Roger Dubuis Hommage Minute Repeater Tourbillon Automatic
By Isaac Wingold
Roger Dubuis, the only 100% Poincon de Genève certified manufacture, has just announced its latest haute horology creation, the Hommage Minute Repeater Tourbillon Automatic. As the collection’s name would suggest, this piece is an homage watch, but not in the way it’s often seen within the industry. Roger Dubuis is not only paying tribute to an iconic design, but also they are honoring are historical traditions of watchmaking, and the notable individuals who have helped perpetuate this craft.
The Hommage Minute Repeater Tourbillon showcases just about all of the brand’s horological know-how in a way that is aesthetically audacious, yet refined and sophisticated. Mechanically speaking, this piece is an absolute work of art. As such, the brand has chosen to display the RD104 movement in a semi-skeletonized manner.
the in-house made watch is powered by the RD104 automatic caliber.
So, attributes? The watch features a specially designed minute repeater that improves the overall quality of tone through its use of new materials, and ergonomically designed, rectangular gongs. They’ve also incorporated a flying tourbillon. Being one of the most coveted complications in watchmaking, it’ll be sure to impress collectors with it’s newly improved carriage that ensures optimum accuracy and durability. Roger Dubuis has also developed somewhat of a reputation over the years for offering things in pairs, and they’ve also implemented that school of thinking on this creation. The watch will be automatically wound, by not one, but two pink gold micro-rotors, given a beautiful, hand-finished guilloché texture.
Being the only manufacture to be 100% Poincon de Genève certified, Roger Dubuis has taken certain measures to produce watches like this, to the absolute highest standards. This is why, during the 1,241 hours required to manufacture the in-house Calibre RD104, exactly 328 hours are devoted to testing quality, reliability, and meeting the criteria of the Poincon de Genève.
100 percent of the Roger Dubuis timepieces are Poincon de Geneve certified
Although the true appeal of a piece such as this is what’s on the inside, Roger Dubuis has done a brilliant job of designing quite the smart looking piece. The case features bold lugs that improve the on-the-wrist comfort, along with a variety of polished and meticulously brushed finishes that are truly stunning. It’s asymmetrically placed, Roman numeral clad, guilloché dial will be traversed by a set of leaf-type hands, which just add to that incredibly refined aesthetic.
With the brand’s 20th anniversary approaching next year, this piece – slated to be in stores in several months — will be produced in a fitting, limited run of just 20 examples. With pieces such as this, Roger Dubuis approaches haute horology in a unique way that allows the brand to harken back to the innovations of past masters, while approaching their designs in a distinct and visionary fashion. This Hommage Minute Repeater Tourbillon Automatic definitely represents an amalgamation of the brand’s mechanical expertise, with signature motifs that excite and challenge our notions regarding design.
