Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar RDDBEX1179 was launched at Watches and Wonder 2025 as a bridge between the brand’s early Genevan style refinement and its current modern Hyper Horology. It features a characterful bi‑retrograde day and date, specific to Mr. Dubuis and mother-of-pearl in a compact pink gold Excalibur case and a new in‑house calibre RD840 certified by the Poinçon de Genève. And it lands finally in a detailed review.
The short take
From the first encounter, the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar impresses. Those familiar with Mr Dubuis creation will find it familiar, maybe nostalgic. Those used to the modern Hyper Horology will find another face of Excalibur – romantic. The combination of a 40mm pink gold case, a largely closed dial and those two sweeping, elliptical retrograde scales creates an impression that leans straight into the early Roger Dubuis design language. The watch places the complications forward: the day at nine o’clock and the date at three o’clock, each traced by an openworked hand that travels across a semi‑circular track then snaps back to initial position at the end of its cycle. The arcs of mother‑of‑pearl at twelve and six catch the light with a slightly theatrical shimmer, yet they remain secondary to the disciplined geometry of the dial – a theatrical way to balance the raw visible mechanics with the raw beauty of nature. On the wrist, the proportions sit closer to what many collectors not so secretly hoped Roger Dubuis would revisit: a wearable Excalibur with genuine everyday enjoyment thanks to its 100m water resistance and a very solid automatic calibre. It still costs serious money and it still carries the unmistakable RD attitude, but it finally shows that the maison can celebrate its 30 years in a meaningful way.
History of Roger Dubuis and the biretrograde display
Roger Dubuis trained first at Longines in after‑sales service and then spent fourteen years at Patek Philippe in the high‑complication department, an apprenticeship that shaped his obsession with Geneva‑style finishing and the Poinçon de Genève. After leaving Patek, he opened a workshop in Geneva, restoring vintage watches and eventually developing his first true signature complication: a bi‑retrograde perpetual calendar module built on Lemania base calibres and used in the Sympathie line, including his own favourite Sympathie S37 Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar in rose gold.
In the late 1980s he worked with Jean‑Marc Wiederrecht of Agenhor to simplify and modernise the retrograde system, creating a patent that Roger Dubuis then brought into his namesake maison in 1995, using a biretrograde display on the dial of the very first watch, combined with a chronograph. The mechanism relied on a choreographed interaction of cams, rakes, clicks and springs, allowing the hands to travel smoothly along semi‑circular scales and then snap back to zero at the end of their range, and this kinetic ballet became part of the brand’s visual identity.
The modern Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar picks up that thread three decades later, using a bi‑retrograde day and date instead of the original perpetual calendar but keeping the same expressive arcs, now in a more compact case and with an in‑house calibre rather than an Agenhor‑built module, thus folding the historical idea back into a contemporary manufacture context.
We had the pleasure to enjoy the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar in several occasions. So when the RD PR team asked me if I am interested in a loan, I was … Yessss, please! So we had some fun and enjoyed the hot summer days visiting medieval corners in our region. More pictures in the end gallery.
The dial: mixing complications, mechanics and nature
The dial reveals seven layers and uses a sublime hierarchy of surfaces that keep the complex display legible. A silver‑plated double‑surface flange forms the outer frame: a ridged top and opaline slope that carries transferred text and applied, polished, gold‑plated hour markers filled with white Super‑LumiNova. Inside this ring sits a silver‑plated, satin‑brushed main dial plate edged with a pink gold outline. The dial features mother‑of‑pearl inserts at twelve and six o’clock that introduce iridescent texture without overwhelming the functional indications. In the sun, this natural element has a tendency of catching the eyes with its specific spectacle.
The bi‑retrograde calendar occupies the central stage. Two ellipse‑shaped counters at three and nine o’clock, a direct nod to Roger Dubuis’ original signature, carry the date on the right and the day of the week on the left. These are pink‑gold‑plated, satin‑brushed scales with black transferred text and small black dots. The outer edge wider and inner edge narrower, which creates a sense of dynamic curvature that draws the eye into the display. Brass retrograde hands, brushed and coated in pink gold sweep across each arc and then jump back in. The skeletonised architecture reduce the weight to optimise the mechanisms’ functioning and keeps more of the underlying structure visible. The visible retrograde mechanism is an invitation to enjoy the Roger Dubuis expertise in mechanics and decoration – the first visible components certified by the Geneva Seal.
