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Roger Dubuis Refreshes Its Knights of the Round Table and Excalibur collections

by Suan Futt Yeo . Mar 30, 2022

Roger Dubuis Refreshes Its Knights of the Round Table and Excalibur collections

Roger Dubuis’s brand of envelope-busting, hyper horology drops a tourbillon on its latest Knights of the Round Table watch and a new Excalibur watch featuring a massive balance wheel for improved chronometric stability.

Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon/X

The need to constantly outdo itself has driven Roger Dubuis to another stage in the realization of its Knights of the Round Table series of watches. The defining features of these watches are the titular knights (or animals of the zodiac in the case of the Chinese zodiac edition), individually crafted wonders of micro-sculpture, arrayed at 12 points around the dial. In the latest eighth edition for 2022, Roger Dubuis has dropped a tourbillon into the mix — knights combating gravity, as it were, and that would make the tourbillon an appropriate appendix, it being the very mechanism invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the 18th century to even out the disruptive effect of gravity upon the balance spring and wheel. To further increase the stability of the movement, Roger Dubuis has also expanded the diameter of the balance wheel.

Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon/X in 45mm pink gold case

Each knight here stands at 6mm tall and is individually crafted in pink gold. Purple blocks of carved Murano glass surround the single tourbillon, with double surfaced flange also carved from a single block of Murano glass. The setting system is decentered to the two o’clock position; pushing down on this function displays a small red flag that indicates the switch from winding to setting mode.

Each knight is individually fashioned, with Murano glass blocks framing the central tourbillon

The Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon/X is available in a 45mm pink gold case with embossed black calf-leather strap.

Excalibur Monobalancier

Roger Dubuis’s signature collection is a platform for the manufacture’s dizzying breadth of expertise, from materials and stone settings to the manifold complexity of harnessing multiple spinning tourbillons in a single timepiece.

Excalibur Monobalancier in 42mm EON Gold case

Excalibur Monobalancier in 42mm EON Gold case with diamond-set bezel

The Excalibur Monobalancier represents the model’s latest state of evolution; it is fitted with a new RD 720SQ caliber that is wound by micro-rotor, for a power reserve of 72 hours. The headline feature, though, is how Roger Dubuis is enhancing chronometric stability by doubling the inertia of the balance wheel. At the same time, the higher energy demands of spinning a heavier balance wheel is met by improving the efficiency of energy transmission and reducing friction through the movement by optimizing the shape of the diamond-coated silicon escapement wheel, and the use of diamond-coated silicon pallet-stones, and a new lube.

Close-up of the balance wheel

Close-up of the micro-rotor

Close-up of the skeletonised star dial

The Excalibur Monobalancier is available in two references: in 42mm EON Gold case, a gold alloy that is more resistant to tarnishing when exposed to extreme conditions, paired with an embossed black calf-leather strap; or with its EON Gold case set with 60 round cut diamonds, paired with
embossed purple calf-leather strap.

Tech Specs

Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon/X

Movement: Tourbillon
Functions: Hours, minutes
Case: 45mm; pink gold
Strap: Embossed black calf-leather strap
Price: TBC

Excalibur Monobalancier

Movement: RD 720SQ; 72 hours of power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes
Case: 42mm; EON Gold; option with 60 round-cut diamonds set on the case
Strap: Calf-leather strap
Price: TBC