Introducing: David Candaux DC7 Blue Hawk

If David Candaux is the new name for watchmaking, you probably won’t be alone! I hadn’t heard of him or his eponymous brand before March. Fortunately, Phillips held an event in London. It was there that I met David and saw some of his watches. Even then, we were waiting for the new DC7 Blue Hawk. After looking like a long period, the watch is ready!

David Kandachs is a relatively young man in the mid-40s, but he has an impressive background. After developing Jaeger-Lecoultre’s highly complex watches, he continued to work with several independent watch brands. In 2017 he founded a company of the same name and began making custom-made watches with interesting call signs. A so-called “magic crown” telescope facing the wearer at the bottom of the dial. Of course, as you’ll see on the DC7 Blue Hawk, the details worth mentioning are not the crown.

David Candaux DC7 Blue Hawk

There are plenty of details to unleash the new DC7 Blue Hawk, so jump in right away. The watch has a 44mm hand-made grade 5 titanium case designed to fit your wrist. There is a dome-shaped sapphire crystal on the top and a flat version on the back. Despite its dressy appearance, it has an incredible depth rating of 50 meters. In this spirit, the watch comes with a handmade dark blue rubber strap with velcro closures, pin buckles, or folding grip clasps.

Impressive 6-layer dial

Every time I hear the layers, I am taken to the late-night antics of college and then on my subsequent visit to Taco Bell. However, the new DC7 Blue Hawk can confuse my Word Association games. In fact, David Kandachs argues that there are six different layers of this dial. The outstanding feature requires a cheerful blue titanium surface, which is why it is visible. Only then can you confirm that the tiny Super Luminova tracks are below the lowest level blue surface.

The rehout consists of two blasted titanium sections. These appear to intersect, but one is above the other, creating a multidimensional look. The magic crown, which shows the brand’s barehead motif, is released by pushing it into the case. It then works like a traditional crown with two positions. One is for twisting state and the other is for time setting.

Kandauxs says the vertically outward position of the hands of hours and minutes is nodding to Da Vinci and the Bitlives. The hands are skeletal with bright tips, which gives the dial a light, modern feel. Though it spends plenty of time on impressive movements, the flying tourbillon is on display at the top of the dial. Here we show a few seconds of white covered titanium hands running. The blue anodized titanium toolbillon cage is located at 30° and consists of only 31 components.

H70 Tourbillon

The Blue Hawk is certainly an eye-catching watch, but the movements inside are very special. David Candaux’s H70 Tourbillon is a manual scroll caliber with a 72-hour power reserve and a frequency of 21,600VPH. In this model, the caliber includes a New Balance Wheel, which aids accuracy. Apart from mechanical specifications, the striking finish adorns this 28-jewel powerplant, which includes care-made grain and angularisation. From the rear, the display shows four large plates, a bridge, a gold logo and a central pinion. This is a special handmade watch, but David Kandyk is extremely passionate about the reliability of the movement, each with a 10-year warranty.

Final Thoughts on the DC7 Blue Hawk

David Candaux has created another beautiful watch, but I recommend meeting in person to understand the magic. Furthermore, while “never” is a strong word, you rarely meet any better people in this industry than a positive one. The DC7 Blue Hawk is an exclusive watch, and it’s not surprising given that Candaux is taking part in each of the pieces. Only eight of these models are constructed, each with a price tag of CHF 149,000. Yes, that’s serious money, but it’s not surprising given the nature of handmade items and the cost of in-house development. Many famous Marche offers watches well at this level, so seeing innovative and handmade pieces like Blue Hawk is certainly worth it.

This is a partnership post. Read about transparency here.

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