Roger Dubuis has unveiled its new "Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy." This stunning timepiece is adorned with designs related to Sengoku-era Japan, featuring a miniature Edo Castle at the center of the dial, as well as the helmets and family crests of 12 warlords, including the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa. Only 28 pieces will be sold worldwide.
Edo Castle, a symbol of a peaceful era, and the helmets of the 12 samurai warriors surrounding it.
Roger Dubuis has unveiled the "Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy," a timepiece that focuses on Japan's Sengoku period (Warring States period). The brand is known for its "Knights of the Round Table" series, in which twelve knights stand on the dial, but this new model is a departure from its previous works, which depicted stories from medieval England. Instead, it portrays a historical turning point in 17th-century Japan, from the turbulent times of war through the Battle of Sekigahara to the establishment of the Edo Shogunate.
Automatic movement (Cal. RD821). 33 jewels. 28,800 vibrations/hour. Power reserve approximately 48 hours. 18K rose gold case (45mm diameter, 16.87mm thickness). 3 ATM water resistance. Limited edition of 28 pieces worldwide. Price upon inquiry.
Of particular note are the helmets of the 12 warlords that serve as the index. Starting with Tokugawa Ieyasu at the 12 o'clock position, a line of famous generals who played important roles in the Battle of Sekigahara and the establishment of the Edo Shogunate are arranged. This represents the spirit of the ancient Japanese "kurumaza" (circle gathering) symbolizing unity, and the historical moment when a time of turmoil turned into a long period of harmony.
Crafted from 18K pink gold, each helmet is meticulously crafted by skilled artisans using micro-sculpture techniques, requiring two to three days of painstaking handwork for the finishing touches. In particular, the design of the "maedate" (front ornament) adorning the front of the helmet showcases exceptional metiers d'art craftsmanship, ensuring that no two helmets are exactly alike.
And towering in the center of the dial, where these helmets face each other, is a pink gold motif of Edo Castle. Composed of 17 parts, this castle is based on a deep blue reminiscent of the indigo dye used in samurai attire, and is a contemporary miniature of Edo Castle, a symbol of a peaceful era.
The 45mm diameter case is crafted from 18K pink gold, inheriting the powerful design from the Excalibur series. Here too, the aesthetics and dignified presence of the samurai are evident, with a blue enamel ring surrounding the crown and a blue calfskin strap featuring stitching reminiscent of the small scales worn on a samurai's armor.
Inside, it houses the in-house Cal.RD821 movement, a feature carried over from the "Knights of the Round Table" collection. Its finishing employs 14 different techniques, and its superior quality and aesthetics are guaranteed by the Geneva Seal certification. Furthermore, the transparent case back allows one to admire the geometrically shaped rotor and the pink gold ring, which is blue-coated and features the family crest of each samurai warrior laser-engraved onto it.
Furthermore, Roger Dubuis collaborated with Frederick Kleins, a professor of Japanese history and consultant for the Emmy Award-winning drama series "Shōgun," to ensure historical accuracy in the production of this work.
Regarding this work, Kleins commented, "Samurai culture has produced a rare 'art of attire' in human history. It seems perfectly natural that the tradition of craftsmanship passed down by master craftsmen would now meet with the art of haute horlogerie. What both fields have in common is the attitude of pursuing excellence without any compromise."
[Warlords and helmets placed in each index]
12 o'clock position: Tokugawa Ieyasu (Daikoku-shaped helmet, fern leaf-shaped crest)
1 o'clock position: Honda Tadakatsu (Helmet with deer antlers)
2 o'clock position: Sakai Tadatsugu (Thirty-eight-plate gold-rimmed helmet with sword-shaped crest)
3 o'clock position: Mizuno Katsunari (black lacquered Tang-style helmet, black lacquered monstrous crest)
4 o'clock position: Sakakibara Yasumasa (three-pronged sword ornament)
5 o'clock position: Date Masamune (crescent moon shaped helmet crest)
6 o'clock position: Itakura Katsushige (Helmet with bird feathers on the head)
7 o'clock position: Kuroda Nagamasa (Silver foil-stamped Ichinotani-shaped helmet)
8 o'clock position: Hosokawa Tadaoki (black lacquered helmet with bird feather decoration)
9 o'clock position: Ii Naomasa (Red armor helmet, genuine gold leaf large finial)
10 o'clock position: Asano Nagamasa (Peach-shaped helmet with water buffalo horn ornaments)
11 o'clock position: Kato Yoshiaki (Helmet with a horned hood and bird-tail ornament)
