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Roger Dubuis, against the grain
Watches and Wonders

Roger Dubuis, against the grain

Wednesday, 07 October 2015
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Christophe Roulet
Editor-in-chief, HH Journal

“The desire to learn is the key to understanding.”

“Thirty years in journalism are a powerful stimulant for curiosity”.

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3 min read

Roger Dubuis came to Watches&Wonders with a single leitmotif – be different, be amazing – and the exuberance it takes to achieve this.

If, to your mind, there is no greater expression of time measurement than a classic watch, look away now. The chances you will find your heart’s desire at Roger Dubuis are slim, if not inexistent. Doubtless you will hover at the entrance to the brand’s booth at Watches&Wonders, reluctant to enter, intimidated by the tangle of tree-like structures and the semi-darkness that reigns. But as you go on your way, you wonder if you perhaps haven’t missed out on something. Something which, all things considered, could be worth the detour. If this is the case, then Roger Dubuis has achieved what it set out to achieve: to do different in order to surprise, astonish and, why not, make itself indispensable to the men and women who “have it all”.

To surprise, astonish, and be bold. Like Ferrari.
Jean-Marc Pontroué
Good or bad, get people talking

The brand, under the stewardship of Jean-Marc Pontroué, is hard to ignore, which is precisely its aim. “Let’s face it,” says Pontroué, “the individuals who buy Fine Watches are people who have it all. We develop our products for them, and therefore we aim to be spectacular. Don’t bother looking for a three-hander at Roger Dubuis. Yes, we do make them, for example the Excalibur 42 Automatic that we are presenting here as a 188-piece limited edition, but we inject a touch of originality in the form of the stone dial with engraved Roman numerals. Our ambition lies elsewhere: to surprise, astonish, and be bold. Like Ferrari whose cars are the polar opposite of a functional vehicle.”

One could deduce that Roger Dubuis makes watches that aren’t watches. Unlike Magritte’s pipe, however, they have a very real consistency, all the more so since they leave no-one indifferent. The most telling example, which stands like a trophy amidst the collections on show in Hong Kong, is the Excalibur Spider Pocket Time Instrument, an offshoot of the Quatuor that was released in 2013 and whose four sprung balances work in pairs to deliver a rarely achieved frequency of 16 Hz (115,200 vph). Yet another timepiece that goes against the horological grain? “People are talking about nothing else but the crisis that is currently plaguing the Asian markets,” continues Jean-Marc Pontroué. “This climate incites watchmakers to occupy the terrain with more affordable pieces. Yet here we are unveiling a timepiece worth half a million, and a pocket watch into the bargain. A lot of people would say this is just basic anti-marketing. And yet we have taken several requests for this watch here in Hong Kong, particularly the diamond-set version. One client has even asked us to make it as a wristwatch. With a 60mm diameter, might I add.” Needless to say, each of these clients will see their wish granted. At the end of the day, nobody at Roger Dubuis would mind were the company to produce nothing but specially commissioned pieces. The wilder the better…

Excalibur Star of Infinity
Femasculine

Alongside such horological flights of fancy, Roger Dubuis has taken the same road as every other brand at Watches&Wonders and that road leads to women’s watches. This is an exercise which the brand has taken in its stride but also on its terms, incorporating the same codes that govern annual production of the Astral Skeleton, in Technical, Automatic and Creative versions. The latter category is host to the extraordinary Excalibur Star of Infinity, a double tourbillon that sparkles like a thousand stars thanks to the 312 baguette-cut diamonds on its case and the 34 diamonds that ornament the star-shaped bridge in a movement that creates multiple transparencies. In an even more precious vein, the brand unveiled the second part of its Excalibur Brocéliande trilogy. Note that the Star of Infinity is driven by the RD15Q calibre – which meets Poinçon de Genève criteria, as does all Roger Dubuis’ production – inside a 48mm case. Again, not your run-of-the-mill timepiece. “We’re used to this kind of excess just as we’re used to fighting for what we want,” concludes Jean-Marc Pontroué. “For example, it took us three years to get into Galeries Lafayette, where we recently inaugurated our twenty-fifth boutique. This proves we are no longer a niche brand and that our exuberance is impossible to resist.” Roger Dubuis continues to make waves.

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