Latest news with #RogerDubuis
Hype Malaysia
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Bold & Loud To Simple & Quiet: 2 Epic New Drops From Roger Dubuis & Timex
When it comes to fashion, people have their own tastes and preferences. Some opt for the bold and loud flashiness that are bound to score some head turns, while others go for minimalist designs that make simplicity its biggest ally. The same is true for watches, and the two we've highlighted here are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but both spectacular in every way. Roger Dubuis x Dr. Woo Excalibur Monotourbillon Episode III Timepiece In the third installment of their joint watchmaking adventure, Roger Dubuis and famed tattoo artist Dr. Woo reunite for the Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III. The watch combines Dr. Woo's distinctive single-needle tattoo design with the intricate details of Swiss horology, celebrating a shared dedication to uniqueness and artistic exploration. Using creative cues from time and space, the watch's concept revolves around a 'galactic peace mission.' The 'Tourbillon Galaxy,' which is based on the 31 million light-year-distant Whirlpool Galaxy, or Messier 51a, is at the heart of this story. Its elegant, spiral motion is reminiscent of Roger Dubuis's famous astral form and the workings of the tourbillon complication. The design is further embellished with Dr. Woo's recurrent rocket motif on the sapphire crystal with the words 'We Come in Peace,' a laser-engraved spider at ten, and three ethereal pink gold nebulas at nine. The 42mm case and bracelet, which are made of titanium and 18k pink gold, have a sophisticated yet cutting-edge design. A spiral-shaped element between 10 and 11 represents passage through the 'corridors of time' and evokes the entrance to a black hole. As a visual representation of cosmic depth and spatial distortion, this motif reappears on the caseback as a striking chequerboard spiral on sapphire crystal. Additionally, a message inviting distant lifeforms to engage in a dialogue of discovery is etched on the back. The watch is powered by the Manufacturer's RD515 calibre, which has been specifically redesigned for this release. Its polished stainless steel tourbillon cage has a reduced three-arm upper bridge that displays a galactic spiral detail. With all 193 parts painstakingly hand-finished, the RD515 proudly displays the Poinçon de Genève hallmark and boasts a robust 72-hour power reserve. With a limited quantity of just 28 pieces, the Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III is setting itself up to be a coveted timepiece today and into the far future. For enquiries, visit Roger Dubuis' official website. Timex's Q Timex 1975 Enigma The Q Timex 1975 Enigma, a reissue that brings back the brand's original 'mystery dial' concept, is the latest in Timex's celebration of vintage innovation. The new models are housed in a 37mm long, cushion-shaped steel case, continuing the Enigma revival from the previous year. The watch hands, which are available in two colours – black and green – have a tonal hue that nearly perfectly complements the dials. To create a contrast, the hands' tips are partially dipped in white. A playful nod to post-Space Age design ingenuity, the hands appear to be floating freely above the dial due to a matching dot on the underside of the domed acrylic crystal that hides the central post. A quartz movement inside the watch powers the day-date complication at three o'clock. Each item has a strap made of the same fabric, giving it a relaxed, practical vibe. Additionally, the black dial model also comes with a leather strap option. You can purchase the Q Timex 1975 Enigma exclusively at Timex's official webstore for RM1,100. What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Tattoo Artist Dr. Woo Talks Time, Galaxies And Roger Dubuis Watches
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III Today, Swiss watch brand Roger Dubuis unveils the third watch in collaboration with tattoo artist and designer Dr. Woo. The new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III is a three-dimensional masterpiece with artistic engravings on everything from the case to the dial and even the movement components. It is the culmination of a distinctive thought process on behalf of both partners, as well as a highly technical mastery of the arts. The watch represents a journey inside deep space, and the artistic elements of it reflect Dr. Woo's single-needle style of inking. In fact, Dr. Woo, whose real name is Brian Woo, has made a name for himself in the tattoo art world thanks to his single-needle designs that have attracted celebrity clients like Drake, Miley Cyrus, and Cara Delevingne, among others. Dr. Woo Dr. Woo, though, considers himself a designer more so than a tattoo artist, which is just one faction of his multi-faceted work. He has had design collaborations with brands such as Converse, Sacai and Japanese brand Neighborhood. In a private interview, he said he enjoys the Roger Dubuis collaboration because it allows him to explore time. 