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Watches&Wonders 2015: Roger Dubuis - Year of the Astral Skeleton

 

Roger Dubuis

2015, Year of the Astral Skeleton

 

Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO of Roger Dubuis.

 

For its third consecutive participation in Watches&Wonders, held from September 30th to October 3rd 2015 in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Roger  Rubuis introduces Asia to a glittering array of its 2015 releases including worthy representatives of its Astral Skeleton concept deployed through Technical, Automatic and Creative Skeletons. On a particularly fresh and exciting note, CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué is delighted to note that the Manufacture is also “offering a world-first viewing of its unique Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument, as well as unveiling the brightly sparkling Excalibur Star of Infinity, a glowing rhodiumed pink gold variation on the exquisitely feminine Excalibur Brocéliande theme, and last but not least a fascinating stone dial interpretation of the much sought-after Excalibur 42mm model.”

 

The Roger Dubuis Astral Skeleton sparkles in the watchmaking firmament

Manufacture Roger Dubuis has found in the skeleton a perfect showcase for the outstanding expertise embodied by the prestigious Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark that is a guarantee of exclusivity, origin, expertise, performance and durability. Having firmly established itself as the pioneer of contemporary skeleton calibres and a specialist in architectural and technical mechanics, in 2015 Manufacture Roger Dubuis is celebrating its ‘year of the skeleton’ with a charismatic line-up of Excalibur models.

 

Simultaneously delivering powerful reinterpretations of equally trailblazing know-how in its other signature realms of expertise – the micro-rotor and the flying tourbillon –, these creations extend or extrapolate the unique Astral Skeleton concept in dazzling new ways.

 

Each also reveals another facet of a proven capacity to appeal in daringly unconventional ways to a wide spectrum of individuals – from outdoor enthusiasts to timepiece lovers fascinated with technical sophistication and/or innovative designs, as well as women drawn to jewellery creations with a (quite literally in this case!) unique twist.

 

With its Technical Skeleton models, under the code name Excalibur Spider, Manufacture Roger Dubuis takes things to the next level by also skeletonising the case and even the hands and flange of these timepieces, well as by combining what are generally regarded as diametrically opposite materials in the World Premiere Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon with gem-set rubber bezel.

 

For those with a taste for watchmaking traditions expressed in modern ways, Manufacture Roger Dubuis offers a new generation of skeleton movements with its Excalibur Automatic Skeleton models: the first of their kind with the micro-rotor, as and naturally featuring the inimitable ‘star’ signature.

 

Women are never far from the preoccupations of Manufacture Roger Dubuis, which acknowledges their love of jewellery models graced with innovative designs, splendid gemstones and… Creative Skeleton movements. Inspired by the Arthurian legends and the mysterious Brocéliande forest, the appealing and undeniably eye-catching Excalibur Brocéliande model is part of a poetic trilogy that it set to weave its own unique spell.

 

Manufacture Roger Dubuis once again aims to stun and intrigue visitors at Asia’s exclusive annual watch show. Inspired by an eclectic range of sources including fashion, architecture, painting, sculpture and film-making, the 2015 Roger Dubuis World embodies a dreamlike fantasy universe powerfully evoking the Manufacture’s theme of the year: skeleton-work and its multiple interpretations in nature, art and watchmaking. Visitors to Watches&Wonders 2015 are invited to step into its incredible universe of architectural and technical mechanics.

 

The stage-setting will offer an ideal opportunity in which to try out Oculus glasses enabling them to enjoy a sensorial 3D experience at the heart of the Astral Skeleton: “The Astral Skeleton Experience”.

 

2015 Year of the Astral Skeleton

The Astral Skeleton principle reflects the unique star-shaped design of Roger Dubuis contemporary skeleton movements, generally built on several levels to create a 3D effect and effectively highlighting a blend of mechanical intricacy, functional purpose and aesthetic sophistication. This is made possible by the fact that these skeleton movements are designed and developed from scratch – and not as skeleton-worked versions of existing mechanisms.

