The New Roger Dubuis Excalibur Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon

Just unveiled at Watches & Wonders Geneva, the new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Orbis in Machina places the tourbillon at its core, evoking a design reminiscent of the 2022 Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon DBEX1025. With knights in shining armour gone searching for a different place, this timepiece presents a fresh aesthetic, featuring contrasting concentric circles in pink gold and grey to mark the seconds, minutes, and hours. While less overtly futuristic than the brand’s renowned hyper-horology models, this watch blends modernity with traditional craftsmanship. It is a testament to Roger Dubuis’ exceptional watchmaking prowess, offering a remarkable yet not super-exaggerated addition to their collection.

The imposing 45mm Excalibur case with a distinctive notched bezel and elaborate crown guards is crafted from rose gold; it is 14.41mm thick, has sapphire crystals front and back, and boasts a 100m water resistance. The multi-level, three-dimensional dial of Orbis in Machina is quite remarkable. The outermost satin-brushed grey two-sided flange is reserved for the 11 polished pink gold-plated hour indices with Super-LumiNova inserts in the middle.

An index does not mark position at 12 o’clock; the space between the 11 and 1 o’clock markers is occupied by the salient, gold-coloured Roger Dubuis logo, slightly sliding down the slope of the flange just like the indices, as if inviting to look deeper into the open-worked movement. The flange is marked by the “hours” sign, which is perhaps redundant but adds a technical/utilitarian touch.

From the front view, a brushed gold disc serves as a backdrop for the towering central construction, creating a captivating contrast and enhancing the visual depth of the timepiece. Moving closer to the centre, next, also signed on its mirror-polished inclined part, is the grey satin-brushed minutes ring with gold-coloured markers, set on a different level and held in place with three screws.

Circumventing the central flying tourbillon is the grey satin-brushed disc with the seconds markers, with the plaque attached bearing “seconds” in white transfer. The hours and minutes are indicated by satin-brushed pink gold-plated open-worked hands mounted on rotating discs, with white Super-LumiNova applied to their inner parts, ensuring clear legibility in any lighting condition. The seconds are indicated by the gold-coloured arrowhead-shaped tip of the hand attached to the tourbillon cage.

The Roger Dubuis Orbis in Machina skeletonised RD 115 movement offers an equally entertaining view case-back side, connecting Roger Dubuis’ distinctive approach to horology today with the craftsmanship perfected by watchmakers for centuries. Marked by the Poinçon de Genève, a quality seal created in 1886, this manually wound calibre comprises 286 parts and exhibits 19 distinct finishes, applied to “every surface of every single component of every calibre, creating a captivating interplay of matte and polished surfaces and enhancing the play of light”. The RD115 beats to a 21,600 vibrations/hour frequency and has a 72-hour power reserve.

The new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon is offered on a premium calf leather strap with a Quick Release System for easy changing. The strap is closed with a triple folding buckle in pink gold. Orbis in Machina is boutique exclusive; Roger Dubuis promises to make only 88 pieces, and the price is EUR 200,826 (excl. VAT).

For more information, please visit RogerDubuis.com.