This is Roger Dubuis’s first Central Tourbillon, and it is perhaps the best expression of the brand’s current identity!
Roger Dubuis has entered Watches & Wonders 2024 with some amazing mechanical creations, and this central tourbillon timepiece will be their best one yet! We’ve seen what Roger Dubuis are capable of. They are a brand that specialises in avant-garde timepieces, creations that are well and truly beyond the norm.
This has been the company’s ideology since its inception in 1955. Mr. Roger Dubuis dreamed of creating one-of-a-kind timepieces for his closest circle of friends. While this turned into something so much bigger, the vision and dream stayed the same. Still today, that drive for exclusivity lives on through the Maison’s bold invention of Hyper Horology™.
The all-new Orbis in Machina presents a different perspective of Roger Dubuis’ iconic tourbillon craftsmanship. This latest design is duality: It represents both the brand’s heritage and modern engineering. The name given to the timepiece, Orbis in Machina, is a nod to the revolving nature of the tourbillon, and the circular orbit of the watch’s display.
Roger Dubuis is certainly no stranger to the development of complex tourbillons. The brand has been long associated with this mechanism, having developed its own line of in-house tourbillon movements for more than twenty years! This is, however, the first time the brand has created something truly rare in the world of horology. The creation of the Central Monotourbillon poses many different challenges, such as finding a different way to display the hands, while also redistributing the movement’s components around the tourbillon itself.
The Central Monotourbillon is housed in the manual-winding Calibre RD115. The movement is built from 283 components with 29 rubies. Just like all Roger Dubuis tourbillons made since 2003, the mechanism itself is a flying tourbillon. Drawing from inspiration from the past, the timepiece’s selection bolt has been created with reference to the ancient “Ébauche” components of high horology. This method has allowed the watchmakers of Roger Dubuis to place the winding and setting system at the bottom of the movement, which gives more space for the hour hand to operate on the dial.
In regards to the construction of this complex mechanism, Roger Dubuis has explained the process: “Starting at the middle, the designers have worked outwards, delivering an aesthetic purity through contrasting concentric circles in pink gold and grey that indicate the seconds, minutes, and hours. It’s an overall reinterpretation of the skeleton style, allowing the watchmakers to play with the space and glorify the tourbillon by placing it at the centre.
The 3D discs for the minutes and hours displays are particularly prominent and are contrasted by open-worked flying hands mounted on ball bearings that are double-sided and sharp. This particular display required the invention of a patent-pending system that can safely disengage the hands and allow the watch to be set with assured stability. A similar double-sided approach has been taken for the flange, which houses the hour indications on the outer perimeter.
This complex creation is housed in a 45mm 18k pink gold case and bezel, presented on a black leather strap that contrasts nicely with the pink gold material. Like all of Roger Dubuis’s timepieces, the Orbis In Machina comes with a transparent case back, which gives an unrestricted view into the Maison’s mechanical mastery. It also reveals the dedication to Poinçon de Genève certification, whereby the surfaces of every component within the calibre must be hand-decorated to the highest standard. This certification is one of the most demanding signatures in fine watchmaking.
“In the Orbis in Machina, the sapphire crystal acts as a window to the utmost excellence of Geneva fine watchmaking. In contrast to the front of the watch, the view through the back is based on detailed heritage, with a look that will instantly appeal to connoisseurs of high horology. Two opposing yet complementary sides that show the differentiation and duality that characterises Roger Dubuis.”
Roger Dubuis on the detailed finishing of the case back.
Final Thoughts
A master of the complex tourbillon mechanism, Roger Dubuis has just showcased the brand’s creativity in designing the tourbillon like never before. This new Orbis in Machina is a demonstration of the highest level of engineering that only a few watch brands in the world can achieve.
With only 88 models produced, whoever is able to obtain the Orbis In Machina will undoubtedly own a piece of history in Hyper Horology™. The mechanical artistry shown on the dial is truly mesmerising. As the flying tourbillon works its magic and spins clockwise, it activates the second hand, which it’s connected to. Like a normal second-hand, the flying tourbillon will complete one full rotation every minute. This then engages the minute hand in the next “stepped” down concentric circle, which leads to the hour hand being engaged after every full rotation of the minute “disk”.
The innovation doesn’t stop at the movement. Even the materials have been revamped for this new piece. To increase resistance to magnetic fields and keep perfect control of the weight, the lower tourbillon cage is made of antimagnetic titanium, which is twice lighter than stainless steel. The upper tourbillon cage is made of mirror-polished Cobalt Chrome, which is also non-magnetic and enables the weight of the tourbillon to be reduced by 16%.
With several patents, a Poinçon de Genève certification, the highest standard in high-watchmaking, and a dial display that leaves your mind boggled, the Roger Dubuis Orbis In Machina is one of the truest expressions of Hyper Horology™.
Reference: RDDBEX1119
Specification
- Case: 45mm
- Case Material: 18k Pink gold case and bezel
- Dial: Central flying tourbillon surrounded by 3D discs for the minutes and hours displays.
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance: 30m (3 Bar)
- Movement: R28-070-00X
- Movement Frequency: 3Hz (21,600 VpH)
- Power reserve: 72 hours
- Bracelet: Black leather strap with a quick-release system.
