iW was lucky enough to sit with Roger Dubuis Manufacture CEO Jean-Marc Pontroue. He discussed the avant garde watchmaker’s approach to design and technology, always keeping in mind the incredible timepieces Dubuis has concocted over the years. Below are two 2016 debuts that stand out and exemplify the innovative and bold watchmaker.
Excalibur Spider Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon creates powerful contrasts with the titanium and black DLC-titanium case, a variety of fiery red aluminum elements on the inner bezel ring highlights the strong, sporty impact of this automobile speedometer-type design.
The standout RD01SQ movement that powers the watch is displayed within this multi-level construction of the case, flange and movement.
The watch is a limited edition of 188 pieces.
Excalibur Automatic Skeleton Carbon
This watch is powered by the same skeletonized automatic movement that debuted in 2015. But this year the Excalibur Automatic Skeleton Carbon is clad in a high-tech composite known as carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC). This material is produced by compressing carbon fibers with resin and steel that have been molded at extremely high temperatures. The resulting material is then reworked and compounded with resin.
The newly sporty, somewhat technical piece last year debuted in a dressier rose gold case. This year’s models are both harder and lighter than those models even though the watch’s primary components, notably its 42mm round shape, skeletonized movement (with internal star shape), fluted bezel, triple lugs and Dauphine-type gold hands, remain. However this newly sporty interpretation features blackens the gold hands and adds red-tips and a hot red minute track around the dial.
The watch’s RD820SQ automatic skeleton caliber is equipped with an openworked version of the micro-rotor Roger Dubuis introduced in 2005. Despite being newly skeletonized (since 2015) the rotor still delivers the same winding power as its non-skeletonized brother, and both maintain the equivalent winding power of a central rotor.
Take a look at Roger Dubuis’ new Summer debuts.