With neon colours and bold chimes, there’s never a dull moment with Roger Dubuis
When performance art meets extreme watchmaking, you get the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Unique Series. The Excalibur Spider is the Genevan manufacture’s ultra-modern skeletonised watch, where the extent of open-working begins from the movement and ends at the case. It’s instantly recognisable thanks to the star-shaped bridge exposed through the front and the back. But in the latest Unique Series, Roger Dubuis took the watch from instantly recognisable to straight-up unmissable.
This all-new model is dressed with neon green accents that recall the bold colour tone of a Lamborghini supercar. The crown, for instance, is made of black DLC titanium but over-moulded with green rubber. The bridges, numerals and hands are painted lime green, while everything else is kept monochromatic. Roger Dubuis used a combination of black DLC titanium and SMC carbon for the case. And although not blackened but rather, made in steel, the tourbillon bridge is black-polished so it only reflects light in one direction.
Calibre RD107 is indeed a sight to behold. Apart from the tourbillon which fully rotates once every 60 seconds, it offers a full view of the strike train of the minute repeater mechanism on the dial side. See that little component at nine o’clock that says All Or Nothing? It’s a security device that ensures the repeater will be activated only when the slider is pushed all the way. Also very thoughtful are the hour, quarter and minute racks which have been labelled thusly. We’ve yet to hear the actual chimes, but the Poinçon de Genève seal on the movement provides all the assurance you need.
Also balancing a strongly futuristic style with traditional values is the rainbow-hued Excalibur Blacklight limited edition (opposite). Precious white gold meets 60 brilliant coloured gemstones set around the bezel, and a further 42 diamonds on the micro-rotor bridge. But what’s most exciting about this movement are its bridges composed of micro-sapphire which are UV light reactive, hence the name, Blacklight.
Calibre RD820SQ also features classically circular-grained plates and bridges with grey coating done in the star motif intrinsic to all Excalibur models, plus a micro-rotor positioned on the front at 10 o’clock. In all, over 530 hours of manufacturing went into the production of this Poinçon de Genève-certifed calibre.
For this movement, Roger Dubuis employed the use of lab-grown sapphire technology. According to the brand, this is the first time it’s appeared in the haute horlogerie world. Unlike Superluminova which gradually dims over time, this material remains illuminated for as long as you’re in the dark. And when held against the light, the entire movement is reminiscent of beautiful stained glass windows.
Only 28 examples have been made, all of them paired with a pristine white alligator leather strap. For women who adore bold colours and experiencing life through rainbow-tinted glasses, there are few watches more perfect than the Excalibur Blacklight.