At six o’clock, a small seconds register sits neatly aligned with a cartouche at twelve o’clock that carries the “BIRETROGRADE CALENDAR” wording in the maison’s historic font and the Geneva Seal emblem, echoing the Much More Biretrograde Calendar from the early 2000s and giving the dial an axial symmetry that collectors of the older pieces will recognise immediately. Time is indicated by skeletonised pink gold hour and minute hands with satin‑brushed surfaces and luminous centres. The hands remain readable day and night against the silver and mother‑of‑pearl background, although the interplay of arcs, texts and textures means the dial requires a moment’s orientation for a new wearer. The multilayered complexity can be overwhelming for someone coming from a dress, time-only piece. Luminous inserts in hands and indexes will assure time reading in low light.
Here is a hands-on video exemplifying the functionality of the watch:
I appreciate that Roger Dubuis chose a largely closed dial here, keeping only modest open sections. Many recent RD pieces went deep into skeletonisation or full gem‑setting, and this more restrained layering allows the bi‑retrograde complication and the materials to breathe without turning the watch into a visual puzzle. The beauty of the mechanics is revealed in a subtle way, allowing a quick glimpse,especially in actuation. Now, the setting is intuitive, but you will need a tool (a toothpick is the best…) several times per year to jump manually over 31 (or 29 & co…).
The RD840 calibre: technical architecture and beautiful mechanics
Inside the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar beats the automatic calibre RD840. This is a new in‑house movement designed specifically around the day and date bi‑retrograde system and certified by the Poinçon de Genève. The movement measures approximately 14¾ lignes in diameter and 4.17mm in thickness, runs at 4Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and delivers a power reserve of 60 hours, which is generous for an automatic calendar calibre with this level of kinetic complication.
Roger Dubuis RD840 packs 240 components and 40 jewels, with the retrograde mechanism integrated rather than stacked as a high‑rise module, which keeps the overall thickness under control and helps maintain energy efficiency. The bi‑retrograde system uses cam profiles and sprung rakes that drive the hands along their semi‑circular tracks. At the end of the scale, each hand engages a jumper that releases the stored spring energy, sending the hand back to its origin in a controlled snap. This action introduces brief extra load on the gear train, so the movement’s architecture must manage torque and ensure the balance keeps stable amplitude during each jump, an area where the brand’s experience with earlier biretrograde perpetual calendars clearly played a role.
Finishing is a core part of the RD840’s identity. Roger Dubuis treats every component with 14 distinct finishing techniques to meet Poinçon de Genève standards: anglage on bridges, polished sinks, straight graining, circular graining and so on. This create an interplay of matte and polished areas, making the light play across the movement. The sapphire caseback reveals the open oscillating weight and a ring with a printed a quote from the co‑founders, written in cursive: “C’est une montre actuelle, inspirée mais pas soumise au passé, qui se projette dans un futur qui nous appartient” – “It is a contemporary watch, inspired by the past but not beholden to it, that looks toward a future that belongs to us“.
The movement’s behaviour in daily wear feels consistent with the data. The 4Hz frequency gives a reassuring stability, the 60‑hour autonomy allows a weekend off the wrist, and the calendar jumps, though visually dramatic, do not feel harsh or noisy. I enjoy the large windows into the retrograde works. I am not sure what compromises were done on the visual clarity, but I feel that the watch is well balanced visually and mechanically, coherent and not forced. I am confident Mr Dubuis will be pleased with this result.
The case and strap: materials, proportions and details
Roger Dubuis houses the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar in a 40mm pink gold case alloyed to 750/1000, with an 11.25mm thickness and the brand’s recognisable notched bezel, crown guards and triple lugs. The Excalibur architecture remains assertive, with sharp transitions between polished, shot‑blasted and satin‑brushed surfaces, yet the “smaller” diameter (comparing with a 45 Excalibur) softens the effect and makes the watch easy to wear, natural for a wider set of wrist sizes.
Sapphire crystals covers both the dial and the back, and the case has a water resistance rated to 10 bar, or 100 metres, which positions this as a genuine everyday luxury watch rather than a dress piece that must avoid the slightest contact with water. On the wrist, the curvature of the lugs and the moderate thickness balance the density of pink gold, although smaller wrists will still feel the physical presence of the watch. The design does not try to be discreet, it simply tones down the scale, being easily recognisable but fairly wearable in all companies.
The strap follows Roger Dubuis’ non‑exotic policy and comes in premium 3D‑sculpted calf leather in brown. It is fitted with an interchangeable system, which allows the owner to change straps without tools. A pink gold 750/1000 triple‑folding buckle, also equipped with QRS, secures the watch and matches the case metal. The overall combination of chocolate brown leather and warm gold suits the slightly nostalgic character of the dial. For steel‑case siblings, the brand now offers integrated stainless steel bracelets and additional calf straps – see here.
