Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini race another lap in new Excalibur collaboration
Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur model has seen numerous transformations in its evolution since it was first launched in 2005. The design has always been associated not just with incredible watchmaking, but also with being a snapshot of the creative mind of its founder, Roger Dubuis.
From baby blue straps to the pioneering use of forged carbon, the Excalibur has assumed many different looks. The collaboration between the watchmaker and Italian supercar maker Lamborghini that started in September 2017 has continued to bring exciting new launches with creative designs, and not just existing models with new logos slapped on.
In fact, if you look closely, you will realise that you cannot find the Lamborghini logo anywhere on the new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante, and that is exactly the way the brand intended it to be. “Putting a logo onto the Excalibur and calling it a collaboration would be the easy way out,” says Gregory Bruttin, strategic product director at Roger Dubuis. Bruttin discloses that there was an explicit agreement between the two brands not to put the Lamborghini logo on the watch.
The new collaboration sees the integration of design details from the Huracán to the case and dial. Most obvious is the adaptation of the half hexagon of the car’s air intake to the bezel and the openwork dial. “It was a complete partnership and collaboration between our team and the Lamborghini design team,” Bruttin says.
The 45mm case along, with the dial of the timepiece, are skeletonised, again, with the hexagonal details that mirror those distinctive forms found in the car; the automatic movement, a new design that sees the balance wheel angled at 12 degrees and positioned at 12 o’clock, lends motion to the no-fuss three-hands and date functions.
Putting a logo onto the Excalibur and calling it a collaboration would be the easy way out
The timepiece is completed with a strap created in collaboration with another big name in the racing world: Pirelli. The tread pattern of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres can be found on the underside of the strap, an added racing detail that can be appreciated only by the owner of the watch.
As to the future of the two brand’s collaboration, Bruttin points to another highlight launch of the year, the Excalibur One-Off, a unique piece dedicated to a custom-built Lamborghini. The car in question is the SC18 Alston, a custom-built track car created by Lamborghini’s hypercar division Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
“We’ve created this one of a kind piece taking inspiration from a unique Lamborghini,” Bruttin says. “These are the kinds of collaboration we hope to do more of in the future.”
The watch is made from a number of materials, including carbon fibre and ceramic, which houses the RD106SQ mechanical movement, a double flying tourbillon set on a 90 degree incline.
Again, collaboration on this piece is a three-way effort that includes a rubber strap that draws on the design, material and structure of the Pirelli tyre; in tune with the skeletonised movement, the strap also features extensive openwork.
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- The new collaboration sees the integration of design details from the Huracán to the case and dial