 

Such an approach gives the designers considerable creative freedom – and keeps the developers busy overcoming the challenges involved in ensuring that the mechanical functions fit the requirements of the design. Epitomising this attitude of merging formal aesthetics with useful functionality, this instantly recognisable star shape, borrowing from the skeleton-work motifs seen in nature such as in heavenly constellations, frequently involves the tips of said stars pointing to several of the hourmarkers and thus enhancing clarity. This overarching principle is expressed through models grouped under three main themes: Technical, Automatic and Creative Skeletons.

 

Technical Skeletons

In its Technical Skeletons, Roger Dubuis leverages the expertise acquired over the years through its avant-garde movements revealing its own unique vision of this principle. It now applies the same innovative and creative powers to extending a skeletonised approach beyond the movement to encompass a skeletonised case, flange and hands.

 

This results in a fresh and novel interpretation of the Manufacture’s characteristic multilayer approach to watchmaking and particularly heightens the distinctive 3D impact. The skeleton-work external aspects of the watch serve to accentuate the architecture of the movement. Moreover, adopting such a holistic interpretation of the skeleton principle, including the particularly sophisticated and original case construction and the decision to use modern materials such as titanium, ensures an extremely light and pleasant feel on the wrist.

 

Among the new releases unleashed in 2015 and embodying this approach is the Excalibur Spider Double Flying Skeleton Tourbillon, a model channelling the raw power of a race car equipped with a state-of-the-art engine and amazing bodywork. This timepiece exuding a decidedly technical, outdoor and automobile-inspired spirit is distinguished by a multi-level 3D-effect construction and a variety of features accenting its adrenalinerush style. Combining technical sporty rubber and “forever” precious diamonds, the World Première Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon with gem-set rubber bezel unites these polar opposites in a groundbreaking development that embodies two years of research undertaken by the renowned Geneva-based gem-setting specialist Pascal Vincent Vaucher.

 

The result is a feat of cutting-edge technology and sublime stone-setting that proved unbelievably complex to achieve and yet produces a simply dazzling visual result. Last but not least of the models unveiled in January 2015, the Excalibur Spider Skeleton Flying Tourbillon is distinguished by a light yet robust titanium case and flange that are also openworked, and includes a white rubber strap version creating a striking contrast with the technical titanium of the signature triple lugs.

 

A splendid new arachnid weaves its web at Watches&Wonders 2015:

Introducing the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument

 

Roger Dubuis has long since proven that its bold and beautiful timepieces are always far more than the sum of their parts, however complex and numerous these components may be. Building on this premise, the Manufacture that brought you the Excalibur in 2005, the Quatuor in 2013 and the Spider in 2015 – and has also established its legitimacy in the field of pocket watches – now proudly introduces the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument at Watches&Wonders 2015.

 

Quartet in innovation major

Since its much-heralded release in 2013, the Excalibur Quatuor and its “ultimate challenge to compensate for gravity” have consistently fascinated watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs, particularly those fortunate enough to observe its RD101 calibre in action at close quarters. The most immediately noticeable feature of this movement, vividly highlighted here in the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument, is of course its four sprung balances. Working in pairs to provide immediate compensation for the rate variations caused by the changes in position, this efficient foursome enables the movement to operate at the stunning frequency of 16 Hz and thus ensures an exceptional degree of precision.

 

In addition, the Roger Dubuis double mooncrescent patented power-reserve display offers a pleasingly intuitive and innovative indication of exactly how much running time is left before the timepiece requires winding. As if that were not enough to make this calibre stand out from its peers, the signature double flying tourbillon introduced by the Manufacture in 2005 had sparked a sevenyear research programme leading to the development of five differentials further enhancing the accuracy and reliability of this uniquely sophisticated 590-part calibre.

 

Adopting the Spider

The exclusive set of technical Excalibur Quatuor characteristics is now given a stunning new expression by means of an unprecedented association with the tentacular Spider concept introduced by Roger Dubuis in 2015. Offering an original and comprehensive interpretation of skeletonwork, a recurrent theme in Nature vividly expressed in the fine threads of a spider’s web, the Excalibur Spider models extend this principle beyond the movement to encompass the case, the inner bezel ring, the hands and even the crown.

