Living on a Prayer: The New Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Verde Mantis

Chronographs and cars both pose an interesting philosophical question about time and space.

In horology, the main function of the chronograph complication is to measure elapsed time, but that’s not all it can do. Chronographs can also compute speed based on travel time and measure distance based on speed.

In auto racing, it’s about keeping your eye on the road ahead while looking in the rear-view mirror to assess where the competition is at (we’re talking metaphorical mirrors, of course; it’s all cameras in modern racing).
 

Last year, Roger Dubuis introduced the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph, which combined the cutting-edge technology of supercar engineering with an inventive flyback calibre. This timepiece seemed to encapsulate measuring time in the past and predicting what it might look like in the future.

But it turns out Dubuis wasn’t done with the subject yet.

The Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Verde Mantis is the third edition of the model, so is it really all that different? After all, how does a color change create such a dynamic difference in a watch?

The answer is that the pops of green on the hands, numbers, and textured rubber strap provide us with a new perspective to evaluate this innovative timepiece.
 

Did we lose you? Let’s go back to cars.

In racing, iconic team colors are an essential part of the fandom. The vibrant green of this Flyback Chronograph is a tip of the hat to Roger Dubuis’ long-standing partnership with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. This year, the team will be competing at the highest level as part of the Le Mans Daytona Hybrid series.
 

If that’s not enough to get your adrenaline flowing, you can’t ignore the current trend toward “dopamine dressing.” So, whether Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s team colors please you because you’re a huge fan or just because you seriously love that shade of almost neon green, the new Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph Verde Mantis can at least make you happy.

Fun Fact: “Dopamine dressing” is when you deliberately choose to wear certain items because the specific items or their color have a positive symbolic value for you. By doing this, the theory posits, you can trick your brain into releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a role in feeling calm, focused, and motivated.
 

At the same time, the colorful details of the Verde Mantis highlight the unique construction of the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph. First, the green balances out the lightweight, 45mm grey carbon case. Plus, it helps outline the sharp lines and notches of the bezel.

Lastly, the Lamborghini SC63 is distinctive for the “Y” shape of its headlights, and the dial of this watch features a similar shape, but instead of lights, the watch’s “Y” is filled with green Super-LumiNova.