Introducing: A Quartet Of New Roger Dubuis Creations, Including A Double And A Central Tourbillon
Do you think there’s a small group of tourbillon collectors out there who operate like Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town whose goal is to become a Pokémon Master? His motto is “Gotta catch ’em all,” and if the same goes for self-proclaimed Tourbillon Masters, visiting a Roger Dubuis boutique will help them bag different types of tourbillons. To keep things fresh, the brand from Meyrin on the outskirts of Geneva just released a quartet of watches that might be an interesting catch. These new Roger Dubuis creations are the gem-set Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon, the Excalibur Double Tourbillon Cobalt Chrome, and two single-tourbillon Excalibur watches in pink and white gold with gemstones for added visual effect.
You might find it hard to believe, but the new Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon (RDDBEX1122) is for those who find the “regular” reference RDDBEX1119 too plain. The 45mm pink gold case still functions as the foundation of this Hyper Horology creation, and the 277-part RD115 caliber with its rare central tourbillon has remained the same. You don’t see a lot of central tourbillons. One of the reasons why is that they’re quite difficult to build. An interesting aspect of this “RD” central tourbillon is that the movement uses a so-called “planetary system,” a specialized geartrain that, in a way, simplifies the construction and compacts it too. The new watch uses this “simple” movement, but now the dynamic construction outshines the decorative elements.
The Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon is one of four new Roger Dubuis creations
Before getting blinded by the plethora of radiant gemstones, let’s stick to movement inside the Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon for a little bit longer. This Poinçon de Genève-certified watch contains a hand-wound movement with a variable-inertia balance wheel and different decorations. The contemporary-looking skeletonized movement shows shot-blasted, trued-up, and circular-grained plates and bridges.
Whereas the 28 pieces of the RDDBEX1119 reference look rather subtle in pink, gold, black, and gray, the new RDDBEX1122 (€310,833 excluding VAT), a limited edition of just eight pieces, is much bolder in its appearance. The strap is no longer black but ruby red instead. And the use of dark gray elements in the movement has been tuned way down. Instead, the watch shows, for instance, a display of concentric circles in pink gold. The display indicates the seconds, minutes, and hours. Each circle also sits at a different height, creating a multilevel décor that doesn’t block the view of the open-worked movement beneath. The name “Orbis in Machina” is a nod to this circular feature and the spinning nature of the tourbillon in the middle.
The most radiant details of the watch are undoubtedly the 12 rubies and 48 diamonds on the dial. Well, those and the 72 bright and shiny diamonds on the bezel, I should say. They contribute massively to a watch that shines brightly and shows a strong contrast of color.
The hard blue Excalibur Double Tourbillon Cobalt Chrome
Roger Dubuis has been crafting tourbillons for over 20 years now. So what’s so special about the Excalibur Double Tourbillon Cobalt Chrome (RDDBEX1109 / €264,585 excluding VAT), you ask? Haven’t we seen double tourbillons from RD since 2005? You’re not wrong, but two flying tourbillons in one watch are still rare. Constructing a skeletonized movement involving two flying tourbillons linked by a differential is difficult. Not many of these time-costly constructions are made. The result, therefore, is an exclusive watch in every sense. The manual-winding caliber RD108SQ, with its finely finished and decorated surfaces, is a joy to behold. The construction of the movement is a painstaking affair. So is applying the 17 different types of manual finishing used across the 319 components.
But if the movement isn’t a special novelty, what is? The case is. The 45mm case is executed in cobalt chrome. You might know this alloy as CarTech Micro-Melt Biodur CCM. If you know the name, I bet it is because you’re rocking a hip replacement made of the same stuff. Anyway, RD decided to craft a case out of the silvery-gray alloy, the color it becomes after the powder metallurgy process. The metal-forming process requires heating compacted metal powders to just below their melting points. This results in a completely homogeneous material without any impurities, thus making it brighter than stainless steel and titanium. It also has a particular sheen that tells you this is no ordinary alloy.
The RD designers matched the alloy with cobalt-blue details to underline the material used for the case. It’s hard to miss the hard blue astral signature on the dial side and the color-matched calfskin strap.
Two new gem-set “whirlwinds”
People who are into Hyper Horology are not afraid to wear something bold and brash. They don’t shy away from a watch that’s not only complicated and open-worked but also shows some gemstones for added visual effect. RD created two new watches in a 42 × 12.62mm case in either pink or white gold for this rather exclusive crowd. The pink gold Excalibur Monotourbillon Blue Hour (RDDBEX1134 / €200,833 excluding VAT), which features 50 baguette-cut blue sapphires and 10 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, is a boutique-only limited edition of 28 pieces. Reference RDDBEX0989 (€160,833 excluding VAT) in white gold comes in a limited series of just eight watches and shows round-cut diamonds on the bezel.
The skeletonized and hand-wound in-house caliber RD512 beats inside both of these Poinçon de Genève-bearing timepieces. This 194-part movement does so at 21,600 vibrations per hour and has a 72-hour power reserve. Because of its construction, the caliber is the literal star of the show. But the most dynamic element is, without a doubt, the flying tourbillon between 7 and 8 o’clock.
From left to right: Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon (RDDBEX1122), Excalibur Double Tourbillon Cobalt Chrome (RDDBEX1109), Excalibur Monotourbillon Blue Hour (RDDBEX1134), and Excalibur Monotourbillon (RDDBEX0989)
If you want to know more about the availability of the four ravishing novelties, please visit a Roger Dubuis boutique. Or you can head over to the brand’s website, of course. And if you want to see some introverted Roger Dubuis watches — introverted for Roger Dubuis, that is — take a look at the hands-on articles I wrote about the Excalibur Monotourbillon Titanium and the Excalibur Monobalancier Titanium.
