At the latest Watches and Wonders Shanghai, Roger Dubuis unveiled a precious new Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon.
Roger Dubuis presented a new and precious version of the Orbis in Machina, a watch equipped with a central tourbillon and now enhanced by the presence of precious stones. The latter, in particular, are 132, with baguette cut. The dial (protected by a domed sapphire crystal) houses 12 rubies and 48 diamonds (which are also the indices for the minute hand), while the bezel is set with 72 diamonds. In addition, a further 11 rubies are positioned on the flange, acting as hour markers for the hour hand. These elements create a colour contrast that enhances the 45 mm case made of 18-carat rose gold, combined with a red calfskin strap with Quick Release System.
The Central Monotourbillon, a rarity in the industry, defies traditional watchmaking canons thanks to the central location of the tourbillon cage. The engineers at Roger Dubuis have overcome this obstacle by developing two innovative patent-pending systems. The first is a 'planetary system', a special gearing that makes the mechanism itself pure and compact, creating a more refined appearance and leaving more room to play with aesthetic elements. The second is a clutch release system for setting the time.
One of the challenges posed by the central tourbillon is reading the time, as the space normally used by the hands is occupied by the tourbillon cage. In this calibre, the hands are driven by ball bearings, while the clutch system, with the help of a clip, disengages the hands allowing the time to be set.
Roger Dubuis Orbis in Machina Central Monotourbillon: only 8 pieces available
This precious variant of the Orbis in Machina uses the hand-wound manufactory-made RD115 calibre.
The watch is characterised by its sinuous lines and concentric circles in pink gold starting from the centre of the dial, are useful for displaying seconds (integral to the tourbillon cage), minutes and hours, arranged on different levels. This arrangement creates a beautiful three-dimensional effect. The sapphire crystal case back allows one to admire the skeletonised, hand-wound mechanical IWC-manufactured RD115 calibre (21,600 vibrations per hour, 72-hour power reserve).
Regarding the movement, perhaps the most relevant aspect is the selection mechanism, inspired by the ancient 'ébauche' components of haute horlogerie dating back to the early 20th century. This allowed the Roger Dubuis watchmakers to position the winding and regulating system at the bottom of the movementleaving more space for the hour hand at the top.
In addition, the calibre RD115 is awarded the prestigious Geneva Hallmark, and its 283 components feature 19 finishing techniques different, including perlage, côtes de Genève and guilloché. Water resistance is guaranteed up to the pressure of 5 atmospheres (50 metres).
Priceon request (limited edition of 8 pieces, boutique exclusive).
