Thirty years in watchmaking may seem short to some, however, Roger Dubuis has made full use of that time to establish a manufacture that has kept the traditions of haute horology alive. Not only has it made an indelible mark within the industry, it has also managed to shape its future.
Throughout its 30 years of existence, Roger Dubuis has had many special moments and shared encounters that have been instrumental to its story. To celebrate this auspicious anniversary, the brand unveils two timepieces that bring the founder’s dream to life: the Excalibur Grande Complication and the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar. But before we introduce these commemorative watches, let us first trace the history of the distinguished Maison.
Roger Dubuis was established in 1995, the fruition of a dream shared between Mr. Carlos Dias, and the late Mr. Roger Dubuis, who lent his name to the enterprise. Their mission was to craft exquisitely expressive timepieces that were fundamentally Genevan. This founding vision has helped the brand grow in spades and continues to guide it in all of its endeavours.
The horologist between the two, it was Mr. Roger Dubuis’ passion for watchmaking that drove the company’s creations. With a love for horology that was inspired by the church clocktower in his local Swiss village, the co-founder went on to take formal watchmaking studies at the age of 15. Driven by an unparalleled commitment to excellence, the master watchmaker led his eponymous brand to create masterpieces, exquisite products that have kept the traditions of haute horology alive, while also passing on knowledge from one generation to the next. He was also dedicated to crafting genuinely expressive watches, ones that denoted ideas and were much more than instruments to keep time.
This sentiment is reflected in the very first timepieces presented by the brand. Following its founding in 1995, Roger Dubuis set about creating a series of perpetual calendars, sometimes combined with other complications, featured either in the Hommage or Sympathie collections. The Maison did not stop at just manufacturing a state-of-the-art mechanism, it also presented time in somewhat unconventional, unexpected, and sometimes theatrical ways. An endeavour to set the watches apart, this artful and occasionally playful take on timekeeping caught the attention of watch aficionados the world over. Over the course of 11 years, the manufacture honed its know-how and developed many of the most renowned complications in watchmaking, including the minute repeater, the split-seconds chronograph, and the tourbillon.
Blending tradition and modernity, Roger Dubuis has always upheld a philosophy of excellence; it does not let challenges get in the way of its development. In fact, it has used these very hurdles as fuel to improve and refine the processes it uses in watch creation. In 2005, the manufacture celebrated 10 years and introduced the Excalibur collection. This marked a new era of creativity for the brand. Defined by a round and substantial case, the Excalibur was accented by three lugs and a fluted bezel, while a large open dial allowed ample room for creativity. Because of these elements, the Excalibur became a canvas for Roger Dubuis’ entry into architectural watchmaking, particularly with skeletonisation, which has characterised the Maison ever since. The Excalibur was followed by the Excalibur Double Tourbillon in the same year.
Renowned for its prowess in crafting complications, not just one or two, but sometimes three or four in a single timepiece, Roger Dubuis prides itself in the fact that since 1999, most of its calibres have been certified by the Poinçon de Genève, one of the most prestigious certifications in the world of Haute Horlogerie. The designation constitutes that every one of the components have to be masterfully hand-finished at the manufacture in Geneva.
This is showcased in the first Excalibur Grande Complication, presented in 2009, which combined an in-line perpetual calendar, a minute repeater, and a flying monotourbillon. However, despite its mastery of these mechanisms, the Maison has been fascinated by the tourbillon from the very beginning.
The gravity-defying mechanism has served to inspire Roger Dubuis, and the brand has since tapped into the countless possibilities of reinterpreting the complication, from single, double, and positioned at the very centre of the watch. This is shown in the Excalibur Quatuor of 2013, wherein four inclined balance wheels served the same original purpose as the tourbillon: compensate the negative effects of gravity on the performance of a watch.
Roger Dubuis’ success can also be partly attributed to its artful take on legendary stories and unprecedented partnerships. The brand’s story reached a zenith in 2013 when it announced the new Knights of the Round table collection, a magical rendering of the Arthurian legend, albeit in watchmaking form. Taking cues from the lore of King Arthur and his loyal knights, the artisans of the watchmaking company hand-engraved figures of the royal’s followers in 18-carat pink gold, endowing each with a distinct personality and facets all his own. Holding a sword down on a table to swear fealty to the King, the names of the knights are written in old English on the table.
First up is the limited edition Excalibur Grande Complication. With just eight remarkable pieces up for grabs, the timepiece is an amalgamation of what Roger Dubuis does best: the art of complications. In this celebratory offering, the esteemed manufacture brings together a perpetual calendar, which automatically adjusts itself for leap years and months with 28, 30 or 31 days; a minute repeater that chimes the controversial “devil’s chord”; and a tourbillon for gravity-defying precision, all in one singular package. Powered by the RD118 Grande Complication movement, equipped with a 60-hour power reserve, the piece is crafted in 18-carat pink gold, with the watch bezel and crown lusciously fashioned from the same material. Measuring 45 mm in diameter, the timepiece has a double surface flange open-worked dial, boasting a ridged black top and white polished slope, with a transferred minute track, as well as polished and gold-plated hour markers with white SLN in the centre. A satin-brushed retrograde disc calendar display completes the magnificent dial.
The Genevan tradition is upheld by the flying monotourbillon minute repeater perpetual calendar movement certified by the Poinçon de Genève, as well as the “Côtes de Genève” Poinçon de Genève finishings such as sunray, circular-grain, true up, circle brushed, drawing, engine turn bevelling, sink polish, mirror polish, grunge polish, shotblasting and burnishing.
Meanwhile, the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar is a tribute to Mr. Roger Dubuis’ favourite biretrograde display, also named “the ecliptic counters” by the Maison, as a reference to their elliptical shape and their particular function indicating months and date. A highlight of the very first timepiece the brand unveiled 30 years ago, the biretrograde display is now delivered in an updated manner, one that is modern yet remains loyal to the original. Similarly delivered in an 18-carat pink gold case, just like the Excalibur Grande Complication, the watch measures 40 mm in diameter and is water-resistant to 10 bar (10 metres). With a silver-plated, satin-brushed dial, the model features a pink gold outline and texts, as well as mother-of-pearl inserts at 12 and 6 o’clock. It also has a pink gold-plated satin-brushed calendar display with black transferred texts and black dots.
Driving the watch is the RD840 automatic movement, which has been decorated and hand-polished to achieve the esteemed Poinçon de Genève certification. The oscillating weight is a modernised take on the version from 1996, and appears next to a meaningful quote, one that is attributed to the Roger Dubuis co-founders.
With these two spectacular models, Roger Dubuis cements its place in haute horology. Armed with its philosophy of excellence and unparalleled mechanical prowess, the Maison flourishes and aims to take the field of watchmaking to even greater heights.
