Episode III: Roger Dubuis and Artist Dr. Woo Ink a Bold Monotourbillon Collaboration

The watch world is still only beginning to explore the depths of the new-jack crossover appeal of timepieces and tattoos. But when you think about it, the intersection is natural: A watch is an adornment worn on your skin, and a tattoo is an adornment worn just under your skin. As a watch-wearer with some ink myself, it makes perfect sense to me.

In the few collaborations between watch brands and tattoo artists that we’ve seen, tattoo artists who prefer more simplified yet intricate lines and clean geometric symbology tend to be the most successful at translating their style onto a wristwatch.

Such is the case with internationally renowned Los Angeles-based skin artist Dr. Woo. He is not a real doctor (you’re shocked, we know), but he has worked on the rarified epidermis of celebrities like Drake, David Beckham, and Emilia Clarke, to name a few.

When the designers at Roger Dubuis decided to incorporate tattoo art on a limited edition of its Excalibur Monotourbillon, they tapped Dr. Woo for the third such collaboration between the brand and the artist.

Released in 2021, the first collaboration came in the form of a Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monotourbillon, showcasing, on both the dial and caseback sides, the exacting artistry endemic to Dr. Woo’s slim, single-needle tattoo style. Two years later, Dr. Woo’s influence took on a more planetary nature, as befits a timepiece like Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur Monobalancier from 2023.
 

For this new mash-up, the Excalibur Monotourbillon Dr. Woo Episode III, you can see how it relates to the previous collaboration; however, the imagery on the Episode III has become even more cosmic in nature.

Like the “skin” relationship between tattoos and watches, space imagery is a natural inspiration for time-telling, as an analog mechanical wristwatch is essentially a simplified visual metaphor of cosmic movement. Meanwhile, Dr. Woo’s signature symbols – a spider, arcane language runes, and a starship in flight (in this case, traveling the path of the Excalibur line’s star-shaped logo) – are shared by all three collaborations.
 

However, for this new execution, the artist envisioned himself in the so-called “Tourbillon Galaxy” (astronomically known as Messier 51a), which is some 31 million light years away and was first photographed by the James Webb Telescope only two years ago.

“I’m always inspired by discovery. In this new creation, we’re not only exploring the endless expanse of space, but also looking inward at our own artistic and watchmaking capabilities,” the artist said in an announcement of the product.

Dr. Woo’s fanciful designs (which now include new elements like cloud-like nebulae and spiraling galactic arms) are executed via a 3D galvanic growth approach with pink gold detail metallization on the dial crystal. Additional dial details (like the Woo spider at 10 o’clock) are filled with actual black ink for some skin art authenticity.

Meanwhile, on the bezel, laser-engraved alien runes run along the Excalibur-signature triangle-cut pink gold bezel and bracelet links.
 

On the caseback, a swirling, semi-transparent checkerboard planar pattern sucks you into a “black hole” at 9 o’clock, which begins its life on the dial front, continues its galactic journey at 1 o’clock on the caseback.

The watch itself presents a rare combination of titanium and pink gold bi-color construction, with its beefy 42mm case enclosing a robust, Poinçon de Genève-certified manufacture RD515 manual-wind movement featuring a 72-hour power reserve. The exciting flying tourbillon from the moniker appears off-center at about 7 o’clock and is rendered in stainless steel, a metal that best supports its swirling galactic arm design.
 

A final note: close inspection of the starship path on the crystal reveals a “We Come in Peace” message; a universal feel-good tiding, indeed.

Limited to only 28 pieces, the new Excalibur Monotourbillion Dr. Woo Episode III is offered exclusively at the brand’s boutiques, with a price we’ve spotted at around $158,000. For more information, check out the Roger Dubuis website.