ROger dubuis’ excalibur 42 titanium dlc

It was a standout masterpiece at SIHH 2015 that’s still talked about to date. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur 42 Titanium DLC surprises many on two levels; first, it is the brand’s first automatic skeleton watch with a micro-rotor, and second, it doesn’t flaunt a six-figure price tag.

The 30-m water-resistant timepiece forgoes the maison’s feted tourbillion for a gleaming escapement that flits and whirls at the eight o’clock position. Just above it sits the micro-rotor enthroned between the 10 and 12 o’clock positions, glinting as it gradually coils the timepiece’s mainspring. The various plates of the timepiece are also hollowed out to reveal multiple tiers of precision engineering.

Over the years, the open-worked star bridge has risen to become Roger Dubuis’ most recognisable and sought-after element. Hardly duplicable, this 42-mm timepiece’s well thought through curation of ash and obsidian, sheen and matt, satin and snailed finishes accentuate depth and dimension — facets that Roger Dubuis evidently loves highlighting throughout all of its creations.

Each of its 167 components is individually finished by hand to emphatic result, and in turn draws attention to the brand’s trademark Excalibur case, which is arguably the watchmaker’s next most popular feature.

At its namesake size of 42mm that has become a modest case diameter in our age of horology, this light titanium timepiece rests lithely on one’s wrist. Secured by a hand-stitched alligator leather strap, the timepiece boasts a power reserve of 60 hours. While the rose gold and gem-set rose gold versions may be viewed as slightly less discreet, the understated rendition’s technologically forward materials of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur 42 Titanium DLC identifies with the shift in the younger generation’s perception of luxury.

Roger Dubuis