 

The perfect paradox: chained or held, yet freer than ever.

 

 

After pioneering the realm of contemporary and architectural skeleton movements, the Manufacture is also blazing a trail in the domain of 100% skeletonised watches. Such an approach displays exactly the kind of wholehearted commitment also manifested in the 100% Poinçon de Genève certification of its production. Applying such avant-garde know-how to the watch exterior thus provides the perfect showcase for the superlative quality implied by this choice.

 

When asked to elaborate on the significance of the word Spider in Excalibur Spider, Product Strategy Director Gregory Bruttin likes to evoke “the patient, meticulous and inventive nature of the work done by this resourceful arachnid as it daily spins its web in ever more novel and intricate patterns, reinventing its craft and constantly adapting it to new situations. That is very much how we at Manufacture Roger Dubuis approach our own task, and in this new collection, we have taken our existing and acknowledged skeleton-work expertise and applied it to whole new areas of the watch.”

 

Migrating from wrist to pocket

Some would call it making the best of all worlds. Others would regard it as ‘merely’ living up to its multi-syllabled name. The Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument picks up certain unmistakable selected Excalibur design codes, including the edgy fluted bezel and the easy-grip crown.

 

It benefits from the incredible technical and architectural mechanics of the Quatuor principle by adopting Calibre RD101. Like the Excalibur Spider models unleashed at the 2015 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie with their high-tech contemporary materials, the Pocket Time Instrument is made of titanium. It also takes on board the Spider concept and even pushes it a notch further than previously by skeleton-working the ‘bow’ serving to protect the 12 o’clock crown. In addition, this typically pocket-watch configuration frees up the sides of the generous 60 mm case, thus further magnifying the openworked effect.

 

Compared with the Excalibur Quatuor wristwatches, the (naturally cut-out) chapter ring has been shifted towards the exterior of the dial circumference, thereby freeing up even more space for the movement to reveal its fascinating intricacies. This bold and authentic attitude is entirely in keeping with the later part of its name: time instrument.

 

The perfect paradox: chained or held, yet freer than ever Conceived as so much more than just a timepiece, this is indeed truly a mechanical objet d’art, a time instrument that is designed to be viewed – and inevitably admired – from all angles. Whether dangling on the end of its firmly clipped contemporary chain that lends a resolutely modern twist to the pocketwatch mystique, or swinging gently from the purpose-built base, the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument paradoxically enjoys exceptional freedom.

 

Taking the skeleton theme to its ultimate conclusion, the link construction of the chain echoes the alternating solid and void areas, while the finely crafted base is designed to form an inseparable entity with the watch. Symbolically evoking a device used in watchmaking workshops to measure precision, this beautifully curved and – you guessed it! – openworked holder will find a place of honour in any elegant interior.

 

Last but not least, this exceptional new creation embodies a fascinating nod to tradition and the initial vocation of the tourbillon in cancelling out the detrimental effects of gravity on pocket watches generally kept in a vertical position. In this instance, the gravity defying Quatuor technology – magnificently staged by the Spider concept and framed by the iconic Excalibur exterior – finds a natural home in a Pocket Time Instrument. The result is a unique opportunity to view a standout contemporary interpretation of horological excellence viewed through a decidedly modern prism.

 

 

Creative Skeletons

 

The spectacular Creative Skeletons apply the proven jewellery expertise of Manufacture Roger Dubuis through innovative, inventive and ingenious jewellery timepieces to the Excalibur range, while also interpreting an unequivocally feminine vision of the skeleton.

 

Excalibur Brocéliande: a subtle alliance between refined techniques and sophisticated aesthetics.

