The Genevan watchmaker celebrates the art of “skeletonisation” in 2015. The technique involves removing and/or revealing certain parts of the watch, particularly its movement. The unveiling of the Excalibur is a sign of what’s to come as the lack of dial lays the movement’s cogs and wheels bare. This miniature architectural work has a half-heavenly and half-spider’s web star-shaped structure which the openwork luminescent hour and minute hands seem to orbit. As time passes, the hands track the white minutes on the black chapter ring whose titanium screws glow in the dark. The seconds at 7.30 are activated by a flyback tourbillon bearing a Celtic cross. The in-house manual wind RD505SQ calibre brings to life the time functions and takes pride of place in the heart of the 45mm titanium case. Price: 148,500 CHF

Almost 20 years after its foundation, Roger Dubuis is paying tribute to its co-founder with a series of timepieces called “Hommage”! This collection actually first appeared in 1995 but the brand pushed it to the foreground in 2014. One of these pieces, the breathtaking Hommage Automatique, beautifully epitomises the Roger Dubuis paradox: simple yet complicated, traditional yet avant-garde. The 42mm rose gold case houses the self-winding RD620 calibre which brings to life the time functions and 52-hour power reserve. The hours and minutes are oversized rose gold Roman numerals and there’s a white minute track with two large rose gold hands all on a silver and anthracite sunburst dial. A matching counter at 9 o’ clock displays the small seconds. Roger Dubuis is true to its roots: the watch is 100% stamped with the Geneva seal. Price: 28’600 CHF

He was always honest, straight as a die and in his element as Montblanc’s vice president. Now managing director of Roger Dubuis, Jean-Marc Pontroué still has the same state of mind two years after his appointment. We made the most of the 2014 SIHH to discuss the brand’s situation (which was still making a loss when he took the reins) and his plans for the future…
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