Roger Dubuis is renowned for being a serial innovator whose fearless spirit, unleashed creativity and determination to live life to the fullest extent result in off-the-radar hyper horology. While remaining respectful of tradition at all times, the brand that dares to be different takes pride making its own world excessively exciting. Thus, although eminently cognisant of the past, its timepieces are in no way submissive to it and in fact are projections of a future of which Roger Dubuis takes total ownership. In recent years, Roger Dubuis has also taken inspiration from a number of other cutting-edge industries. This has included the judicious use of carbon in watchmaking and combining it with its own powerful savoir-faire and uncontested mastery in designing, developing and assembling some of the watch industry’s greatest horological complications. The latest creation – the Excalibur Spider Unique Series.
Innovative reinterpretation
In the latest 2019 iteration of this feat, Roger Dubuis goes back to the future by revisiting two specialities – the Minute Repeater and the Flying Tourbillon – housed in a carbon case with carbon bezel and flange – and firmly positioned in the hallowed universe of Grandes Complications. Coupled with a flying tourbillon and wound by two micro rotors, the Excalibur Spider Unique Series now offers an outstanding 47 mm example of contemporary and expressive Haute Horlogerie. In it, Roger Dubuis takes its legendary creativity and unbridled expertise to new heights by combining these two much-admired and highly exclusive complications and reinterpreting them in SMC carbon. In parallel, the beautiful aesthetic balance of the tourbillon features its trademark star-in-a-cage allure, offering a number of advantages with regard to volume, while leaving more space for expressing other elements.
Contemporary chime
Invented in the 18th century to enable people to tell the time in the dark, the Minute Repeater is one of the most sophisticated watchmaking complications. Its mechanism consists in striking the time on demand when pushing a button or pulling up a slide bolt. In its most sophisticated form, the Minute Repeater strikes the hours, quarters and minutes and is generally composed of two chimes, one deep for the hours, one high-pitched for the minutes. Quarters are indicated by the succession of the two chimes: high-pitched and deep. One of the first calibres launched by the brand back in 1997, the Minute Repeater was also the first to be used to launch the Excalibur collection in 2005.
As it happens, the admittedly unconventional use of carbon in such a model is an extremely relevant choice for a minute repeater. It demonstrates Roger Dubuis’ ability to provide a contemporary take on classics, by staging an encounter between an 18th century function and modern technology. Carbon is also one of the lightest materials to provide such excellent mechanical resistance, making it an extremely useful choice in ensuring optimal wearer comfort. Undisturbed by anything surrounding it, the result is the purest of all possible chimes. The auditory pleasure it procures is also mingled with a sense of visual interest, which is why Roger Dubuis has provided three highly conspicuous elements. The first is the striking indicator serving to observe the watch while this mechanism is in operation. The second is a function indicator revealing whether the crown is in winding or time-setting position. Last but not least, the All or Nothing indicator shows whether the push button is pressed in far enough to release the striking mechanism. In addition, this happy marriage of a minute repeater and a flying tourbillon represents a massive technical advance enabled by Roger Dubuis’ immeasurable mastery of Grand Complication watchmaking.
How dare you?
In keeping with Roger Dubuis’ penchant for voracious hedonism, the new Excalibur Spider Unique Series is designed to be enjoyed rather than consigned to the nearest safe. In line with this philosophy, it is one of a very few Minute Repeaters to be found on the market in a sporty yet high-tech case. An already far cry from classic minute repeaters or tourbillons due to its carbon content, the newest timepiece joins the ranks of the truly unique series. Sporty, incredibly lightweight, automatic and extremely personalised, the latest Excalibur to join a prestigious stable is an accessory expressly designed for members of a highly exclusive tribe unafraid to flaunt their prize. So you want to wear your Excalibur Spider Unique Series every day? Go right ahead!
About Roger Dubuis
Roger Dubuis has been at the forefront of contemporary Haute Horlogerie since 1995. Its audacious creations, firmly anchored in the 21st century, embody substantial expertise expressed through the finest watchmaking mechanisms combined with powerful and daring designs. Boldness and extravagance are the brand’s signatures, and determination its driving force.
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur and Velvet collections are distributed worldwide through an exclusive sales network and boutiques. The quest for excellence, the long search for the right gesture, as well as the development of unique skills are all defining characteristics of the Geneva-based Swiss Maison.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Unique Series RDDBEX0862 Technical Specifications
Case: Skeletonized spider, Ø47 mm, SMC carbon bezel and case body, black DLC titanium container, black DLC titanium crown over molded with green rubber, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment and green metallization, titanium black DLC case back with sapphire crystal
Thickness: 14.5mm
Dial: SMC carbon lower flange and black upper flange with rhodium plated indexes filled with the white luminous SLN, 18K Gold hands with black PVD coating and green transfer and white luminous SLN tips
Water resistance: 5 BAR (50 m)
Strap: Black rubber base and black RubberTech inlay, green stitching
Buckle: Titanium black DLC, adjustable folding buckle
Calibre: RD107, Automatic
Production: Unique Series
Certification: Poinçon de Genève
RD107 Calibre: Automatic with 2 micro-rotors
Features: a rare combination of a minute repeater with a flying tourbillon
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Minute repeater, Flying tourbillon at 5 o’clock, function selector at 3 o’clock, chiming indicator at 10 o’clock, “All or Nothing” indicator at 8 o’clock
Decorations: Main plate and bridge circular-gained, tued-up, shot-blasted, Côtes de Genève and NAC coated
Number of parts: 558 components
Jewels: 54
Diameter: 14 3/4
Thickness: 10 mm
Frequency: 3 Hz (21’600 vph)
Power-reserve: 72 hours
