Our history

Dubail, the epitome of watchmaking excellence in Paris

The House of Dubail is more than just an address; it is a style, a spirit, a family. It also represents years of advice and expertise offered to a French and international clientele whose loyalty is a testament to trust and professionalism. In 35 years, the name Dubail has become synonymous worldwide with prestige, exclusivity, and success. Today, Dubail enjoys a reputation for quality and reliability that extends well beyond our borders. Its boutiques have become the must-visit destination for a discerning international clientele seeking rare timepieces.

While the Dubail family values a certain closeness with its clients, intimacy is not part of the equation. This is why the House offers private salons that ensure discretion and invite tranquility.

It provides its clientele of collectors, connoisseurs, and knowledgeable enthusiasts with a privileged welcome, a wide selection of exceptional products, and the best possible service.

In its two iconic multibrand boutiques on Place Vendôme and the Champs-Élysées, the House of Dubail offers a curated selection of timepieces, chosen to satisfy a demanding clientele sensitive to the highly personalized customer service approach of this family-run business.

The Dubail family and its teams highlight the finest in watchmaking excellence, featuring prestigious names such as Cartier, Bulgari, F.P. Journe, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Franck Muller and the renowned House of Rolex. Dubail has been a partner of Rolex for over 25 years and offers its collections in two exclusive boutiques, also located on Place Vendôme and the Champs-Élysées.

Thanks to this privileged collaboration with major watchmaking houses, Dubail has created exclusive limited-edition series, highly sought after by collectors.

The passion for beauty also shines through the jewelry creations that adorn the windows of Dubail's boutiques. And for good reason—often unknown—Dubail is, first and foremost, a jeweler.

Jewelry and high jewelry hold a prominent place in the showcases of the House. Indeed, the Dubail family excels in both areas. Precious stones and mysterious pavé settings coexist within classic collections whose designs exude great modernity. At Dubail, one is often left mesmerized by the purity of a rare diamond, the finesse of a setting, or the exclusive nature of a highly complicated timepiece.

This is the essence of the House of Dubail—a House whose owners' standards are as unquestionable as those of its clients.

A Family Story Rooted in Place Vendôme, Centered Around the Passion for Jewelry

When Pierre Dubail, the founder of the House of Dubail, learned the craft of gem setting at the Haute École de Joaillerie on Rue du Louvre in Paris, and then in his father Jean Dubail’s jewelry workshop, he had no idea that this craft would turn into a lifelong passion that he would pass on to his children with love and boldness.

We are in the early 1960s, and Jean Dubail is at the helm of one of Paris's most renowned jewelry workshops, a partner to the great houses of Place Vendôme. He offers his son the opportunity to discover a craft of excellence and work with some of the finest gemstones available on the market. This burgeoning passion took flight as Pierre Dubail traveled to Montreal, the city of his childhood, with his wife Anne-Marie, to join another renowned jewelry workshop.

“In Montreal, I learned that everything is possible.” – Pierre Dubail

In the Quebec metropolis, Pierre Dubail learned more than just the craft of gem setting; he also developed a sense for business and entrepreneurship. Upon returning to France in 1969, he opened his first jewelry boutique-workshop in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. He created exceptional pieces before the eyes of clients fascinated by his expertise, earning the loyalty of those who appreciated fine jewelry. A visionary, Pierre Dubail brought major watchmaking names into his boutiques in the 1980s, a time when the industry was growing rapidly. In the 1990s, his children, Patrice and Isabelle, joined him to expand the Dubail boutique network in Paris.

In 1993, as the family planned to open a new boutique, it was their passion for jewelry that led them to choose a location at 21 Place Vendôme, thus becoming the last family of independent jewelers in the global epicenter of jewelry. Jewelry remained at the heart of each of the family’s Parisian boutiques, like a red thread of excellence and creativity. Isabelle took the reins of this boutique, surrounded by the Ritz and the major international jewelry houses, and placed precious creations at its heart.

Diamonds, sapphires, and other exceptional stones blend with gold and platinum. Just like the Papillons collection, where four marquise diamonds set in a bezel create delicate wings. Subtle creations whose ends are accentuated with a gold claw, also featured in the Anémones & Papillons collection, as well as in the Papillons Floraux, Diamonds, Micropavés et Rainbow collections, along with high jewelry sets.

The By Dubail high jewelry collection features remarkable pear, emerald, and cushion-cut sapphires from Thailand, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka. This variety, with its intense blue and often tinged with a hint of purple, captivates. It is this unique hue that inspired the color of the Dubail logo. Each piece is crafted in a workshop that the Dubail family has been faithful to for over forty years.

Preserving the Craft of Jewelry through Painting and a Scholarship Fund

To honor artisans and preserve the craft of jewelry, Pierre Dubail established and named a solidarity scholarship fund in 2022, called La Joaillerie pour Tous. This scholarship benefits the Haute École de Joaillerie, where he himself trained.

A prominent figure in Paris’s world of jewelry and watchmaking, Pierre Dubail is also an accomplished painter. He has sold his paintings to benefit this school, enabling the training of several underprivileged young people in jewelry making. This scholarship also aims to inspire new vocations, bringing young people who might never have considered jewelry-making into the profession. New sales are regularly organized, and the Dubail family hopes to unite other major names from Place Vendôme around this initiative to continue supporting the training of tomorrow’s jewelry artisans.

Letter by Pierre Dubail on the Occasion of the Second Edition (2023) of the Vernissage of His Paintings for the “Pierre Dubail” Scholarship Fund for the Haute École de Joaillerie.

CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE

Bringing together two of my passions—jewelry and painting—long seemed unachievable. For six decades, I dedicated most of my time to the world of high watchmaking and precious stones. However, the paintbrushes of my youth eventually called me back, and, as before, allowed me to capture on canvas the colors of my dreams of distant places. In my mind, jewelry and paintings became friends, and these reunions gave birth to an idea—or rather a wish: to help young talents realize their dreams. Thus, the project to create a scholarship aimed at giving a helping hand to students at the Haute École de Joaillerie on Rue du Louvre in Paris was born. Why this choice? Because it was in this institution, as ancient as it is prestigious, that everything began for me when I was 20 years old—the same age as those I wish to support today. Since last year, all proceeds from the sale of my paintings have been entirely devoted to this scholarship fund. After an initial event on the Champs-Élysées where this initiative became a reality, my paintings are now displayed within the very walls of the Haute École de Joaillerie. It is an honor and a pleasure. Once again, the money raised from this exhibition-sale will go directly to the Pierre Dubail: Joaillerie pour Tous scholarship fund to fulfill its mission. Anyone purchasing a painting will know they have helped a budding talent progress toward a brighter future.

Pierre Dubail