Searching for inspiration in the most unexpected places is in Roger Dubuis’ DNA. This includes uniting with world-famous urban culture artists who share its values to break the rules, showcase radical expertise, and obsess daily over the design of the future. Continuing on a journey to create boundary-breaking masterpieces, Roger Dubuis is proud to introduce the third timepiece from its Urban Culture Tribe with the Excalibur Sorayama Monobalancier (MB).
Pioneer in his art, the world-famous Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama has been inspiring his peers for decades. By inventing his super-realist feminine “Sexy Robots”, he broke conventions and shook traditions. His talent has been rewarded by multiple awards and his genius led him to work with the biggest names across high fashion, technology, and music. Knowing he chooses to pursue opportunities that force him to push the boundaries of his art, Roger Dubuis invited him to the Manufacture to take on the creative challenge: to reinterpret the Maison’s astral signature.
Embracing this opportunity to infuse his realistic and expressive signature design, the innovative artist co-created a timepiece that merges one radical world with another. Hyper performing, hyper inspiring, and hyper hypnotic, the result is modern art for the wrist.
Hypnotic art for the wrist
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Roger Dubuis made the decision to recraft and reshape its own work of art – the Excalibur Monobalancier – earlier this year. Clean cut lines on both case and movement create a heightened sense of depth, while the signature star now levitates freely above the barrel. An evolution that not only raises the timepiece to an even higher standard, but also makes it an exciting and versatile canvas for Sorayama to express himself.
Reinterpreting the Excalibur MB with hyper expressivity and sophistication, the artist chose to be provocative by breaking the Maison’s design codes. Curvy lines and a full shine finish blur the sharp design and contrasted finishes Roger Dubuis usually signs its masterpieces with. Sorayama borrowed further cues from his own iconic creations by echoing his 3D sculptures within the polished titanium finish. This striking aesthetics required the Maison’s hyper-skilled watchmakers to develop unusual processes to replicate the desired shiny effect.
A first for the Maison and highly challenging task especially when it came to polish fully the titanium case and bracelet. Determined to bring even more play with light to the timepiece, Sorayama also reimagined Roger Dubuis’ micro-rotor to create a hypnotising moiré optical illusion triggered by the natural fluid movements of the wearer’s wrist. This captivating and endless rippling effect – another first for both the artist and Maison – required months of in-house prototyping seeking for the right combination of materials, decorations and finishes. The final execution associates an extremely precise and optimal distance between each line of the stamped décor, with a traditional three-hour long guilloché technique on specific parts of the micro-rotor and an innovative assembly process placing a stamped sapphire dial above the reimagined micro-rotor.
As described by Sorayama, the result is the optimal harmony of two artists coming together: “The Excalibur Sorayama MB is a perfect blend of two worlds, with Roger Dubuis’ and my signature both recognisable at first sight. I’m thrilled we were able to bring such a hyper expressive timepiece to life. By pushing our limits, we’ve created a distinctive moiré and a singular masterpiece.”
Hyper mechanics made for peak performance
As artistically inspiring as technically impressive, the Excalibur Sorayama MB houses an automatic calibre recently enhanced with a series of mechanical and aesthetic improvements.
Motivated by a desire for hyper performance, Roger Dubuis’ engineers increased the power reserve of the RD720SQ to 72 hours. They also optimised the micro-rotor to minimise vibrations and doubled the balance wheel inertia to improve stability and make it less sensitive to shocks. Better efficiency and energy transmission was further increased through the use of a new lube and by optimising the shape of the escapement wheel, pairing it with adjustable pallet-stones, and constructing both elements from diamond-coated silicon.
Such high standards of horological mastery and craftsmanship are rewarded with the Poinçon de Genève; one of the most exclusive stamps of certification in watchmaking today.
