SpotlightRoger Dubuis Makes Cutting Edge Par For The Course At SIHH 2019
Roger Dubuis’ latest watch releases at SIHH 2019 stay faithful to their overt modern signature—skeletonised movements and modern finishes that visually result in impressive, well thought-out complexity. 2019 novelties, all in the Excalibur collection, follow the same approach to watchmaking, that is outright audacious in its distinctiveness
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Roger Dubuis has been the talk of SIHH 2019 as their booth is proudly exhibiting the first privately commissioned, one-off Lamborghini made by the Squadra Corse—Lamborghini’s motorsport division. It has been christened the SC18 Alston. Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini are partners and collaborators, with neither having a soft spot for subtlety.
Therefore, the headliner for Roger Dubuis at the fair is a 47mm beast that they call the Excalibur One-Off, inspired by the SC18 Alston. As the name suggests, it is a unique piece with a lot of horological firepower behind it. The name, of course, is the simplest part of the watch. The Excalibur One-Off comes with a differential-linked double flying tourbillon in a 385 part new movement that is now added to Roger Dubuis’ already impressive stable of in-house machines.
The movement also comes certified with the Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève), that is a hallmark of most Roger Dubuis timepieces. Among other criteria, to receive the Geneva Seal, watches are tested on finish and performance, and only the highest quality movements, with hand-finished, decorated parts get the certification. I have remained impressed with Roger Dubuis’ long-standing commitment to certify its watches with the Poinçon de Genève, as it is generally associated with more classical watchmaking and a bit uncommon for watchmakers that focus on bold, avant-garde designs.
The 47mm case is made of carbon fibre while incorporating titanium and ceramic elements. Materials used are a nod to the Squadra Corse, whose use of carbon fibre and ceramic in their hypercars is dominant. There are other automotive cues as well, such as the movement emulating the V-shape geometry of Lamborghini engines. The time display is by way of jumping hours at the top and a single minutes hand that evokes the speed and rev counters on a Lamborghini instrument console.
Timepieces Inspired By The Lamborghini Huracán
Following up on the 2017 Excalibur Aventador S, Roger Dubuis’ latest muse is the Huracán. Two new models have been launched; a standard production Huracán and a limited edition Huracàn Performante. A new calibre, with a 12-degree inclined balance wheel was developed in-house for the Huracàn models by watchmakers at the manufacture.
Roger Dubuis is definitely one for skin-deep associations and with Lamborghini, they have really ensured that the DNA of their partner is reflected in the timepieces. The self-winding rotor itself is designed like a supercar wheel rim.
The Huracán and Huracàn Performante, both have similar construction with 45mm titanium cases, rubber straps with an alcantara inlay, and are distinguished primarily by colour accents. The 88-piece limited edition Performante has yellow accents on the hands, hour markers and bezel to complement the black. The hexagonal elements on the dial with a honeycomb grill take inspiration from the air intakes on the Lamborghini—another hat tip.
The standard production Huracán goes for a grey and black combination on the case and dial. While it is not under the radar by any means, the black-out on the dial does make it appear a bit more mature than its Performante cousin. They both, however, look unmistakably and unapologetically Roger Dubuis.
Flying Tourbillons For The Ladies Too
A tourbillon isn’t exactly common on ladies watches, and there could be plenty of well-justified reasons for that. But we’ve already established that Roger Dubuis plays to its own beat. In the same vein, the Excalibur Shooting Star puts a flying tourbillon in a 36mm rose gold case with a diamond set bezel. There are diamonds for the hour markers as well. The Excalibur Shooting Star watches are Poinçon de Genève certified and the brand is offering 28 pieces each in pink and blue variations.
This is undoubtedly a strong show by the brand. While many manufactures experiment with sizes, trends and new collections, Roger Dubuis has stayed true to how it intends to practice the art of watchmaking.
Amish Behl is India’s first Watch Expert, certified by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), Switzerland. He is a watch specialist and collector based in New Delhi, deeply passionate about the art and history of timekeeping. Behl is also the founder of Definitely Curry, a digital publication about modern ‘made in India’.