'A lot of what I do in my design language has to do with a bit of the unknown mystery. I love space, I love the uncertainty. We know so much about everything, but we don't know a lot about the beyond and wonderment is something I feel like we lost with so much information and digital assets that we have access to,' explains Dr. Woo. 'And for this watch, I feel like we wanted to delve more into the unknown part of space and time, so it has a lot of different dimensions and black holes and it's a little bit wonkier and more distorted. It is more of an interdimensional idea' A look at the signature style of Dr. Woo tattoos. As mentioned, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III is the third in the partnership that witnessed the unveiling of the first watch in 2021 with a philosophical space flight executed on the Excalibur Monotourbillon with symbols that implied time is our most valuable asset. In 2023, they followed up with a ceramic Excalibur Monobalancier featuring a cosmic design of the sun, Earth, and moon, anchored by Woo's signature spider, rocket, and symbolic language. Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III is being made in a limited edition of just ... More 28 pieces. Now, these three elements – the spider, rocket and symbols – are once again taking center stage. In typical Dr. Woo style, the look is monochromatic and minimalistic – offering great geometry indicative of pen and ink sketching. Roger Dubuis and Dr. Woo drew inspiration from the Whirlpool Galaxy—a real spiral galaxy, also known as Messier 51a)—that is 31 million light-years away and is known for its dramatic, star-forming arms that were captured by the James Webb Telescope in 2023. This intriguing cosmic galaxy, which Roger Dubuis internally calls the Tourbillon Galaxy, serves as the creative backdrop for the newest Excalibur Monotourbillon timepiece, whose complex mechanical tourbillon is constantly in motion. The cat back of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III The signature rocket is on the sapphire crystal in pink gold metallized format, along with a 'We come in peace' saying etched into the trails of the rocket ship. Woo's spider, a signature not only in the Roger Dubuis collaboration, but also in his own art, is engraved at 10:00 and filled in with black ink to recall the artist's style. Then, beneath the surface of the crystal and positioned at 9:00, are three metallic nebulas or clouds of dust. Nestled neatly between 10:00 and 11:00 is a spiral-shaped laser-engraved object intended to represent a black hole. The caseback of the watch also reveals the same black hole, filled in with black ink and surrounded by a spiraling checkerboard motif. The objective: to combine the concepts of warped time and deep space. Surrounding the center motif on the case back are the words: 'Let's work together to uncover the mysteries of the cosmos and unlock the secrets of the universe. To whoever finds this message, know that we are seekers of knowledge and explorers of the unknown.' The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III retails for $180,000. For some, these words may just be a bit too much – too metaphysical. But Dr. Woo says that may be the result of the fact that he and Roger Dubuis are trying to capture something elusive. 'Time is the one asset you can never get enough of, and it's the only thing you can't put a value on. For me, balancing family and the creative lifestyle and more, time is definitely about distorted moments. My mind and body doesn't run on a singular path of time, so in some ways you so into a sort of hyper-transported dimension. It's really cool, and it's what we are trying to express.' The 42mm Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III watch is crafted in 18-karat pink gold and titanium. It boasts a bi-color bracelet whose center links are engraved with Dr. Woo's mystery symbols. Beating within the watch is the in-house-made mechanical RD515 caliber with flying tourbillon escapement (that compensates for errors in timekeeping due to the effects of gravity on the wrist). The lower cage of the tourbillon at 7:00 on the dial is crafted in titanium, while the bridge is shaped with three arms to recall the spiral inspired by the Tourbillon Galaxy. The movement consists of 193 individually hand finished and assembled parts and carries the Poinçon de Geneve (Seal of Geneva) Hallmark—attesting to its meticulous haute horology craftsmanship. Just 28 pieces of the watch will be made, each retailing for $180,000.
