Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights of the Round Table
Roger Dubuis Adds the Omniscient Merlin to Its Knights of the Round Table Series
“The worst curse to befall anyone is stagnation, a banal existence, the quiet desperation that comes out of a need for conformity.” – Deepak Chopra from The Return of Merlin.
By Barbara Palumbo
Contributor
It is highly likely that not a single person has ever accused Swiss watch manufacturer Roger Dubuis of producing banal timepieces. On the contrary, the relatively young company – which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year – is often fêted because of its ability to not play it safe, unlike many of today’s brands.
For the last several years at Watches & Wonders in Geneva (and even before W&W existed, when it was still the SIHH), the sounds and sights emitted from the Roger Dubuis booth have drawn the most attention. The brand takes pleasure in its forwardness and gains much from the attention that, in my opinion, it rightfully deserves.
You see, Roger Dubuis puts forth pieces that are on par with the likes of the craziest and most beloved independent watch brands, yet they are under the Richemont umbrella, making them an anomaly of sorts. And the latest Knights of the Round Table boutique edition – the Omniscient Merlin – proves this point.
Equality. Chivalry. Bravery.
In the legend, the Arthurian “Round Table” was created with equality first in mind; every knight was considered equal to his brothers at the table.
In the case of the new Knights of the Round Table Omniscient Merlin (Ref. RDDBEX1094), the story the watch tells takes us back to the heart of Merlin’s history, with a dial depicting a magical landscape overseen by twelve of these noble soldiers, both of which were expertly developed and crafted by the team at Roger Dubuis.
Yet again, Roger Dubuis uses exquisite machinery, manpower, and materials to tell this Arthurian tale using intricately forged, hand-engraved mini-sculptures and fine metals. And the details are so minute that they must be seen to be believed.
In fact, if someone genuinely believed in magic, they would think these figures were forged by Merlin’s own hands.
How Time is Told
While it is clear the Roger Dubuis Knights of the Round Table Omniscient Merlin is a visually stimulating masterpiece that aesthetically delights whether one is a fan of high horology or not, what the timepiece also does tenfold is offer the best movement and mechanics imaginable for a watch of this calibre (pun intended).
Housed in the watch’s 45mm diameter 18K pink gold case, the RD821 self-winding movement, accompanied by a 48-hour power reserve, was constructed using 172 parts and thirty-three rubies. There are fourteen distinct finishes on the RD821 movement – all crafted in-house – including those made specifically so that the watch received its Poinçon de Genève certification.
Said finishes are applied to all surfaces and components of each caliber, offering a spectacular display of several types of lighting. The hour and minute hands have also been crafted in pink gold and brush-finished in a satin texture.
The watch is accompanied by a premium calf leather Quick Release System strap, allowing for straps to be changed easily, and each strap is accented with a pink gold triple folding buckle. Also, while I doubt there are many who would go swimming in such a piece, the watch is water resistant up to 30 meters.
Last but certainly not least, the decorative aspects of the dial include its twelve hand-crafted knights, all micro-sculpted, each one unique, and all approximately 6mm in height. The dial is also made up of 18K pink gold, glass, and basalt patterned blocks to resemble the Giant’s Causeway (which is, not quite so incidentally, made of basalt).
Pricing & Availability
There are only 28 boutique editions available, so if you are a fan of King Arthur or the legendary tales of the Knights of the Round Table, the Omniscient Merlin (Ref. RDDBEX1094) may just be the timepiece you will need for your collection. For more information, check out the Roger Dubuis website.