

The titanium case itself is built up of 46 pieces, and though it’s a new design for the DC12 it looks right at home next to the DC1, DC6, and DC7 that came before it. It’s an organic, sinewy barrel-shaped design with airy lugs and contrasting polished and straight-grained finishes.

Seeing double

The DC12 is the brand’s first watch without a tourbillon, but it’s hardly a simple time-only calibre, featuring twin escapements linked by a differential on the fourth wheel. This mechanism, as we know it today, was born in the 1930s in the Vallée de Joux, specifically the region’s leading institutions like the Ecole Polytechnique de la Vallée de Joux (EPVJ) and the Ecole d’Horlogerieof Le Sentier.

Vallée de Joux-native Philippe Dufour was the first to miniaturise this device to fit in a wristwatch with the landmark Duality in 1996. Since 2013, a handful of makers including MB&F, Greubel Forsey, and Ulysse Nardin have used it in their own watches, but in a world full of tourbillons and minute repeaters the differential remains appealingly rare.

In theory, the differential improves precision by taking the average rate from the system. In other words, if one balance is running fast and the other slow, the differential communicates the mean of the two values to the running seconds hand. Like the tourbillon and the remontoir, the real-world impact of the differential is probably negligible, but that doesn’t stop it from being worth the effort in the context of contemporary haute horlogerie, which thrives on antiquated gadgets.

For the DC12, the differential is given pride of place at twelve o’clock, and can be admired through an opening in the dial. This brings a degree of action to the front of the watch, to almost the same degree as a tourbillon. The 10 mm balance wheels themselves are made to Mr Candaux’s own design, and are free sprung on matching overcoil hairsprings.

Compared to the dial, which combines numerous finishes and design elements, the movement design is tastefully restrained. Like Mr Candaux’s prior calibres, the anthracite-coated bridges are made of titanium. This makes them strong and light but requires different finishing techniques compared to traditional materials like brass and German silver.

Judging by the press images, the finishing is exemplary, with evenly frosted surfaces and sharp inward and outward angles, especially on the matching open-worked balance cocks and the ‘floating’ bridge that sits between them to secure the differential.

The brand name, the sole engraving on the movement, appears to be done free-hand. I appreciate the sense of humanity this brings to the watch, but aesthetically this choice is at odds with the rest of the movement, which exhibits a more industrial look.

Key facts and price

David Candaux DC12 MaveriK

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 11.9 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: DC12
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, differential on fourth wheel, and telescopic crown
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Hand wind
Power reserve: 58 hours

Strap: Rubber strap with Velcro clasp

Limited Edition: No
Availability: Direct from David Candaux
Price: CHF98,000 excluding taxes

For more, visit DavidCandaux.com.