Roger Dubuis is one of the current kings of statement timepieces. The brand’s watches have an undeniable and unmistakable wrist presence: large and round, with a distinctive notched bezel and unabashedly skeletonised to reveal a mechanically advanced, consummately finished in-house calibre. There will also invariably be some kind of exclamation mark – a feature, advanced material or never-before-seen quality that speaks to the manufacture’s quest for innovation.
Case in point: its latest novelty, the Excalibur Blacklight Spin-Stone Monobalancier (RM690,000), with which the inventor of Hyper Horology brings its mastery to new heights. Blending perfectly haute horlogerie and contemporary expressive design, this watch is a gem-set riot of colour during the day, and is even more impressive at night – and especially under ultraviolet light – when it comes alive with colorful luminescence.
It is the sort of watch that could only come from Roger Dubuis: an arresting presentation accompanied by a commitment to the highest levels of watchmaking. The manufacture is located in a modern, highly integrated facility in Geneva, with in-house movement production and its own high complication ateliers. Keeping everything under one roof gives the maison great control over every aspect of its watch production – and, to the outsider, presents an intriguing mix of cutting-edge alongside the classical. For example, innovative materials research and development could be just a few doors down from a set of traditional watchmaking benches. It is very small, as far as manufactures go, and with an annual production of a few thousand it is one of the most exclusive of today’s players.
This is less of a surprise when one considers the brand’s co-founder, Mr Roger Dubuis. A highly respected figure in watchmaking, Mr Dubuis, who was born in 1938, spent more than 15 years working for other Swiss watchmakers and brands to begin his career. Then, in the 1980s, he started a restoration workshop. He co-founded the company as we know it today in 1995, and his first watches – the Hommage chronographs – were concerted revivals of traditional fine watchmaking. But a disruptive spirit lurked within him and was expressed, for example, through eye-catching typeface selections on certain executions on otherwise conservative timepieces, while the sharp-cornered, cushion-shaped Sympathie watches spoke for themselves.
The company produced its first in-house movements by 1999 and regulating organs by 2001. The Excalibur collection was introduced in 2005 and remains a core offering. During this period, the manufacture also introduced technical triumphs, such as a world premiere double tourbillon skeleton movement, and a minute repeater tourbillon.
Today, Roger Dubuis counts 23 in-house calibres – some as outstanding as the Quatuor RD 101 with its four sprung balances and five differentials – and has innovated the use of several high-tech materials.
Still a young manufacture, Roger Dubuis has proven to be a disruptive force in the industry and has evolved rapidly since its founding. This brings us back to the new Excalibur Blacklight Spin-Stone Monobalancier, an exemplar of the manufacture’s values. The patented Spin-Stones, produced in shades of red, blue and anything in between, are all found on the bezel and flange. The star-shaped motif of the dial that is a signature of the manufacture’s skeletonised movements are further highlighted with three-dimensional spinels that look like beams of light, and at the centre of the star is a naturally fluorescent diamond. Presented in a 42mm Eon-Gold case – a specific 750/1000 5N gold alloy that is especially resistant to tarnishing – the watch is limited to 28 pieces and may just be one of the most striking and luminous executions the manufacture has ever created.
The movement is compelling on its own. It hosts the self-winding RD720SQ calibre, which boasts a power reserve of 72 hours. It also benefits from recent developments such as improved efficiency thanks to the optimised shape of its balance wheel, as well as diamond-coated silicon pallet-stones and new lubricants. Furthermore, it is quite the sight to behold – the movement bears the Poinçon de Genève, one of the most demanding certifications achievable in watchmaking with a particular emphasis on fine hand-finishing. Satisfying the requirements increases the production time by 30 to 40 per cent. About 20 million watches are made in Switzerland each year but only 24,000 – or less than one per cent – are Poinçon de Genève-certified.
This sort of painstaking extra effort is a statement in itself. The Excalibur Blacklight Spin-Stone Monobalancier is another impressive step forward in Roger Dubuis’ journey of technical accomplishments, mastery of traditional horological techniques, and emotive, excessive expression.
Roger Dubuis Opens Its First Standalone Boutique In Kuala Lumpur
For the first time, Roger Dubuis has a space in Malaysia that is truly its own. Recently opened in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, its boutique is like few others – with such limited production and availability, it is less of a retail space and more of an opportunity for clients to explore the brand’s vision and values, as well as experience the concept of Hyper Horology. The main decorative motif of the boutique is Roger Dubuis’ signature star that occupies the central wall. The astral shape, which was initially sculpted as part of the Excalibur collection’s skeleton and has been important to Roger Dubuis himself since the beginning, embodies each of the maison’s driving forces: serial innovators, contemporary, hyper expressive, unmatched craftsmanship, and exclusive calibre creators. On the back wall is a sculpture by local artist Jun Ong, which overlays the Roger Dubuis logo with a vibrant, colourful interplay of light and metal.
