It looks that this year is a good year for all pocket watch collectors. The latest pocket watch in 2015 comes from the watchmaking house of Roger Dubuis.
Roger Dubuis Hommage Millesime pocket watch is launched to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary. The new watch is a one-of-a-kind creation based on a challenging restoration project of a vintage pocket watch movement and it is dedicated to RD’s Hommage collection – the Millésime which in French means “vintage.“ The Millésime line is announced as a unique series of the 21st century timepieces based on a set of antique movement blanks.
As it is announced from the manufacturer, Roger Dubuis will be presenting a special one-of-a-kind restored vintage model each year and they will be available in Roger Dubuis brand boutiques worldwide. This series will include 20 different creations, one for each year the watchmaking company has been in existence.
All these vintage movement blanks will be restored by using the traditional crafts, and further improved to meet the modern Poinçon de Genève requirements. In case you do not know, Roger Dubuis is the only watchmaker to be 100% Poinçon de Genève certified.
Roger Dubuis Hommage Millésime is housed in a 60 mm by 22 mm pink gold case with Roger Dubuis’s signature hand engraved on the officers-type case back. The bezel, buttons, the minute repeater lever and the crown are polished, while the caseband is satin-brushed. The top of the case is attached to a polished pink gold chain, with a 5N pink gold buckle and the Geneva seal engraved in between the links.
The movement blank used for this piece is the late 19th or early 20th century movement RD181 caliber. The movement features a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and a chronograph.
The hand wound mechanism is rhodium-plated with “Côtes de Genève” decoration, “Poinçon de Genève” finishes, and a special engraving for the Poinçon de Genève. The movement oscillates at the frequency of 18,800 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) and it is built on 28 jewels.
The dial of the Hommage Millésime timepiece is the most interesting part of the watch. It comprises pink gold counters encrusted with guilloche-work, and Lapis lazuli moon phases with a pink gold moon. There is also a retrograde date aperture at the 12 o’clock position, a small seconds counter with an astronomical moon at the 3 o’clock position, a retrograde days of the week display at the 6 o’clock position and a months and years counter at the 9 o’clock position.
The minute repeater strikes hours, quarters and minutes on demand by using the slide located at the 3 o’clock position, while the chronograph button is placed at the 9 o’ clock position. At the 2 o’ clock position there is a moon corrector; a day corrector is situated at the 4 o’ clock position; a date corrector at the 8 o’clock position, while a month and year corrector is located at the 10 o’clock position.
Roger Dubuis Hommage Millésime Pocket Watch as the first in the new Millésime series is dedicated to the new Roger Dubuis Geneva boutique that will open in July 2015.
