Roger Dubuis has collaborated with renowned Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama to introduce a reinterpretation of the Excalibur Monobalancier (Excalibur MB), the third timepiece from Roger Dubuis' Urban Culture Tribe.

Searching for inspiration in the most unexpected places is in Roger Dubuis’ DNA and this includes uniting with world-famous urban culture artists who share its values to break the rules, showcase radical expertise, and obsess daily over the design of the future, says the maison.

Sorayama is known for breaking conventions and inspiring his peers through the creation of his ultra-realistic feminine "Sexy Robots."

Continuing on a journey to create boundary-breaking masterpieces, Roger Dubuis invited him to the manufacture to take on the innovative challenge of reinterpreting the maison's astral signature.

3D sculptures

Reinterpreting the Excalibur MB with hyper expressivity and sophistication, the artist chose to be provocative by breaking the maison’s design codes. Curvy lines and a full shine finish blur the sharp design and contrasted finishes Roger Dubuis usually signs its masterpieces with.

Sorayama borrowed further cues from his own iconic creations by echoing his 3D sculptures within the polished titanium finish. This striking aesthetics required the maison’s hyper-skilled watchmakers to develop unusual processes to replicate the desired shiny effect.

Additionally, Sorayama redesigned Roger Dubuis' micro-rotor to create a mesmerizing moiré optical illusion that is triggered by the wearer's natural fluid wrist movements. It took months of in-house prototyping to find the ideal mix of materials, ornamentation, and finishes for this alluring effect, another first for the artist and Maison.

The final execution combines a traditional three-hour-long guilloché technique on specific parts of the micro-rotor with an extremely precise and optimal distance between each line of the stamped décor, and an innovative assembly process placing a stamped sapphire dial above the redesigned micro-rotor.

Peak Performance

The Excalibur Sorayama MB houses an automatic calibre recently enhanced with a series of mechanical and aesthetic improvements.

For high performance, Roger Dubuis' engineers extended the RD720SQ's power reserve to 72 hours. In addition, the micro-rotor was improved to minimise vibrations and doubled the balance wheel inertia to increase stability and lessen the sensitivity to shocks.

Efficiency and energy transmission was further boosted through the use of a new lube and by optimising the shape of the escapement wheel, pairing it with adjustable pallet-stones, and constructing both elements from diamond-coated silicon.

Such high standards of horological mastery and craftsmanship has been rewarded with the Poinçon de Genève, one of the exclusive stamps of certification in watchmaking today.

The Excalibur Sorayama Monobalancier has the first Roger Dubuis titanium grade 5 bracelet to feature its quick release system for ease and versatility. Housed in a 42 mm case crafted from titanium grade 5 as well, this exclusive artwork is limited to just 28 pieces and at first available in Japan only.

Of the creation, Sorayama states: “The Excalibur Sorayama MB is a perfect blend of two worlds, with Roger Dubuis’ and my signature both recognisable at first sight. I’m thrilled we were able to bring such a hyper expressive timepiece to life. By pushing our limits, we’ve created a distinctive moiré and a singular masterpiece.”