Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Pink Gold Watch Review
The latest Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Pink Gold RDDBEX1138 features a new pink gold case incorporating the fully integrated RD780 Calibre. Aimed at affluent collectors with a passion for hyper horology and supercars, this flyback chronograph combines futuristic design, technical mastery and finishing worthy of the Poinçon de Genève. Carl Eady provides an in-depth review of this horological tour de force.
Yes, no and WOW
Back in the 70s, one of history’s most iconic logos was conceived in the back of a yellow cab just a stone’s throw from Central Park. Milton Glaser’s ‘I Love NY’ with its big vibrant red heart would become a symbol of New York’s transformation from a downtrodden, crime-ridden ‘Gotham’ into today’s vibrant and dynamic ‘Big Apple’.
Glaser was a visionary who believed that, “There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” Swiss Manufacture Roger Dubuis has consistently managed to achieve the wow factor with functional yet radical designs, ingenious complications and exceptional finishing. This can be traced to its visionary founder, Monsieur Roger Dubuis, and lives on in the brand’s present-day DNA. Dubuis famously said:
The artistic side and the mechanical function of a watch are two disciplines that must both be of the highest quality.”
Roger Dubuis – the man
Roger Dubuis began his career in the late 50s, initially honing his craft (primarily with chronographs) at Longines before spending 14 years at Patek Philippe, where he cultivated the brand’s high complications.
After leaving Patek, Monsieur Dubuis’s technical and consultancy skills were in high demand and, in 1980, he set up his own workshop where primarily he repaired and restored high-end timepieces for auction houses and private collectors.
Roger Dubuis – the brand
In 1995, Monsieur Dubuis, at the time aged 57 and already an industry veteran, established his own company in partnership with businessman Carlos Dias. Their joint venture, SOGEM (Société Genevoise de Montres), drew extensively on Dubuis’s watchmaking prowess and it wasn’t long before the brand’s creations sported ‘Roger Dubuis’ on the dials.
Heavily inspired by classical ‘time only’ and chronograph designs of the past, the Hommage collections were beautifully executed and classically restrained. Perhaps in a celebratory nod to Dubuis’s roots at Longines, it was the cushion-shaped Sympathie collection that garnered much attention from retailers and collectors, providing a foretaste of future Roger Dubuis models, now widely known for their flamboyance.
The following decade saw the creation of their own in-house Manufacture movements bearing the Poinçon de Genève hallmark and the brand’s release of the ‘Much More’ range (an Art Deco-inspired collection). In 2002, the company relocated to a spectacular, purpose-built Manufacture in Meyrin, on the outskirts of Geneva. The success of the Maison saw output grow exponentially, albeit volumes have always remained exclusively small.
The Manufacture’s creative culture and freedom of expression fuelled this success. Intricate calibres challenged convention eg tourbillons were combined with other complications such as minute repeaters, perpetual calendars or chronographs such that the brand’s creativity heightened demand among retailers and collectors. The breadth of classical and contemporary collections was admirable but somehow lacked a sense of cohesion. However, the advent of a new collection, the ‘Excalibur’, set the brand on a radical new path.
Inaugural Roger Dubuis Excalibur (2005)
The Excalibur debuted in 2005, marking the beginning of what would become Roger Dubuis’s signature collection. Inspired by the legend of King Arthur and his knights, the collection took its name from the mythical sword Excalibur, a symbol of strength, nobility and audacity.
Image – Roger Dubuis RDDBEX0395 (2005)
Rather than a single collection, the Excalibur became a creative platform. The cases were visually daring, defined by triple lugs, a notched bezel and bold 45 mm proportions that pushed contemporary watchmaking into uncharted stylistic territory. The collection became the vehicle for the brand’s most ambitious complications such as double tourbillons, minute repeaters and skeletonised calibres with Roger Dubuis ultimately crafting expressions of Haute Horlogerie imbued with a sense of theatre.
Excalibur proved a commercial success and provided a clearer, more defined brand offer, making the company ripe for takeover. In 2008, Carlos Dias sold his 60% stake to the luxury group, Richemont, which ultimately assumed complete control in 2016. Richemont clearly recognised the benefits of having a disruptive brand within its stable. It complemented the group’s existing investment portfolio while opening up new markets for the Swiss Manufacture.
Hyper-horology
The Excalibur Spider sub-collection followed in the twenty-tens. Here, Roger Dubuis pushed skeletonisation beyond the movement to the case, bezel and lugs. This created a lighter, more technical watch that visually echoed the chassis of a supercar, laying the groundwork for the Maison’s high profile partnerships with Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Pirelli.
