With the Watches and Wonders show going virtual for 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Roger Dubuis has revealed its latest creation online via an official press release and digital renders of the timepiece. Called the Excalibur Diabolus In Machina, it is a one-of-a-kind timepiece featuring a cool frosty blue colorway. The unique timepiece in the usual Roger Dubuis fashion sticks to the formula of using high-tech case material along with an openwork dial and a flying tourbillon. However, the highlight of the watch comes in the form of a minute repeater complication added to the mix, which along with the quirky design of the dial makes it a compelling launch of the 2020 Watches and Wonders.
Starting with the case of the Excalibur Diabolus In Machina, it is made from a patented material called CarTech Micro-Melt BioDur CCMTM. It is basically a non-magnetic cobalt-chromium-molybdenum wrought alloy that starts as a powder and is then shaped into a solid form. The watchmaker says the unique material is more wear-resistant than stainless steel and remains shiny even after sustaining scratches. Powering the watch is the RD107 caliber that features a symmetrical layout of two micro-rotors, two hammers, and a tourbillon. The innards of the watch are tightly packed which along with the quirky openwork dial makes for a very busy design. The centerpiece of the watch is the minute repeater which has been tuned specifically for the timepiece. The gongs tuned to C and G flat, the sound of the famous “Diabolus in Musica,” otherwise known as the tritone chord “outlawed in medieval religious music as the secret key to all clever and complex melodic harmony.” A transparent disc with the words hours, quarters, and minutes, sits just behind the Roman numeral at 11 o’clock and acts as a chiming indicator. The watch is paired to a calf leather strap with a titanium triple folding buckle. As mentioned before, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Diabolus In Machina is a one-of-a-kind piece and it is priced at $571,000 USD.
