Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025 was held in Geneva, Switzerland from April 1st to 7th. At this exhibition, the largest new product fair in the watch industry, Roger Dubuis, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, unveiled two special models featuring bi-retrograde displays, which were the founder's favorite feature.
Roger Dubuis 2025 New Release① "Excalibur Monobalancier Bi-Retrograde Calendar"
Automatic movement (Cal. RD840). 40 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve: approximately 60 hours. 18KPG case (40mm diameter). Water resistant to 10 bar. Estimated price: 9,185,000 yen (tax included). Scheduled for release in November 2025.
Founded in 1995, Roger Dubuis celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a new model that pays homage to the biretrograde display, a favorite feature of founder Roger Dubuis. A retrograde display involves a hand moving along a semicircular scale, returning to zero at the end of each cycle. In 1989, Dubuis collaborated with watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht to develop and jointly patent the retrograde system. Shortly after its founding, in 1996, the brand released a wristwatch with a biretrograde display.
This model brings back the distinctive style with a modern update, showcasing a day-date calendar. The display is named "ecliptic counter" after its oval shape and special function of showing the month and date. A small seconds hand is displayed at 6 o'clock.
The case measures 40mm in diameter, a typical size for models produced by Roger Dubuis in the 1990s. The dial features a seven-layered three-dimensional structure and features a mother-of-pearl insert from 12 to 6 o'clock. Roger Dubuis was one of the first manufacturers to use rose gold and mother-of-pearl in men's watches in the early 2000s.
The hand-decorated and polished in-house movement is certified with the Hallmark of Geneva, and the rotor is a modern take on the 1996 model, engraved with the words of Roger Dubuis's co-founders.
"C'est une montre actuelle, inspirée mais pas soumise au passé, qui se projette dans un futur qui nous appartient."
"This watch is inspired by the past, but not bound by it, and projects our future."
Roger Dubuis 2025 New Model ② "Excalibur Grand Complication"
Automatic movement (Cal. RD118). 65 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve approximately 60 hours. 18KPG case (diameter 45mm). Water resistant to 5 bar. Boutique limited edition of 8 pieces. Estimated price: 147,200 yen (tax included).
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Roger Dubuis is presenting a bi-retrograde model in tribute to its founder, and has released a limited edition of just eight pieces featuring a complex mechanism. In addition to the distinctive bi-retrograde day-date display, this model also features a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, flying tourbillon, and double micro-rotor.
The perpetual calendar automatically calculates the number of days in months and adjusts for leap years, which occur once every four years. This model is accurate enough that no manual correction is required until the year 2100, and after the correction in 2100, it will continue to keep accurate dates automatically for another 100 years. A month display disc is located between the 11 and 12 o'clock positions, and a leap year display is placed next to it.
The minute repeater, activated by a pusher at the 9 o'clock position on the case, uses a hammer and gong to chime the hours with a low tone, the minutes with a high tone, and the quarter-hours with a double tone. This minute repeater mechanism uses an "all-or-nothing" mechanism, which means that it only works when the pusher is fully pressed down, and is designed so that the chime will never sound if the pusher is pressed halfway. This prevents damage to the mechanism due to accidental activation and ensures safety.
The flying tourbillon is located at 5:30 and its mirror-polished cage, inspired by a Celtic cross, is made of lightweight, non-magnetic titanium.
The watch is hand-decorated with 684 individual parts and features 21 different finishes. The openwork dial features the iconic Excalibur skeleton hands. The case measures 45mm in diameter, making it a truly impressive timepiece.
