SIHH 2015 – Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Double Flying Tourbillon – Hands-on with Live photos

For 2015, Roger Dubuis focusses heavily on skeletonization, as becomes apparent with the introduction of the Excalibur Spider Double Flying Tourbillon. Every single watch prior to these new releases has been produced according to the strict specifications of the Poinçon de Geneve, and the new models are no exception. The “Spider” offers exceptional Horological techniques, with a superb contemporary design.

The new “Astral Gateway”, as Roger Dubuis has been teasing through a series of videos leading up to SIHH 2015, consists of several extensively skeletonized timepieces within the Excalibur collection. We already showed you the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Skeleton Automatic, featuring a skeletonized micro-rotor. The Excalibur Spider Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon goes a step or two beyond that, in terms of aesthetics and complexity.

Apart from the movement, which we’ll get to in a bit, the trademark 47mm wide and 14.95mm thick Excalibur case has been reworked according to the brand’s philosophy for this year. Made of titanium, in some parts coated with black DLC, the triple-lug design, case and flange have been skeletonized to fully incorporate the intended theme. A red aluminium container and crown give the watch a racing type feel. The red aluminium is also visible through the openworked flange with a black minute track and Roger Dubuis transfers. The recognizable notched bezel has fewer notches than usual due to the engraved numerals for every ten minutes.

The extensively openworked RD01SQ (SQ for squelette), first introduced in 2009, is finished with a charcoal rhodium coating and a circular graining. It is built up with 301 parts, including 28 jewels. It offers 50 hours of power, and operates at a rate of 3 Hz. Inspiration for the design of the movement comes from stars and constellations, a further enhancement of the “Astral” theme. The star shaped bridges, with several tips lining up with hour markers, are worked down to the absolute minimum to allow a full view through the entire timepiece.

Despite the impressive design of the entire watch, all the attention is going to the Double Flying Tourbillon at the bottom half of the movement. The Haute Horlogerie finishing is of the highest possible level. The seal the Poinçon de Geneve between the tourbillons is a testament of the Horological refinement of the timepiece.

The tourbillon cages resemble a Celtic cross and rotate once every 60 seconds. Hours and minutes are displayed with skeletonized gold hands, and have received a black DLC coating and a red and white arrow-head tip. The entire build-up of case and movement give the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon a remarkable 3D impact.

The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Double Flying Tourbillon is fitted on a rubber strap with an adjustable titanium folding clasp. It will be produced in a run of 188 pieces, but it is uncertain at what price as of yet. For more information, please visit Roger Dubuis’website.