Roger Dubuis Excalibur

Excalibur is the central collection of Roger Dubuis, the Geneva fine watchmaking manufacture founded in 1995. The series was launched in 2005 and moved the brand from classic forms towards what it calls Hyper Horology. Roger Dubuis Excalibur watches are recognised by three features: a round case with a serrated bezel and characteristic notches, triple lugs for the strap, and pronounced volume, with the mechanics brought to the fore rather than hidden under a dial.

The second pillar of the line is the calibre architecture: the skeleton versions are built around the signature Astral Skeleton star. This is the layout of the in-house micro-rotor calibre RD820SQ, with 167 components and a 60-hour power reserve. It powers the Excalibur Spider Pirelli Automatic Skeleton, where the Spider concept extends skeletonisation to the case. Models with a double flying tourbillon use the hand-wound RD 01 calibre with a retrograde minute hand. The movements bear the Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève).

The key choices are material, movement and strap; these are men's watches, all 45 mm in diameter. Cases are in black DLC-coated titanium, 18-carat (750) rose gold and stainless steel, with sapphire crystal and 50 metres of water resistance. Straps come in two characters: Pirelli rubber, whose insert contains genuine racing tyre rubber, and alligator leather with a folding clasp. Related Roger Dubuis collections include the Easy Diver, water-resistant to 300 metres, the ladies' Velvet, and the square Golden Square and Kings Square.