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Roger Dubuis Opens Boutique At Birks Vancouver, Canada
The new Roger Dubuis boutique at Maison Birks Vancouver. Niche watchmaker Roger Dubuis, a producer of limited-edition complicated watches, particularly tourbillons, has opened a boutique at the Maison Birks flagship store in Vancouver, Canada. It takes its place among other exclusive brand boutiques in the flagship store, including Chaumet, Roberto Coin, Longines and Baume & Mercier. Roger Dubuis is unique in that every watch it makes is finished to Geneva Seal standards, an exacting process that requires every component of the watch, including every piece of the movement, to be finished to perfection. This, coupled with the fact that the brand specializes in tourbillons, positions Roger Dubuis in a six-figure price category. With production of no more than a few thousand watches per year. Models are made in limited editions of 8, 28 or 88 pieces. The astral motif figures prominently in the Roger Dubuis boutique at Maison Birks Vancouver. The store design reflects the brand, with a combination of traditional and natural materials and dynamic red accents, including an immense astral symbol, a motif of the brand, reflecting the shape of the openworked bridges on some models. Concrete elements are juxtaposed with polished marble, and aluminum appears alongside varnished wood. This coincides with Roger Dubuis watch design, which combines very traditional watch movements, but presents them in modern designs, usually skeletonized, with modern materials such as carbon fiber, titanium and DLC. The latest piece is the Excalibur Grande Complication, which includes a bi-retrograde display, reflecting the first watch Roger Dubuis produced when he started his brand in 1995. It has a flying tourbillon escapement and a minute repeater, and the dial is open in order to demonstrate its high-watchmaking finish – with brushed surfaces, polished chamfers and coin rentrants, which means that inner angles of the bridges are beveled and polished to perfection, a task that takes years of training. Flip the watch over, where the finish is just as perfect, and you can see the gong and hammers of the minute repeater. It will be made in a limited edition of eight pieces and is prced $691,000. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication. 'Maison Birks downtown Vancouver is an esteemed watchmaking institution,' says Laurent Toinet, president of Roger Dubuis North America. 'We're delighted to take our place within this famous store and present our own unique sense of expressive luxury.'
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Roger Dubuis And Patek Philippe:A Tale Of Two Grand Complications
Patek Philippe Ref. 5308G Quadruple Complication. A grand complication is the Triathlete of the watch world. To qualify, it must achieve three major feats of watchmaking all in one package. That means it should have a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and either a chronograph or a tourbillon. Combining these functions in one super watch is a longstanding tradition in the world of high horology. Two examples of a grand complication, both introduced at Watches and Wonders earlier this month, demonstrate how modern design codes are changing a genre that has been around for more than a century. Roger Dubuis's Excalibur Grand Complication and Patek Philippe's Ref. 5308G perform similar functions, and both are contemporary expressions of the grand comp, but the similarity ends there. Patek Philippe Ref. 5308G Quadruple Complication. Aside from timekeeping, Patek Philippe Ref. 5308G has a minute repeater, a split seconds chronograph and a perpetual calendar. Patek Philippe is famous for all three complications, particularly chronograph/perpetual calendar combinations. The dial architecture of the iconic Patek Philippe chronograph/perpetual calendar was established in 1941 with the famous Ref. 1518, (versions of which now cost seven and eight figures at auction). It stayed much the same right up to its current perpetual calendar/chronograph model, the Ref. 5720, and most examples by other brands followed the traditional layout it established: day and month appear lined up side by side in windows at the top of the dial. Subdials at 9 and 3 provide chronograph hour and minute counters, and the date index surrounds the moonphase at 6. The Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 set the design code for a perpetual calendar/chronograph. The 5308G is not that. It modernizes the way we read those functions, with day, date and month set in windows that form an arc at the top of the dial. The chronograph minutes and hour counters occupy the 3 and 9 positions, but in reverse, and with a modern font, and the ice blue dial gives it a pure 2025 vibe. The dial color is the year's strongest trend in luxury watches. The 5308G also has a state-of-the-art movement with several patents, and because it adds a split seconds function to the chronograph, Patek counts that as a fourth complication, referring to it as a Quadruple Complication. It is not limited, but it is expensive, with a price tag (in Swiss francs) of CHF 1,050,000. Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication. The Roger Dubuis is another version of a grand complication that is even more aggressively modern, but also steeped in tradition. The first watch Roger Dubuis produced when he started his brand in 1995 was a a bi-retrograde perpetual calendar, the first time anyone had designed a perpetual calendar that way. The new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication revives the signature bi-retrograde display and adds a flying tourbillon and a minute repeater for a full-on high-watchmaking spectacle. Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication. The day appears on the retrograde index at left, and the date unfurls on the right side of the dial, with month on a disk at 12 o'clock and the flying tourbillon taking position at six. The dial is openworked, not just because of the modern aesthetic, but to demonstrate its high-watchmaking finish. It is made to Geneva Seal standards, which means every inch of it is finished and decorated in some way – with brushed surfaces, polished chamfers and something called coin rentrant, which means that inner angles of the bridges are beveled and polished to perfection, a task that takes years of training. Flip the watch over, where the finish is just as perfect, and you can see the gong and hammers of the minute repeater. Caseback of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication. Despite these very traditional nuances, the Excalibur Grande Complication has a completely modern look, with its crenelated bezel, triple lugs, skeleton hands and edgy rose gold and black color scheme. It will be made in a limited edition of eight pieces, priced at $691,000.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Roger Dubuis Unveils The Excalibur Grande Complication
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication To honor the 30-anniversary of the Roger Dubuis watch brand, the company unveiled the Excalibur Grande Complication with three complications and a biretrograde signature all stamped by Poinçon de Genève certification. The watch is limited to eight pieces and was unveiled Tuesday at the opening of the 2025 Watches and Wonders watch fair in Geneva. Watchmaker Roger Dubuis (1938 – 2017) and watch designer, Carlos Dias, founded the Roger Dubuis watch manufacturer in 1995 and introduced its first timepieces four years later. The company is known for producing nearly all the components for its highly complicated timepieces in house. It specializes in complex tourbillons and skeletonized movements housed in watches with avant-garde contemporary designs. Since its founding, the company has produced 33 in-house mechanical calibers. The namesake watch brand was acquired by Richemont in 2008. The caseback revealing the caliber RD118 for the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication Roger Dubuis delivered its first in-house Grande Complication caliber in 2009, the caliber RD0829, with a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater and a flying tourbillon double micro-rotor. A Grand Complication watch is one that has several complications beyond telling time. How many of those complications and which ones need to be included has never been strictly defined. Roger Dubuis defines a Grand Complication as having at least three additional functions. The RD0829 did this in 2009 and the current Excalibur Grande Complication, does this as well. The 2025 Excalibur Grande Complication is powered by the Caliber RD118 automatic movement, which combines a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater and a tourbillon with a 60-hour power reserve. The movement is further accentuated by different finishes that are used across its appearance. Every surface of the 684 components were hand-decorated, the company said, earning it the Poinçon de Genève certification. A view of the Roger Dubuis signature Tourbillon and the biretrograde display for the perpetual ... More calendar This perpetual calendar provides automatic calculations for months with 28, 30, or 31 days, as well as the adjustment for leap years. By meeting these needs, the calendar does not require any manual correction until the year 2100 and then not again for another 100 years. In addition, some of the calendar information is presented on a biretrograde display, which consists of two retrograde hands that jump back to their starting point after completing a full cycle. In this case the days of the week and the days of the month are each displayed on semi-circular scales on the dial. A hand moves across each scale until reaching the end before snapping to the beginning of the scale, starting the cycle again. There is also a month disc between 11 and 12 o'clock, and a separate small leap year indication disc next to the month disc. Roger Dubuis, in partnership with fellow watchmaker, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, co-patented the retrograde display system in the 1980s, which is the basis of the one being used for the Excalibur Grande Complication, the company said. The tritone chime for the minute repeater is activated by a pusher on the left side of the case. The information on each cam is mechanically read by the minute repeater's main feeler-spindle system, which passes it on to the racks enabling the hammers to strike the gongs. The gongs produce a sound that the watch brand describes as 'unsettling,' sounding what is known as 'the devil's chord' or the 'diabolus in musica' during medieval times. The tritone chime rings a low pitch for the hours, a high pitch for the minutes and two tones for the quarter hours. Consisting of three tones or six semitones, the devil's chord was prohibited in religious compositions, Roger Dubuis said. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Grande Complication Roger Dubuis added an 'all or nothing' mechanism that requires the pusher to be pressed all the way in before the chime is activated. This is used to eliminate the risk of harming the mechanism by accidentally triggering it. Positioned between 5 and 6 o'clock, the flying tourbillon is a complication in all Roger Dubuis watches. And like all Roger Dubuis tourbillons, it is built in signature style that includes a mirror-polished cage inspired by the Celtic Cross and the use of lightweight, non-magnetic titanium. The dial and all its complications are contained in a 45mm pink gold case. The caseback provides a full view of the movement. The watch is completed with an interchangeable 3D brown calf-skin leather strap and a pink gold pin buckle.
