Roger Dubuis

Founded in 1995, the Geneva watch brand Roger Dubuis is attracting more and more attention from experts and the collectors community. The brand was created by its founders to produce high-quality watches in the tradition of Geneva watchmaking, which is most convincingly embodied by the vintage watches from Patek Philippe. This applies not only to the appearance of Roger Dubuis watches, but also to the high-quality workmanship of the movements. The brand founders had good reasons for choosing such a starting point. Mr. Roger Dubuis himself worked for Patek Phillippe for a long time and knew the most attractive aspects of the great brand's heritage, which were not always and not fully realized in the current Patek Phillippe collection. Carlos Diaz, the second founder of the Roger Dubuis brand, also had a great deal of experience in dealing with the historical design heritage of the Art Deco era as the designer of Franck Muller.

The self-winding caliber RD5772 that we find in this watch is the earliest development of the brand. So early, in fact, that its story began even before the brand was founded, in the 1980s, when Roger Dubuis, who had decided to pursue a career as an independent watchmaker after leaving Patek Philippe, developed an unusual perpetual calendar module together with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, who later founded the Agenhor complication atelier. Their development became the world’s first perpetual calendar module with a double retrograde display of the date and day of the week. It was originally based on Frédéric Piguet's automatic movement and made its debut in 1989 in the Harry Winston Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar watch. After the creation of his brand, Roger Dubuis used this bi-retrograde perpetual calendar module together with the self-winding Nouvelle Lémania 8810, also known as the Longines L990 (originally developed by Lémania for Longines in the 1970s). The Roger Dubuis Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar was produced in many versions, each in an extremely limited edition of only 28 pieces.

This Sympathie Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar has a 37 mm white gold case combined with a white lacquered dial. It is characterized by special features that are unique to the watches of the first generation of the Sympathie collection. Firstly, the intricate curves and corners of the case are replicated in the shape of the bezel and dial. The crystal has the same shape – an impressive, if very expensive, technique, but one that testifies to the brand’s uncompromising attitude to quality. Unfortunately, in the early 2000s, Roger Dubuis abandoned the original Sympathie design in favor of a design with a round crystal and dial that was much easier to produce. Secondly, the caseback of this watch is typical of the early production. It consists of a polished rim and an inner zone with a straight brushing framing a round sapphire crystal decorated with a barely visible laser-engraved 'RD' monogram, a brand emblem. This example comes with a replacement solid gold caseback that originally came with the watch. It looks as if Roger Dubuis wants to continue the fine tradition of Patek Philippe, even if it is rarely used.

The rim of the caseback of this watch is free of engraved or embossed inscriptions or emblems. The hallmarks and maker’s marks are stamped on the inside of all four lugs – which is why we refer to this design as a ‘bald’ caseback. This modesty may be atypical for the brand today, as Roger Dubuis has changed its style since the early 2000s. Since then, the collection has become much more eye-catching and filled with more elements. For this reason, the brand’s early watches are highly appreciated by experts and purists.

The Roger Dubuis Sympathie Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Ref. S37.5772.0 Limited Edition 28 is a very rare, unusual and early white gold limited-edition perpetual calendar wristwatch. It represents Roger Dubuis' most valuable and cherished early heritage and features a case with an unusual "round-square" design with a cushion shape and distinctive sharpened corners inspired by Art Deco wristwatch design. The high-end caliber RD5772 with the very rare bi-retrograde perpetual calendar is stamped with a Poinçon de Genève hallmark and has passed chronometric certification in Besançon. The watch also features an early ‘bald’ exhibition caseback and comes with a replacement solid gold caseback, making it even more valuable to a collector.