Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracan MB
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracan MB is the latest product born of the relationship between the Genevan watch brand and the ultra-exotic car marque, Lamborghini. Meehna Goldsmith takes readers on a high-speed journey of discovery to a world where space-age materials meet no-compromise craftsmanship.
Roger Dubuis
Roger Dubuis makes watches that are unabashedly extreme, over-the-top and revolutionary. Its newest offering, the Excalibur Spider Huracan MB, perfectly exemplifies the attitude, aesthetic and technical focus of the brand. Although Roger Dubuis might now be the house of “Hyper Horology”, Roger Dubuis, the watchmaker and co-founder of the marque, might’ve been the last guy you would’ve thought would end up associated with experimental and cutting-edge technologies. Dubuis had a very traditional upbringing in the horological cradle. Starting his career at Longines in the 1950s, he later transitioned to the high complications workshops at Patek Philippe. After 14 years there, he set up his own watch and clock repair shop in Geneva.
In the 1980s, Dubuis was working with talented movement designer Jean-Marc Wiederrecht on the (first-ever) Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Watch commissioned by Harry Winston for its debut at Baselworld 1989. During the development, Dubuis and Wiederrecht would meet at a café in Geneva and discuss work over a drink. One of the waiters who happened to serve them was Carlos Dias, a charismatic Portuguese immigrant to Switzerland who had dreams of creating a watch company.
Manufacture Roger Dubuis
Luck, timing, and a little pixie dust. More times than not, that’s the recipe to spark an idea into tangible existence. By 1995, Dias and Dubuis set up Société Genevoise des Montres (SOGEM), later renamed Manufacture Roger Dubuis. At the founding of his own brand, Dubuis was 57. When many start winding down in their career, Dubuis was taking flight on his second wind.
Dias brought the flair and Dubuis the horologic pedigree, producing watches with a distinctive, modern style: large cases, formidable crowns, Roman numerals, Celtic cross-styled tourbillon carriages and exhibition case backs. Moreover, each Roger Dubuis watch was certified with the Geneva Seal, a badge earned when a watch meets this high benchmark of precision, quality and finishing.
Roger Dubuis timepieces may have been avant-garde and provocative in design, but even the most conservative snob couldn’t deny the impeccable mechanics. Editions were often limited to 28, 88 or 288 pieces. Those familiar with Chinese numerology superstitions might assume the number 8 is a symbol of good luck. The reason is much more personal and heartfelt. The editions are numbered as variations of 208, Dubuis’s registration number at the watchmaking school École d’Horlogerie de Genève.
Richemont
When Richemont bought a 60% stake in Roger Dubuis in 2008, Dias exited the company. Although Dubuis left the company in 2005, he came back as an ambassador in 2011 until he passed away in 2017. Since Richemont’s entry and complete purchase in 2016, the Roger Dubuis brand has continued down the path first forged by its founders. In fact, it’s doubled down into its niche position, embracing ‘excess’ as an attribute. Other words Roger Dubuis uses to describe its timepieces are ‘extravagant’ and ‘slightly mad’. They are designed to provoke and polarise opinions.
Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini Squadra Corse
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracan MB does just that, boldly waving the ‘hyper horology’ flag. Born from the latest collaboration between Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini Squadra Corse, it debuted alongside the highly anticipated Huracan Sterrato. And, the watch takes many of its design cues directly from the supercar. Powered by the RD630 calibre, the movement reflects the hexagonal air intakes of the Huracan, while the twin barrels reference the multi-fuel tanks inherent in Lamborghini’s supercar designs.
The balance wheel does its dance, on view at 12 o’clock, in a design decision made to reflect the Sterrato rev counter. In addition, it’s tilted at a 12° angle, giving depth to the canvas and theoretically increasing precision by allowing the balance wheel to sequentially occupy more positions in three dimensions to average out positional errors. The date resides at 6 o’clock, balancing out the dial.
Skeletonised movement
Flip the watch over and through the exhibition case back you’ll get a good view of the semi-skeletonised movement and its 360° rotor, crafted to look like a Huracan wheel rim in motion. Give it a shake and see the illusion of pure speed. Fully juiced up, the Excalibur Spider Huracan Sterrato MB offers an impressive 60 hours of power reserve.
Supercar technology
Borrowing from supercar technology, the 45mm case is crafted from SMC Carbon. This hyper-tech material is nine times lighter than gold and can be found in the Lamborghini Huracan’s monocoque chassis and body panels. In another design nod to the Sterrato, six key markers on the bezel, formed of black DLC titanium, are enlarged to reference its fender protectors.
Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato
The Huracan Sterrato comes dressed to play in a bold orange and red outfit. The lines cut across the dial from 12 to 7 o’clock and from 12 to 5 o’clock, are another shout out to the Huracan Sterrato supercar, reflecting the shape of its ‘roof rack’. Like all other Excalibur Spider Huracans, this one also has the distinctive racing nut crown begging to be cranked into action.
Thematically on point, as well as super convenient, the timepiece comes with a Quick Release System for rapid ‘pit-stop’ strap changes. Chosen to reflect the gritty abilities of the Huracan Sterrato, the strap comes in a bright camo pattern. To achieve this motif, numerous coloured plates of rubber must be vulcanised together, making it 30% longer to produce than a regular strap. Another nice detail is that the black rubber inner strap features a Pirelli Super Trofeo R tyre pattern.
To be honest, it’s hard to make out the time as the hour and minute hands blend into the dial. But Roger Dubuis realises this is really beside the point. It’s much more important how it tells time. Just like the point of driving a Lamborghini isn’t to get from point A to point B, but crafted around the experience of getting there.
Excalibur Spider Huracan Sterrato MB
The Excalibur Spider Huracan Sterrato MB, limited to 28 pieces, pays homage to Roger Dubuis’ roots, while continuing to push the boundaries of possibility with movement design and style. For those attracted to the extremes, and especially those enamoured with hyper-car design, this watch crosses the finish line with panache. And for those who wriggle their noses, Roger Dubuis is just fine with that. It achieved its mandate of accelerating your pulse.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracan RDDBEX1033
- Case: carbon case, diameter 45 mm, water resistance 5ATM (50m); sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: Hours; minutes; central sweep seconds; date
- Movement: Calibre RD630; self-winding movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4Hz); 29 jewels; power reserve 60 hours.
- Strap: Rubber with camo pattern. Interchangeable with Quick Release System – QRS. Black DLC titanium cover with titanium blades, triple folding, interchangeable with Quick Release System – QRS
- Price: £54,000 (RRP as of 16.1.2023) – Boutique exclusive