Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton: Cut to the Bone

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Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton in pink gold. Introduced in 2015, it houses the Calibre RD2306SQ automatic skeleton movement. This is the brand’s first skeletonized automatic movement with the micro rotor. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton in pink gold. Introduced in 2015, it houses the Calibre RD2306SQ automatic skeleton movement. Its bezel is set with 60 baguette-cut diamonds of approximately 1.84 carats. This is the brand’s first skeletonized automatic movement with the micro rotor. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton is one of the reasons why 2015 was declared by the brand as its “Year of the Skeleton”.

This is because it is Roger Dubuis’ first skeletonized automatic movement with the micro rotor. What we especially like is that the micro rotor and its spin can be enjoyed while wearing the watch as it is located on the dial side.

“There are two different methods to create a movement. The first is to consider the movement where what leads is the technique. For us at Roger Dubuis, what leads is the design. After which we modify the technical aspects to achieve the good design.

“We teach the constructor design. It is therefore normal for a Roger Dubuis designer to design the component, while noting that our movements have to conform to the Geneva Seal standard.

What we especially enjoy is the spin of the skeletonized micro rotor as it is located on the dial side, between 10 and 12 o’clock of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

What we especially enjoy is the spin of the skeletonized micro rotor as it is located on the dial side, between 10 and 12 o’clock of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Automatic Skeleton. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. Elfa / Timmy. 2015 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.

“It is very important to have a beautiful component. I am proud of the micro rotor. The approach to the micro rotor was different from the central rotor [which the brand did away with in 2005].

 

 

“In 2008 and 2009, most of my holidays were spent working on the micro rotor. The challenge was to find balance by discovering what was important and what was not.

“The initial designs were not very good. If we put a full rotor, we didn’t achieve harmony. We therefore skeletonized the micro rotor. It had to have better winding power and to realize all these, we needed time and we finally launched the skeleton automatic watch with the micro rotor,” says Gregory Bruttin, director, movement development at Roger Dubuis.