Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar Watch Review
Recently launched in Geneva, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar houses much complexity within its modestly sized, 40 mm pink gold case. Crafted in the company’s Manufacture, the contemporary watch is equipped with the new RD850 automatic calibre, encompassing 16 types of decoration. Angus Davies demonstrates the wisdom in sometimes looking beyond convention and asking, ‘Why not?’
Roger Dubuis depuis 1995
Robert Kennedy famously said, “Some men see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” I suspect this philosophy resonated with Monsieur Roger Dubuis (1938-2017) when he founded his eponymous Maison in 1995. Allow me to elaborate.
Dubuis was a vastly experienced watchmaker. He worked at Longines for nine years before spending approximately 14 years working in the Complications Department at Patek Philippe. Highly skilled, he would have been well remunerated for his efforts but ultimately, dreaming of working for himself, he eventually said, ‘Why not?’
Initially, he opened his own workshop in Geneva, working for auction houses and watch brands alike. Then, in the early 1990s, Dubuis met Carlos Dias, a local entrepreneur, and they eventually founded their own Maison, Roger Dubuis Horloger Genevois (1995). Early models included exquisite Hommage and Sympathie bi-compax chronographs which were warmly received by watch aficionados. In fact, today, these early models are highly sought after, a fact reflected in strong resale values.
When staring at the sky above Geneva, Dubuis must have noticed the stars were aligned as his fledgling business soon enjoyed exponential growth. In 1999, the company began crafting its first in-house movements and was renamed ‘Manufacture Roger Dubuis SA’ to reflect its enhanced status.
In 2001, Roger Dubuis opened a modern, purpose-built Manufacture in Meyrin on the outskirts of Geneva. The company not only had the capacity to conceive, it also had the ability to create. It expanded its array of collections and its product portfolio soon encompassed a variety of complications. Indeed, it took less than 10 years to develop the big four complications: the perpetual calendar, the chronograph, the minute repeater and the tourbillon.
In 2005, Monsieur Dubuis retired from the company he founded. However, he eventually returned in 2011 as a brand ambassador and advisor. He remained involved in the company until he passed away in 2017.
One of Dubuis’s achievements, admittedly there were many, was that he recruited talented watchmakers, guided them and helped them grow. Today, the company employs many individuals with the necessary skills to design, make, finish, assemble and regulate exquisite expressions of contemporary Haute Horlogerie and the company’s expertise lives on.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar – introduction
In 2025, Roger Dubuis released the Hommage La Placide. Measuring 38 mm in diameter, this timepiece is equipped with retrograde day and date displays and endowed with the ultimate calendar complication, a perpetual calendar (see later). Closely resembling Dubuis’ creations from the late 90s, the watch has a classical appearance and, in common with several RD references, it bears the prestigious Poinçon de Genève. This model features the RD1472 automatic calibre.
Image – Roger Dubuis Hommage La Placide (2025)
At Watches & Wonders 2026, Roger Dubuis unveiled the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar. This timepiece shares the same exalted craftsmanship as last year’s Hommage model, but subscribes to the Excalibur contemporary design language, a look familiar to many horophiles.
First introduced in 2005, the Excalibur is characterised by its fluted bezel, its crown guard and its distinctive triple-lug strap attachment. Although the Geneva-based firm could have equipped this latest addition to the collection with said RD1472 automatic calibre and saved a few Swiss francs in the process, it has chosen to create a new movement, the RD850 automatic calibre.
Without further ado, allow me to guide you around this ethereal creation, pointing out some of its many highlights.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar – dial
The Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar features an openwork dial, revealing several mechanisms at play. The pink gold hour and minute hands are a modern take on the classic Dauphine-style hands, but are partially openworked and generously proportioned. They work in concert with golden hour markers, mounted on a varnished, mother-of-pearl flange incorporating a textured (azuré) finish. Both the hands and indexes incorporate SLN treatment, aiding readability in dim light.
In 1989, Monsieur Dubuis ‘co-patented his own biretrograde display with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and showcased it in the very first watches of the Maison in 1996’. The Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar subscribes to this concept. Its arcing track, located in the eastern region of the dial, shows the prevailing date with an openworked pink gold retrograde hand that steadily moves upwards. Eventually as the last minutes of the month elapse, the hand flicks back to its point of origin (the 1st) and begins its monthly journey anew. A similarly shaped track, located on the opposite side of the openworked dial, is marked with the days of the week. Interestingly, this retrograde hand moves downwards. Eventually, when Sunday night gives way to Monday morning, the hand jumps back to Monday, signalling the start of a new week. One of the enchanting aspects of the biretrograde display is the hands move in opposite directions to one another and at different speeds. The ‘ecliptic counters’ are formed of mother-of-pearl which has been subjected to nine layers of ‘Astral Blue’ varnish and endued with polished angles.
A month disc is located at 6 o’clock, again presented in Astral Blue mother-of pearl. A finger-like hand, with a soupçon of vermillion red gracing its tip, points to the current month. Positioned adjacent, a grey toned leap year disc serves to remind the wearer that this is a perpetual calendar, a high complication often described as one of the ‘big four’ complications in watchmaking.
