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FEATURES

ROGER DUBUIS In Full Carbon Gear

Editorial Team

31/01/2017

Roger Dubuis are not like any other brand on the shelf; they always succeed in surprising and delighting watch lovers with their creations embodying extravagant style and horological mastery. This year, the Manufacture presents us the Excalibur Spider Full Carbon, housing the first ever calibre with a carbon plate, bridges and tourbillon cage.

Excalibur Spider Full Carbon

Just last year Roger Dubuis unveiled the first time a carbon-based watch. Perhaps a latecomer yesterday, but the Manufacture starts to be known as the pioneer to the use of carbon today. They introduce the first ever movement plate, bridges and tourbillon upper-cage entirely made of carbon. And the watch is even lighter with a skeletonised movement nestled inside. Yet, the story is not merely about reducing weight. The T700 carbon applied on this piece has some distinctive characteristics. Compared with most other types of carbon, this T700 carbon is produced by a sophisticated impregnation process that results in an ultra-thin layered and uniform structure enabling 8% lower porosity and 30% reduction in weight that facilitates the rotation of the tourbillon upper-cage.

Light yet rigid, the T700 carbon has a greater degree of shock resistance thus enhancing precision. Even the dial is excessively skeletonised, the Manufacture ensures accurate timekeeping. Besides, the 10°-angled layers applied to the caliber plate and bridges also call for a sophisticated production process to reproduce the same motifs on the movement as those appearing on the case middle. While other brands emphasise the pattern on the carbon case is unique to each watch, Roger Dubuis breaks new ground to create carbon case with unified pattern.

This striking black and red model features a multi-layered carbon case and teamed with a red rubber coating on the bezel and inner bezel, creating a noticeable contrast in colours. The honeycomb dial decor is inspired by automobile radiator grilles, while the crown and caseback are made of DLC-treated titanium. The star-shaped skeletonised dial has become the Excalibur Spider collection’s signature design. This instantly recognisable star-shaped features tips pointing to hour-markers, thereby combining visual appeal with clarity and readability.

The 46mm Excalibur Spider Full Carbon is powered by the RD509SQ hand-wound movement which offers 60-hour power reserve and is stamped with the Geneva Seal. Plus, this handsome piece is complemented by a multi-material strap featuring a black rubber base and red Corduroy inlay and issued in a 28-piece limited boutique edition.

Specification：
表殼：碳纖維
直徑：46mm
機芯：RD509SQ手上鍊
功能：時、分、小秒、陀飛輪

More than a Manufacture

Founded in 1995, Roger Dubuis developed its first in-house movement in 1999. Then the factory inaugurated in 2001 and finished the expansion in 2005. The building boasts 14,500 sq.meters with 280 employees of which 150 are watchmakers, enjoying the scale of a top tier watch brand. Most importantly, it has become a fully fledged manufacture. All the components including wheels and balance springs are produced in-house, propelling the brand to the rank of haute horology manufacture. So far the Manufacture has developed over 32 in-house movements varying in different shapes for basic and complication models.

They also score big points for having all its movements stamped with the prestigious Geneva Seal (Poincon de Geneve), an official hallmark of precise timekeeping and finest quality finishing of movements. It is worth mentioning that from component production to obtaining the Geneva Seal, it takes about seven months. What is more, the Swiss watch industry produces about 20 millions watches each year, among which only some 24,000 pieces are qualified for the Geneva Seal. It is absolutely a commendable achievement of getting the entire production certified. To obtain the certification, all the components, ranging from mainplates to screws, need to be polished or decorated by hand. The finishing performed on the movement parts gives a gleaming look, and reduces friction and ensures durability. In fact, a movement bearing the Hallmark of Geneva requires an additional 30 to 40% extra work. After assembly by the watchmakers, each movement undergoes one week of checking its precision and the adjustment of its functions. The movement is then cased-up before going through two more weeks of in-house testing. Last but not least, each watch will undergo a further week of tests (waterproof properties, functions and running precision) required for the certification of Geneva Seal. After the seven-day testing, the watch must not have varied by +/- 1 minute.

With the exceptional designs, complex architectures in mechanics as well as top-notch finishing, these three elements have made Roger Dubuis timepieces genuinely unique and well-regarded by watch aficionados.

Remarkable Milestones

At 22 years young, Roger Dubuis boasts more accomplishments than its years. The signature technical marvels include the double flying tourbillons, architectural skeleton movements, as well as the four inclined balance wheels, not to mention all its movements are stamped with the Geneva Seal. Roger Dubuis today is the only watchmaker whose total production is certified by this hallmark. The Manufacture does strike a fine balance between traditional watchmaking expertise and avant garde design, earning the brand the pinnacle status rivaling some of the oldest watch brands.

1995
The prestigious watchmaker Mr. Roger Dubuis founded the Roger Dubuis brand.