Following the MonovortexTM Split-Seconds Chronograph, which introduced the future of the Roger Dubuis chronograph at Watches and Wonders earlier this year, the Excalibur Spider Flyback Chronograph signals the long-awaited comeback of this complication to the Maison’s collections – making its anticipated debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2023.
The feature at 6 o’clock is an example of this spirit: the famous column wheel. Compared to a horizontal design, the vertical clutch is known to be more precise when starting the chronograph, improving accuracy at the moment that matters. Viewed from the caseback, it also recalls the gear-system of supercar design, making a valid connection to the world of motorsport.
Precision then combines with playful, as the movement reveals its unexpected 120° Rotating Minute Counter (RMC) at 3 o’clock – crafted with a radical isotoxal shape. Just like the MonovortexTM concept watch, the minute counter includes a patent- pending tripartite hand that carries the 0, 1 and 2, accurately rotating past the 0-9 digits on the right.
Reaching 72 hours of power reserve, this calibre then changes focus, facing up to the modern challenges of shock, gravity, and magnetism. Tilted at 12°, the balance wheel at 9 o’clock has raised its level of inertia to the same standard as a tourbillon. Reaffirming its remarkable engineering, the RD780 is backed by Poinçon de Genève certification.
The exterior of this 45 mm timepiece is equally as impressive with the case crafted in lightweight carbon, revealing a perfect combination of sharp lines and signature notches – and a symmetry that is typical of the Excalibur Spider collection.