The arrival of the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in 2023 was a logical evolution and coincided with the brand becoming the official timing partner of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Housed in a lightweight carbon case, the chronograph was equipped with the new integrated RD780 calibre and fused technical credibility with visual drama. Two more carbon versions soon followed, honouring Lamborghini’s hybrid supercars, the Revuelto and SC63. However, up to this point, no precious metal edition had existed…until now!
The Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in Pink Gold – introduction
In August 2025, during Monterey Car Week, Roger Dubuis unveiled its latest Spider iteration and instalment of hyper-horology. Housed in a 45 mm pink gold case, measuring 17.1 mm in height, this watch does not seek to fly beneath the radar. On the contrary, this is a watch that craves attention. The spider case identity is taken straight from motorsport engineering, evident with its skeletonised lugs and DLC-coated titanium pushers and crown. The bezel sports sharp contours with black lacquered numerals, complementing the darkened titanium of the display. To the rear of the case, a pane of sapphire crystal is framed with engraved text, presented in relief. The perimeter is also enhanced with fine brushwork and sandblasted finishes. In addition, the oscillating mass, again visible via the sapphire caseback, is presented in a five spoke design, reminiscent of the wheel rims found on a supercar.
Despite its imposing scale, the watch proves comfortable to wear, thanks to the ergonomic curvature of the case.
Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in Pink Gold – precision meets infinity
At first glance, the mesmerising display is somewhat intimidating with its multiple layers of kinetic architecture. However, a sense of symmetrical harmony emerges thanks to the interplay between four key areas of the skeletonised dial. Two barrels reside at 12 o’clock, conveying a sense of power, while the column wheel is located at 6 o’clock, ready to respond to the wearer’s commands.
A stylised infinity symbol, located between 3 and 9 o’clock, plays host to two further features that complement each other perfectly. Proudly sitting at 9 o’clock is a 12° inclined balance, oscillating back and forth in perfect rhythm, breathing with life. Meanwhile, the Rotating Disc Minute Counter (RDMC), positioned at 3 o’clock, is one of two patented innovations on display.
Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in Pink Gold – a complication for racers
One of the defining characteristics of a flyback chronograph is the ability to reset and restart the chronograph with a single press of a pusher, making it ideal for lap timing. Intuitive to use, the period from observing an event to pressing the pusher is minimised, augmenting the validity of the time recorded. The Calibre RD780’s vertical coupling clutch is paired with a column wheel, visible at 6 o’clock as previously mentioned. The Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph also features another patented innovation, namely the Second Braking System (SBS). The brake is mounted directly onto the levers of the vertical clutch, preventing the seconds hand from flickering during operation. The result is both technically robust and satisfying to operate with each press of the pusher producing a precise, tactile click.
Image – exploded view of the Calibre RD780 (found within the RDDBEX1102)
In true Roger Dubuis style, the isotoxal shaped display, revealing the elapsed period, proves highly legible while delivering a sense of theatre. This clever 30-minute chronograph counter uses a tri-spoked rotating hand equipped with 0, 1 and 2 for the 10s of minutes. As the central chronograph second hand completes one full revolution, the spokes of the minute pointer move against the static arcing track.
Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph in Pink Gold – strap and wearability
The watch is fitted with a sporty, sculpted black rubber strap that’s clearly been inspired by the world of supercars, a domain Roger Dubuis knows well. The strap secures to the wrist with a triple folding clasp, comprising an 18k pink gold cover and titanium blades. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Pink Gold also features the company’s Quick Release System (QRS), allowing the wearer to swap the strap easily without the need for tools.
Closing remarks
Rather than ‘play it safe’, Roger Dubuis has conceived a watch that is intentionally polarising. Its bold styling precludes universal appeal, but then again, it doesn’t need to have mass appeal, as limited production capacity means only small quantities will be available for sale. However, unquestionably, the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph has horological credibility. The movement brims with technical virtuosity and is finished to an exalted standard (independently scrutinised as part of the Poinçon de Genève certification).
But this timepiece also serves as a reminder that tradition, while valuable, should not inhibit creativity. When reflecting on Glaser’s “three responses to a piece of design”, there is no question that the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph has the wow factor, uniting theatre, craftsmanship and Swiss precision.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Pink Gold
- Reference: RDDBEX1138
- Case: 18k pink gold and black DLC case, diameter 45 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres); sapphire crystal to front, exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds, flyback chronograph
- Movement: RD780 Calibre, automatic movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz) 39 jewels, power reserve 72 hours, 310 components
- Strap: rubber strap with black rubber inlay, interchangeable with Quick Release System – QRS
- Buckle: pink Gold with titanium blades, triple folding, interchangeable with Quick Release System – QRS
- Price: £120,500 (RRP as of 20.10.2025)