ROGER DUBUIS
Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon
SOMETHING MAJOR IS happening at Roger Dubuis and it’s giving the Geneva-based brand a new sense of dynamism that’s almost restless and mischievous. This is on top of its habitual knack for misadventure and flagrant disregard for convention.
And with the arrival of the new Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon, things have never looked more electrifying. Charging at full speed into a world defined by Roger Dubuis as hyper horology, the watch is as extravagant as it is disruptive.
The facelifted model looks and feels thinner, with its reworked star-shaped top bridge levitating above the barrel, offering a sense of transparency and depth.
Relying on subtle design cues to bring together disparate components, the watch uses a prominent two-line pattern to create a strong visual identity. You see it in the star’s arms, the notches of the crown and bezel, the tourbillon carriage, the hour markers around the flange, and the hands. This futuristic timepiece is Poinçon de Genève certified, meaning its finishing and quality of the movement, Calibre RD512SQ, are unequivocally top notch.
Taking the collection to really crazy places – as is Roger Dubuis’ wont – the manufacture debuts a world premier limited to eight pieces, known as Excalibur Glow Me Up. A watch that offers two looks as different as day and night, it is set with 60 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, which hides a big surprise. When darkness falls, the bezel and parts of the movement light up with psychedelic ultraviolet hues that would put a Pet Shop Boys concert to shame. This was made possible by a two-part act that first fills the grooves holding the stones in place with Super-LumiNova, and then applying Super-LumiNova on the angles of the movement and the star-shaped bridge via a patented process.