The hyper sophisticated masterpiece is also the first Roger Dubuis titanium grade 5 bracelet to feature its Quick Release System for ease and versatility. Housed in a 42 mm case crafted from titanium grade 5 as well, this exclusive artwork is limited to just 28 pieces and at first available in Japan only.
Together with its friends, the Maison shows what happens when rules are rejected and creativity is unleashed. In bringing a visionary artist together with incredible watchmakers, Roger Dubuis proves once again it is unquestionably the most exciting way to experience Hyper Horology™.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Sorayama Monobalancier Technical Specifications
Ref. RDDBEX1013 – EXCALIBUR – EXCALIBUR SORAYAMA MB
Description
• The skeleton calibres manufactured by Roger Dubuis in Geneva are the essence of the expressive singularity of the Excalibur collection. Complying with one of the most respected certifications of Haute Horlogerie, the Poinçon de Genève, the Excalibur watches are designed like contemporary works of art. Every single component being finished by hand, the watches are symbols of passion. The work of hyper-skilled craftsmen is at the forefront of each watch with a direct view on the creative mechanics making these pieces more alive than ever.
Specific highlights
• The new development of the Excalibur collection, a calibre with improved performances: increased power reserve up to 72 hours thanks to a new geartrain toothing and escapement optimization through its geometry. Improved durability thanks to new lube, and increased precision thanks to 4hz frequency. Roger Dubuis is collaborating with Hajime Sorayama to release a new Excalibur Monobalancier mixing both creative territories of the artist and the brand. The starshaped bridge redesigned by Sorayama, turns curvy and full polished, same as the titanium case and bracelet, like an echo of his metallic 3D sculptures. The micro rotor displays a moiré effect, with a fixed fringed sapphire glass and a mobile engraved metallic part, to remind the artist’s obsession about light reflection. The white lacquered box is adorned with hot-stamped Roger Dubuis with Sorayama font.
Movement
• RD720SQ
• MOVEMENT ENERGY: Automatic, self-winding
• COMPLICATION: Monobalancier
• CALIBER: A calibre with improved performances: increased power reserve up to 72 hours thanks to a new geartrain toothing and escapement optimization through its geometry. Improved durability thanks to new lube, and increased precision thanks to 4hz frequency.
• FINISHING: Shot-blasted and trued-up main plate and bridges with NAC
• FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes
• FREQUENCY: 4 Hz / 28’800 Vibrations per Hour
• POWER RESERVE: 72 Hours
• DIAMETER LINES: 16 3/4
• THICKNESS: 5.95 Millimeters
• NUMBER OF PIECES: 178
• NUMBER OF RUBIS: 32
Case
• Polished titanium case; Polished titanium bezel; Polished titanium crown; Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating; Polished titanium open case back with sapphire crystal
• DIAMETER: 42 Millimeters
• WATER RESISTANCE: 10 BAR (100m)
Dial
• Rhodium plated double surface flange with engraved minute track and transferred texts, polished and grey hour markers with SLN in the center
Hands
• Triple surface hands in white gold 750/1000 with satin brushed finish on the tilted surfaces – shot-blasted finish on the flat grey surface, SLN tips
Strap
• Full polished titanuim bracelet, interchangeable with Quick Release System – QRS Triple folding buckle titanium cover with titanium blades.
ABOUT ROGER DUBUIS
The rush of adrenalin, a pounding heart, the sure and certain knowledge that something is about to happen: ENTER THE FUTURE OF HYPER HOROLOGY.
Impertinent, excessive and slightly mad, this is Roger Dubuis. Solidly sustained by an integrated Manufacture, an innovative spirit, and a flagrant disregard for convention, this is what Roger Dubuis is all about! Laugh, scream, roar, and above all, create… for an exclusive tribe that believes in the philosophy of living larger than life at every turn.
Inspired by other cutting-edge industries and out-of-the-box designs to prove, time and time again, that Roger Dubuis is unquestionably the most exciting way to experience Hyper Horology.
NO RULES, OUR GAME
