Boxer Demetrius Andrade spotted wearing a D.CANDAUX

Demetrius Andrade, the undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion known for his elusive southpaw style, recently surfaced on social media showing off one of independent watchmaking's most extreme achievements: the D.Candaux DC6 Solstice Bi-Plan Inclined Tourbillon, limited to just eight pieces globally. Wearing a Fendi headband and a relaxed smile, Andrade let his wrist do the talking — and the DC6 Solstice commands a room the moment it appears.

David Candaux founded his maison after years at prestigious Swiss ateliers, and the DC6 Solstice represents the fullest expression of his independent philosophy. The centerpiece is a patented bi-plan inclined tourbillon: the cage rotates on an axis inclined at a specific angle to the dial plane, counteracting the effects of gravity across multiple positional orientations rather than the single vertical plane addressed by a conventional tourbillon. The movement is entirely hand-finished and hand-assembled by Candaux himself, with the guilloché-engraved main plate providing a hobnail texture that visually anchors the twin-aperture dial architecture. The subsidiary time display sits at 3 o'clock in a recessed chapter ring with blued hands, while the tourbillon occupies the dominant left aperture. A power-reserve indicator arches at 12 o'clock.

The case is crafted in brushed titanium, lending the watch a surprisingly wearable weight for its substantial 43mm presence. The cobalt-blue textile strap with integrated deployment clasp — visible clearly on Andrade's wrist — is a signature configuration of this reference, giving the Solstice a sporting accessibility that belies its £208,000 list price. With only eight examples produced, the DC6 Solstice sits firmly in the ultra-rare independent segment alongside pieces from MB&F, Voutilainen, and Grönefeld.

Andrade's horological taste has long skewed toward technically ambitious, under-the-radar pieces rather than the expected championship-circuit staples. Choosing a D.Candaux over a Richard Mille or Patek Philippe signals genuine collector conviction — the DC6 Solstice has zero celebrity endorsement budget and zero mainstream marketing; it exists purely on merit within a community of serious enthusiasts.

On the grey market, the DC6 Solstice virtually never appears — the eight-piece allocation was absorbed by existing Candaux clients and a handful of specialist retailers. Any secondary transaction would almost certainly command a premium above the £208,000 retail, making this one of the few independent pieces where grey-market supply is functionally zero. For Andrade, it is a statement that transcends boxing: this is the watch of a man who did his homework.