 

 

Excalibur Brocéliande

The Excalibur range is inspired by the famous legend of King Arthur, filled with fairytale romance epitomised in the mysterious forest of Brocéliande. Drawing on these imaginary narratives the designers and movement development engineers of the Manufacture Roger Dubuis have collaborated in unprecedented ways with gem-setting experts in creating a poetic trilogy of creations based on the ivy leaf theme. In a subtle alliance between refined techniquesand sophisticated aesthetics, Manufacture Roger Dubuis literally entwines its skeletonwork skills with its instinct for fascinating and original jewellery-inspired models. A recurrent theme in the natural world as well as in literature and mythology, ivy is believed to symbolise powerful emotional attachment, as well as faithfulness and eternity. The Excalibur Creative Skeleton Brocéliande powerfully yet delicately evokes the way in which the foliage of this evergreen plant subtly coils around its host in a symbiotic and almost fusional relationship. Decorative jewellery elements are cleverly entwined with the skeleton flying tourbillon movement and the dial, to the point where they become indistinguishable from each other.

 

The first piece of the trilogy was an approx. 3.44-carat, 28-piece limited edition graced with a flamboyant red strap, the set pink gold case with gem-set bezel, lugs and flange frames matching red foliage composed of semi-precious stones in autumnal colours. The overall multi-layered 3D impact is further enhanced by the slimmer bezel and flange set with a double rank of brilliant cut diamonds, while a rose-cut diamond set on the crown lends a delightful finishing touch.

 

 

Excalibur Brocéliande

 

The second chapter in the trilogy is exclusively unveiled at Watches&Wonders 2015: this enticingly eye-catching creation is in an exclusive three-piece limited edition set with approximately 4.14 cts of diamonds. The bezel and lugs are adorned with spectacular baguette-cut diamonds accentuating the sparkle of the flange with its 10 brilliant-cut gems. They form an exquisite frame for the matching pink and purple foliage composed of brilliant-cut diamonds and semi-precious stones, dotted along slender gold wire ivy branches delicately set with diamonds. Firmly encircling the wrist on a hand-stitched pink alligator leather strap secured by an adjustable folding clasp also paved with 32 baguette-diamonds, the rhodiumed pink gold Excalibur Brocéliande boldly proclaims its quintessential femininity. Offering a magical blend of jewellery and watchmaking expertise housed in a 42 mm Excalibur case, the subtle gem-setting of the leaves ensures that they are all different, while the vines actually embrace the interior of the calibre, interlaced with its bridges. The skeleton inspiration for this ultra-feminine interpretation is drawn from the delicate lattice-work serving to support ivy as it softly and seductively winds its way along walls or fences.

 

A new Creative blooms at Watches&Wonders 2015: Excalibur Brocéliande in rhodiumed pink gold with matching pink strap.

 

 

Through an intricate and complex process, the exterior and the skeleton-work movement combine to create a 3D impact – an acknowledged Roger Dubuis speciality that takes on special significance here in that it involves intimate cooperation between two very different professions. As Product Design Director Lionel Favre, who clearly nurtures a passion for these Creative Skeletons, points out: “Jewellers and skeleton-work specialists indeed rarely enjoy such an outstanding opportunity for dialogue and interaction, marrying a world entirely dedicated to beauty and precious gems, with a highly technical form of expertise involving 100th of a micron precision.

 

Sketches of Excalibur Brocéliande.

 

 

This unprecedented collaboration involves eye-watering complexity and a degree of finesse that proves a daunting challenge when working with such tiny motifs. The decorative elements are artfully added to the movement without disturbing its operation, implying extremely delicate assembly within such a small volume.”

 

 

Excalibur Star of Infinity

 

In the Excalibur Star of Infinity, formal aesthetics meets functionality, since the tips of the RD01SQ skeleton double flying tourbillon ‘star’ point to several hour-markers and thus enhance clarity. Even more significantly, they appear to stretch out towards the vast expanses of space… the infinity evoked in its name. This luminous interpretation glows with the fire of 312 baguette-cut diamonds totalling approximately 14.93 carats and adorning the full-pavé white gold case as well as the star itself, which sparkles with 34 of these gems (0.96 cts). The pristine radiance of the precious stones admirably complements the rhodium-plated charcoal grey of the calibre with its finely circular-grained plate and illuminates the twin Celtic cross-shaped tourbillon carriages.

 

New Creative Skeleton interpretation unveiled at Watches&Wonders 2015.

