Roger Dubuis: The Excalibur Dr. Woo Monotourbillon
6 min read
Great art arises out of nowhere. Dedication, creativity, and craftsmanship are the bare necessities. The way a masterpiece breaks new ground and pushes boundaries is what actually distinguishes it from the pack, and Roger Dubuis is no stranger to breaking the rules.
Roger Dubuis has a knack for finding inspiration in the most unexpected locations. This time the Maison has teamed up with the URBAN ART TRIBE, a group of world-renowned urban culture artists who share Maison's ideals of breaking the rules, showcasing radical knowledge, and obsessing about the design of the future daily. The new Excalibur, Dr. Woo Monotourbillon has arrived.
Now they got access to Roger Dubuis' most significant area, the manufacture itself, where they were tasked with reinterpreting the astral signature of the renowned Excalibur Monotourbillon.
The first of three friends of the Maison to take on this new creative challenge is Dr. Woo, a renowned tattoo artist and rule-breaker in his own realm. Both the watchmakers and creative artist at Roger Dubuis were thrilled to introduce the distinctive Excalibur Monotourbillon resurrected in his image, bringing his fantasy to life.
THE ICONIC EXCALIBUR MONOTOURBILLON
By introducing the new Excalibur Monotourbillon earlier this year, Roger Dubuis has continued to shake up the world of fine watchmaking. The timepiece is reinvented with refinement and flair utilising current and technical materials, enhancing it with attentive care.
The powerful visual character is created by clean-cut lines on both the case and the movement. Meanwhile, reconstructing the calibre from the bottom up improves its transparency and the 3D depth, as well as allowing the Roger Dubuis star to float freely above the barrel. The notch on the crown and bezel, the star's arms, the tourbillon's cage, the hour's sign on the flange, and the hands are all skillfully arranged in a trademark two-line design.
Specifications and more
The RD512SQ calibre, one of the greatest representations of the watchmaker's skill, is remarkable in its mechanical prowess. The piece's weight is lowered by 16 percent thanks to a non-magnetic Titanium lower tourbillon cage and a mirror-polished non-magnetic Cobalt Chrome top tourbillon cage. As a result, the calibre is more resistant to magnetic fields, and the power reserve has been increased to 72 hours, allowing the watch to be left unworn on weekends.
The Poinçon de Genève, one of the most demanding signatures in fine watchmaking, necessitates the manual decoration of every component of the watch, as well as unexpected and antinomic decorations in fine watchmaking, such as sandblasted top surfaces and polished angles, which demonstrate Roger Dubuis' visionary approach.
Where Two Worlds Merge
The Excalibur Dr. Woo Monotourbillon, reimagined for the modern-day, continues the climb of an icon. In his re-interpretation, Dr. Woo takes the Excalibur Monotourbillon’s astral signature as his launchpad and imagines it anew. Envisioning a rocket ship that keeps pushing forward, the star’s arms represent its travel through time. Yet more than this, it represents the evolution of this work of art and the various paths the partners have taken.
A special connection with space drove many other aspects of Dr. Woo’s design. Acting as a guide throughout his life, the geometric codes and planets peppered across the dial represent his mental, cosmic map. From his world, he brings other minimalist graphic symbols too: the moon as an energy source, triangles that bounce forth from the ground, and full circles that represent the infinite connections we all have. By placing them next to each other, Dr. Woo comes up with a new language open to interpretation.
Every time you look at it, the intricate and elaborate design reveals new levels and surprises. Dr. Woo's attention to detail includes the spider. It is moved to a new place on the dial of each of the eight limited edition clocks, making each one a one-of-a-kind design.
The time traveler design on the case-back, which allows for a deeper connection between this unique timepiece and its lucky owner, is another element that can only be appreciated by the wearer.
The artist's cosmic design was revealed by laser engraving ultra-fine lines right onto a black PVD plate beneath the calibre. The artist's delicate hand-drawn ornamentation was embedded in the 18K EON GOLD case-back using the same procedure.
Given that no detail is overlooked, a spectacular embossed strap studded with Dr. Woo's sacred symbols necessitated pushing boundaries as well. Roger Dubuis employed hot stamping to etch a wonderfully detailed design on black calf leather, demonstrating his technical mastery for aesthetic goals.
The fruit of Dr. Woo's creation is encased in a 42 mm case and is a manifestation of non-conformity and extravagance. Dr. Woo claims that developing the wristwatch helped him to see time in a new perspective, a dimension where time is reinvented: "Time is the most valuable coin we have." It's up to us to figure out what to do with it."
The Excalibur Dr. Woo Monotourbillon timepiece continues to inspire creative minds around the world, proving that Roger Dubuis is and always will be the most thrilling way to experience Hyper Horology.
