For The Chosen Ones
Roger Dubuis breaks ground with the Excalibur double feature
WE KNOW THE STORY. Excalibur sat lodged in a rock mound, a sword of magic and destiny gleaming against the jagged grey. It would eventually be visited upon by a teenage boy named Arthur. He ascended the promontory, juvenile and anonymous, and descended as the chosen one, Excalibur in hand, King of the land.
Centuries after they were first told, we are still enthralled by Arthurian legends because they speak of men doing the extraordinary, and the ennobled devices that aid them in their hero’s journey.
In a similar vein, Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur Double Tourbillon and Excalibur Monobalancier were designed to be the stuff of legend, to distinguish those who seize destiny and kismet in their hands.
And to create a legend, the Maison first had to do the impossible. Anything less would have been undeserving of the appellation of Excalibur. So they set about conquering ceramic.
Needless to say, other timepieces have used ceramic as well, but not like this. Just as Excalibur was not the first sword, the Excalibur Double Tourbillon and Excalibur Monobalancier are not the first to use ceramic. But they subjugated ceramic to legendary perfection.
The process of incorporating ceramic into watch design is arduous, requiring highly specialised machines, constant heating and cooling and monitoring, and is therefore notoriously difficult to control. As a result, ceramic usually determines the watch. Watchmakers would plan crafting and design around the ceramic, and that approach can limit both the aesthetics and the inner mechanics of the watch.
Roger Dubuis took 10 times longer than the industry average to grind and mould their ceramic, to quite literally bend it to their will. The result is a duo of exquisitely crafted, highly expressive timepieces, gleaming in their obsidian splendour, but not beholden to the ceramic they are made of.
The Excalibur Double Tourbillon is a variation of the 2021 edition of the same name. It boasts the same enhanced differential that includes twin tourbillons made of lighter materials. The gear system is specifically crafted to maximise energy transmission, allowing for a 72-hour power reserve. All these are topped with striking, immaculately clean-cut lines upon its 45 mm case. It’s a timepiece that’s hardy and eyecatching on the outside, and sublime inside.
Meanwhile, the Poinçon de Genève-certified Excalibur Monobalancier stands out as perhaps one of the most exquisite must-have watches of 2022. On the surface ‒ and this is a truly compelling surface ‒ the watch grabs immediate attention with a polished, sandblasted, satin-brushed 42 mm case coupled with a fluted bezel. But the Monobalancier is one watch you can judge by its cover.
Underneath the decorations, there lies a magnificent mechanical masterpiece, with the engineers of Roger Dubuis pushing the envelope by using advanced technical materials, the hyper-tech components that are a major tenet in the Maison’s Hyper Horology philosophy. You can see and feel it in everything, from the escapement wheel to the anchor, the micro-rotor to the balance wheel inertia and pallet-stones.
With the Excalibur double feature, Roger Dubuis has perfected its lofty ambitions of Hyper Horology, iconic timepieces that can withstand all the epic battles of your life ‒ from the boardroom to the great outdoors.
And I wouldn’t be surprised if we’d still be talking about these legends for years to come.
IT HAS BEEN, locally, one of the most fruitful partnerships in horology. For over a decade, regional retailer Cortina Watches has been the goto supplier of Blancpain watches in Singapore and in Southeast Asia.
This year marks Cortina’s 50th anniversary, celebrating a significant milestone in bridging an ever-growing watch market here to some of the most exclusive brands in watchmaking.
Blancpain was effusive in congratulating its partner. President and CEO Marc A. Hayek said, “Congratulations to Cortina Watch on its 50th anniversary. As the world’s oldest watch brand, Blancpain is proud to showcase its watchmaking expertise and DNA in collaboration with this strong and long-time partner, which contributed to strengthening our presence in Southeast Asia.”
In celebration of its partner’s golden jubilee, Blancpain presented to Cortina a limited-edition expression of its Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe watch. Only 50 were made, with Blancpain designers and engineers working closely with Cortina to produce a truly remarkable timepiece worthy of the occasion.
The 43mm watch is made of titanium with a satin finish. Its bezel is made of highly durable Sedna gold, a palladium-based rose gold alternative with a much longer shelf life and more resistant to discolouration. The back is made of sapphire crystal, and has been engraved with the words “Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary Since 1972”. The dial is in a striking black, and the overall effect is a highly stylish watch that’s also discreet in terms of thickness and finish. Since it was first created for the French Naval Diving Forces, the watch was designed to be tactical, and stealthy when needed. But don’t get us wrong ‒ those who lean towards subtle elegance outside of the battlefield will find that the Fifty Fathoms can also serve as a dress watch.
It’s also a technical marvel. Powered by its beating heart, the calibre 1315, the watch is a masterclass in precision. The self-winding movement contains three series-coupled barrels and a silicone balance-spring that’s impervious to the effects of magnetism ‒ which also, again, makes it perfect for military use. The movement has five days of power reserve, therefore making it ideal for medium-haul missions, or if, in civilian life, you’ve put it aside for the weekend.
The Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe also remains true to its heritage as a diving watch, boasting 30 bar water-resistance, and large hands filled with Super Luminova for maximum visibility even in the darkest depths.
Cortina Watch CEO Jeremy Lim is a huge fan. He said, “For the 50th anniversary limited-edition timepiece, we tried to retain the aesthetic codes of Blancpain’s original Bathyscaphe model back in 1956, and at the same time infused elements of individuality.”