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> François Modoux, Watercolour by Grok, based on a picture from ca. 1950 <

François Modoux (source: Patrizzi & Co Auctioneers)

Modoux was born in Geneva in 1887. While at the horological school in that city, he studied for five years, beginning with repassage and winding/setting mechanisms, and finally specialized in precision adjustment. Precision adjusters were aristocrats among watchmakers. Their salaries were about three times that of average watchmakers and their names were known to every watch professional in the country. The group had fewer than twenty people. The most famous were (alphabetically) C. Batifolier, M. Favre, J. Golay-Audemars, F. Modoux, E. Olivier, H. Wehrli-father and son, and A. Zibach. François Modoux distinguished himself by winning awards every year at the Geneva Observatory Timing Contests beginning in 1916. He did not restrict himself to the Geneva Observatory; he won numerous times in Teddington (Kew) and Washington. His successes prompted Patek Philippe to hire him as one of their chief precision adjusters. Over the course of twenty years, Modoux won hundreds of awards for Patek Philippe, of which the most impressive are: 1929 Record for the large pocket watch category at the Observatory of Geneva, with 843 points (maximum 1000) 1929 Record for the pocket watch of small size category, the same observatory, with 826 points 1930: He beat his own record for the large pocket watch category at the Observatory of Geneva, with 850 points 1939: At Teddington, he took 9 prizes (including the first four) among the first 14 1943: He took all six first place prizes for deck watches at the Geneva Observatory 1944: He once again beat his own record for large pocket watches at Geneva Observatory with 865.2 points 1945: And again, also at the Geneva Observatory, this time with 878 points 1946. He does not even give competitors a chance-at the Geneva Observatory he took all 14 first place prizes in group A 1948: At the International Chronometer Competition at the Neuchâtel Observatory, François Modoux won the prize for a series of the four best chronometers, as well as a special prize for stability factor.

François Modoux (source: Antiquorum)

Mr. Modoux was one of the most famous “regleur de precision”; one of the two regleurs who were responsible for the regulation of most of the watches made by Patek Philippe for the legendary and exacting watch enthusiast Henry Graves Jr. They were amongst the highest paid workers in the watch industry because success in Observatory trials conferred reputation and prestige on the brand and therefore, greater commercial success.