Roger Dubuis
3models
2collections
7reviews
Roger Dubuis
High-endBold skeletonized complications; Poinçon de Genève
Geneva, Switzerland · est. 1995
part of Richemont
$20,000–$200,000+
My tier · 1
Roger Dubuis, a veteran of 14 years in Patek Philippe's complication workshops, founded his Geneva manufacture with designer Carlos Dias in 1995. The house made a radical commitment: every watch would bear the Poinçon de Genève, the Geneva Seal's demanding finishing standard, applied even to skeletonized extremes, and production would stay limited with destroyed molds enforcing rarity.
More about Roger Dubuis
History
Early collections like the Hommage and the wildly shaped Excalibur predecessors won collector devotion, and the brand's oversized bi retrograde calendars became 2000s icons. Richemont acquired control in 2008, steering the house toward the Excalibur identity: star skeleton tourbillons, the astral skeleton aesthetic, and partnerships with Lamborghini and Pirelli that positioned Roger Dubuis as hyper horology for supercar culture.
Skeleton Maximalism
The manufacture produces genuinely serious calibers, including the double flying tourbillon skeleton, all Geneva Seal finished, an expensive discipline almost no rival maintains across a full catalog. The founder departed and passed away in 2017, but the technical DNA persists beneath the flamboyance. The Excalibur Spider carbon and rubber constructions define the current face.
Prices run roughly 40,000 to 600,000 dollars.
Model Lineup
| Collection | Identity | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Excalibur | Star skeleton flagship | Double flying tourbillon, Spider versions |
| Excalibur Huracan / Lamborghini | Supercar collaborations | Engine inspired calibers |
| Hommage | Classical founder era line | Bi retrograde calendars, guilloché |
| Velvet | Feminine haute horlogerie | Jeweled statement pieces |
| Founder era pieces | Collector vintage | Sympathie, Much More cases |
Why It Stands Out
- Geneva Seal absolutism. Full catalog certification is a real, costly quality commitment.
- Skeleton signature. The star caliber architecture is instantly recognizable.
- Complication credentials. Founder era retrogrades and today's double tourbillons are serious watchmaking.
- Collector cult. Early Hommage and Sympathie pieces enjoy fierce revival interest.
Weaknesses
- Aesthetic polarization. Supercar maximalism alienates classical collectors.
- Identity rupture. The founder's refined era and the current brand barely converse.
- Heavy depreciation. Modern references lose value steeply at resale.
- Niche positioning. Automotive tie ins narrow the audience.
Summary
Roger Dubuis is two brands sharing one seal: the founder's exquisite classical complications and today's carbon skeleton spectacle, both finished to Geneva's highest standard. The vintage Hommage pieces are the connoisseur's rediscovery; the Excalibur tourbillons are engineering as theater. Respect the finishing even when the styling shouts.