Towards the base of the dial, from 04:30 to 07:30, an expanse of circular-brushed mainplate can be seen, dressed in an elegant grey suit. Golden letters tastefully proclaim the presence of said high complication, while smaller words indicate the watch’s place of origin. A moon phase disc sits atop the mainplate and is ‘crafted in aventurine with a domed 18K pink gold moon that is laser-engraved to add richness and texture’. This latter indication is an astronomical moonphase, hence it ‘will remain accurate for around 122 years, before requiring its first adjustment with just one click’.
When affixed to the wrist, the dial clearly indicates the hours, minutes, calendar functions and moon phase. However, the story does not end here. Examine the watch at close quarters and you begin to appreciate the complex arrangement of heights, textures and finishes. Furthermore, dial openings at 3 and 9 o’clock reveal various mechanisms at play and showcase the Maison’s extraordinary finishing skills. Indeed, this peerless finishing is independently scrutinised by TimeLab, culminating in the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar carrying the Poinçon de Genève on its dial at 6 o’clock and its movement (see later).
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar – case
The Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar, despite housing much complexity within, measures a modest 40 mm in diameter. Crafted in pink gold, the case features all the Excalibur’s signature details, including the previously mentioned fluted bezel, crown guard and triple-lug strap attachment. However, place the watch on the wrist and you will see that in addition to the various bullet points listed on the product specification sheet, there are numerous intricate details that come to the fore. For example, the crown features a sophisticated grip, ergonomically designed to aid manipulation. Furthermore, the outer lugs are endowed with a highly polished bevel, introducing a sliver of gleam between each lug’s upper surface and adjacent flank. This may sound like a small detail, but it necessitates both skill and an inordinate amount of time to execute.
To the rear of the watch, a pane of sapphire crystal invites the wearer’s eyes to examine the finely decorated movement within. The watch is presented on an Astral Blue calf leather strap that affixes to the wrist with a pink gold, triple folding clasp.
Roger Dubuis RD850 calibre
The self-winding movement harnesses energy from the natural motion of the wearer’s wrist, using a pink gold rotor. Once fully tensioned, the mainspring will deliver 60 hours of autonomous operation.
Manufacture movement
From conception to assembly and regulation, every aspect of the movement’s creation takes place at the Manufacture in Meyrin. I have visited the facility on several occasions and witnessed first-hand the various stages of production from the making of mainplates to performing final quality controls. Each step of the production process is subject to inspection by TimeLab (audits are typically monthly). This independent team of auditors upholds the standards of the Poinçon de Genève. The team ensures each component conforms with the specification laid down in the technical dossier submitted for the specific model, in this instance, the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar.
Finishing
A requirement of the Poinçon de Genève is that movements are decorated to eradicate signs of machining as well as imbuing surfaces with a flawless finish. The RD850 calibre contains 435 components and is endowed with 16 types of decoration, including ‘Côtes de Genève, wheel-bevelling, tool-bevelling, burnishing, circular-graining, truing, external drawing, internal drawing, rounding, perlage, tip polish, mirror polish, teeth polish, inner wing bevelling, inner angles and shot-blasting’.
Perpetual Calendar
At this juncture, you may be wondering, ‘What is a perpetual calendar?’ Well, the FHH (Fondation Haute Horlogerie) states that ‘a perpetual calendar watch is one which, in addition to the timekeeping indications, displays calendar functions such as the date, month and day of the week automatically and taking account of months with 28, 30 or 31 days, as well as leap years. Such models will nonetheless require correction in 2100, 2200 and 2300, which are exceptional years and not leap years, according to our Gregorian calendar’.
Put simply, assuming the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar is kept wound, the date will not require adjustment until 2100. The only reason it requires adjustment at this point is because the Gregorian calendar omits three leap years every 400 years to remain aligned with solar time.
This feat of mechanical prophecy is made possible with an elaborate system of cams, gears and levers. To assemble movements imbued with such complexity requires the talents of the most gifted master watchmakers.
To facilitate simple adjustment of the calendar indications, the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar features four correctors, two gracing each side of the case. On the left flank of the case, there are correctors for the day and date, while on right side of the case there are correctors for the month and moon phase.
Closing remarks
Monsieur Dubuis was the founder of a remarkable company and his imagination led to the creation of some extraordinary watches. He led a Maison that continues to operate within the rarefied world of Haute Horlogerie, uniting traditional techniques with avant-garde aesthetics. But as well as producing an impressive body of work, he also created an infrastructure and culture that continues to flourish. Indeed, his spirit lives on in a new generation of craftspeople and watchmakers.
Today, there is a team of brilliant minds working at the Manufacture who dare to dream and say, ‘Why not?’ It is such visionaries who have masterminded the Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar, an exceptional timepiece capable of predicting the future.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar
- Reference: RDDBEX1178
- Case: 18-carat pink gold, diameter 40 mm, height 12.25 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, retrograde day & date displays, moon phase, month, leap indicator, perpetual calendar
- Movement: RD850 calibre,self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz), 40 jewels, power reserve 60 hours, 435 components.
- Strap: calf leather strap, interchangeable thanks to QRS, paired with pink gold triple folding buckle.
- Price on application