 

 

This shining example of the two-fold jewellery and watchmaking expertise cultivated by Manufacture Roger Dubuis bears the Poinçon de Genève certification and is fitted with a hand-stitched black alligator strap creating a striking contrast, secured by an adjustable folding buckle also glittering with 32 baguette-cut diamonds (approx. 1.33 cts). When outstanding jewellery expertise transcends the beauty of mechanical complexity.

 

 

Excalibur 42 Automatic

 

Further celebrating the inspiration behind the iconic Excalibur collection, Manufacture Roger Dubuis introduces a 188-piece themed collector’s limited edition featuring an exclusive dial innovation. In a nod to the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the finely hand-engraved stone face of this creation echoes the fabled stone into which the Excalibur sword was firmly lodged, awaiting the touch of the future King of England.

 

Excalibur Romances the stone. An Excalibur 42 mm with stone dial launched at Watches&Wonders 2015.

 

 

Swept over by pink gold hands, the engraved Roman numerals and black minute-circle highlight the nobility and purity of this handsome and chivalrous timekeeping companion. This Excalibur 42 mm is driven by the RD622 calibre, a hand-finished 179-part automatic movement equipped with the signature in-house micro-rotor ensuring optimal performance and graced with distinctively shaped Roger Dubuis bridges, springs and levers.

 

 

The Roger Dubuis World at Watches&Wonders 2015

 

The Astral Skeleton at the heart of the Roger Dubuis World

For Watches&Wonders 2015, Manufacture Roger Dubuis stages another scenographic surprise designed to stun and int rigue visitors at the exclusive annual watch show with another spectacular scenographic staging effect. Inspired by an eclectic range of sources including fashion, architecture, painting, sculpture and film-making, the Roger Dubuis World embodies a dreamlike fantasy world powerfully evoking the Manufacture’s theme of the year: skeletonwork and its multiple interpretations in nature, art and watchmaking.

 

An acknowledged pioneer in the field of contemporary skeleton calibres, notably with its ground-breaking signature Double Tourbillon Skeleton movement, the Manufacture Roger Dubuis invites visitors to step into its incredible universe of architecture and technical mechanics.

 

Transposing the ultra-miniaturised scale of its iconic skeleton movement into a monumental structure embodying the quintessence of the Maison is exactly the kind of challenge that its Creative Director, Alvaro Maggini, thrives on. Ask him how he would best describe the new Roger Dubuis World, and this incorrigible enthusiast naturally evokes a variety of vivid metaphors, among which the predominant ones are resolutely celestial. “People entering the Roger Dubuis World at Watches&Wonders 2015 will feel as if they are being drawn into a mesmerising constellation where they will be given a unique opportunity to grasp the mysteries of the Roger Dubuis ‘stars’: its skeleton calibres. They will experience a sense of being allowed to glimpse exceptional secrets with an undeniably cosmic dimension as they witness the opening and closing of an ‘eye’ that at once protects the Manufacture while paradoxically revealing its mechanical enigmas…”

 

Reaching for the horological stars

This year, embracing the incredible world of Roger Dubuis could also be compared to entering an enchanted, legendary Arthurian forest with spreading branches subtly evoking the world of the Excalibur line which is firmly in the spotlight in 2015; about discovering an extraordinary tentacular creature as if released from its cage; or observing a UFO that has alighted on the watchmaking planet with a mission to draw the gaze upwards and outwards across the vast expanses of horological space…

 

The entire intricate and gigantic structure of the Roger Dubuis world revealed at Watches&Wonders 2015 instills an atmosphere of awed contemplation.

 

Rubber meets metal, while curves and powerful lines meet the roundness of an eye opening and shutting like a window onto very the soul of horology. The integrated display windows recall the circular shape of timepiece dials. Everything about this unique stage-setting is an invitation to revel in the poetry of the senses.

 

The play on shapes and colours, on the materials with a variety of finishes and textures, both reflects and transcends the beauty of mechanical complexity. Visitors will also enjoy a chance to try on Oculus glasses and enjoy ‘The Astral Skeleton Experience”. Once upon a star in the constellation of Horologia…