Home » The Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie » SIHH 2017 Preview – Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Automatic Watch
Roger Dubuis has prepared several novelties for the upcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH 2017) that will be held from 16th to 20th January, 2017 at the Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland. One of them is a new version of the Excalibur Spider timepiece.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider has debuted at the SIHH 2015 and now it appears in the Excalibur Spider Skeleton Automatic variant, featuring an eye-catching openworked dial with a star-motif and a fully exposed micro-rotor. The openworked movement has always been a mainstay of the manufacturer, representing an articulation of both design and technical expertise.
This newcomer is distinguished with blue and red accents. Although blue is the dominant color, the red stitching on the blue strap, as well as hints of red elsewhere on the watch are the details which bring a new, modern look to the legendary Excalibur line.
The striking Excalibur Spider Skeleton Automatic is housed in a lightweight, blackened DLC-coated titanium case which measures 45mm in diameter and 14.02mm in thickness. The notched bezel comes in natural-colored titanium, featuring black vulcanized rubber highlights. It brings an aggressive and distinctive appearance which is something that we are used to from the Swiss manufacturer.
The watch keeps the recognizable DNA of the line, whilst exemplifying the mastery of skeleton work. A design of the new Excalibur Skeleton does not include just a skeletonized mechanism, but also the case, flange, lugs, and hands.
The large crown is also crafted from titanium and it features a black DLC end with the barrel wrapped in striking red vulcanized rubber.
The red-tipped skeletonized hour and minute hands are also a nice detail. They impressively float above the charcoal gray rhodium-plated bridges with the circular-grained decoration of the caliber RD820SQ. The precise and reliable flying tourbillon movement consists of 179 individual parts and it is built on 19 jewels. The automatic movement operates at the semi-rapid frequency of 21,600 alternations per hour (3 Hz) and it can store enough energy to keep the watch working for about 60 hours. It took no less than 700 hours for the production of the caliber RD820SQ (about 220 hours of devoted work was needed just for the Poinçon de Genève).
The 2017 Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Skeleton Automatic is mounted on a multi-material strap with a black rubber base and a blue calf leather inlay screwed to the case and secured by a DLC-treated titanium folding buckle. The watch is issued in the limited quantity of only 88 specimens.