The triple‑lug Excalibur signature remains polarising, and although the smaller diameter tempers it, some enthusiasts who loved the early Sympathie or Hommage cases may still find this geometry a step away from the classical forms they admire. That said, the execution feels crisp, and the 40mm format goes a long way toward reconciling Excalibur’s muscular outline with real‑world wearability. And we must always remember that this is the Excalibur collection, with its goods and bads – if I can say so… Sympathie and Hommage have their design language, Excalibur its own…
Ending thoughts and price
The Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar debuted at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 as a cornerstone of Roger Dubuis’ 30th‑anniversary line‑up and as a deliberate nod to the maison’s earliest biretrograde creations. Pricing stays firmly in high‑luxury territory. Time+Tide reports the Ref. RDDBEX1179 at A$98,000, Bucherer at €67,500, while Harrods lists at €69,900. Chrono24 shows new listings around 65,000 US dollars, confirming that the market treats this reference as a serious investment rather than an impulse buy. I will ask RD for the official prices and comeback for an update.
Is it worth it? That depends on how much you value the specific Roger Dubuis story. If you see the brand only through the lens of its loudest Excaliburs, this watch might seem almost restrained to a fault. However, if you remember the Sympathie biretrograde perpetual calendars, the early Hommage chronographs and the era when Poinçon de Genève signalled a very specific Geneva finishing culture, this piece feels like a meaningful link between that past and a present in which RD finally starts to talk about proportion and wearability for a larger audience again.
As a whole, the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar Ref. RDDBEX1179 strikes a convincing balance between expressive design and horological substance. It is a watch for someone who wants their calendar complication to move and perform, who enjoys Geneva finishing as much as visual theatrics, and who accepts that an anniversary piece from this maison will never come as boring. For me, the most powerful argument is wearability – excellent balance between nature, mechanics, complications and wearability.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar Ref. RDDBEX1179 Technical Specifications
Ref. RDDBEX1179
- Biretrograde display at 3 and 9 o’clock
- Ellipse-shaped counters, the signature of Mr. Roger Dubuis
- Certified by the Poinçon de Genèce
Movement
- RD840
- COMPLICATION: Day, date
- MOVEMENT ENERGY: Automatic, self-winding
- FINISHES: The Manufacture skillfully crafts 14 distinct finishes in-house on this RD840, including those tailored for the Poinçon de Genève certification. These finishes are meticulously applied to every surface of every single component of every calibre, creating a captivating interplay of matte and polished surfaces. This meticulous process enhances the play of light, that has become the hallmark of Geneva Haute Horlogerie
- FREQUENCY: 4 Hz / 28’800 Vibrations per Hour
- POWER RESERVE: 60 Hours
- DIAMETER LINES: 14’ 3/4
- THICKNESS: 4.17 Millimeters
- NUMBER OF PIECES: 240
- NUMBER OF RUBIS: 40
Case
- Pink Gold 750/1000 case with open case back Sapphire crystal,
- DIAMETER: 40 Millimeters
- THICKNESS: 11.25 Millimeters
- WATER RESISTANCE: 10 BAR (100m)
Dial
- Silver-plated double surface flange, ridged top and opaline slope, with transferred text, polished
and gold-plated hour markets with white SLN in the centre. - Silver-plated, satin-brushed dial, with pink gold outline and texts, mother-of-pearl inserts at 12 &
6’ o clock. - Pink gold plated satin-brushed calendar display with black transferred texts and black dots.
Hands
- Hour, minute hands in pink gold, with satin brushed surfaces and SLN in the center.
- Retrograde hands in brass coated with pink gold. Brass for lighter wight and optimized
functioning.
Strap & Buckle
- According to our non-exotic policy, Excalibur collection is assembled with a premium calf leather strap, interchangeable thanks to Quick Release System.
- Pink gold 750/1000, triple folding buckle, interchangeable with Quick Release System – QRS
ABOUT ROGER DUBUIS
Representing an unexpected blend of distinctive character and horological expertise, Roger Dubuis has been at the forefront of expressive watchmaking since 1995. With the bold invention of Hyper Horology™, the Maison has become renowned for its limitless obsession with conceiving, designing and shaping the future of Haute Horlogerie – the values of pleasure, freedom, and madness fuelling its disruptive attitude. Sustained by its fully-integrated manufacture, where every caliber is made in-house, Roger Dubuis commits to performance and strives for excellence. Rewarded by the Poinçon de Genève certification, their traditional yet contemporary masterpieces are a demonstration of radical skill and ancestral craftmanship, which the Maison reinterprets year after year with fervid creativity and innovative materials. With this avant-garde and daring energy, Roger Dubuis is bringing its collections to an exclusive circle of clients and friends.