Roger Dubuis Sympathie

When the Roger Dubuis brand launched, it represented somewhat of a disruption of traditional watchmaking. The company, which was initially called Sogem SA (Société Genevoise des Montres), breathed fresh life into the industry with its unconventional dimensions and complications. Roger Dubuis watches combine masterful engineering with bold and daring designs for modern times. It's all about extravagance.

Designers Roger Dubuis and Carlos Dias founded the Roger Dubuis company. Dubuis was a jewelry designer whose career began in the 1950s. He worked at Longines and later, he gained a sterling reputation within the watchmaking industry while working for Patek Philippe for two decades. He established his own jewelry house in 1980. Dias, who worked as a designer for watchmaker Franck Muller, joined Dubuis to launch their own brand in 1995. Four years later, the Roger Dubuis company produced its inaugural in-house movements.

Thanks to its early success, by 2001, the company constructed a manufacturing facility in Geneva. Inside, Roger Dubuis watchmakers utilize cutting-edge technology as well as time-tested traditional watchmaking techniques to create captivating timepieces for a new generation. In 2005, the company launched its most iconic collection to date: Excalibur, featuring the Knights of the Round Table inside the watch face.

From 2011 to 2015, Roger Dubuis introduced a series of standout designs including the Quatuor RD101, the company's first watch with four sprung balances and five differentials to help account for the earth's gravity. In 2017, Roger Dubuis partnered with Pirelli and Lamborghini to release two luxury race car-inspired timepieces: the Excalibur Spider Pirelli and the Excalibur Aventador S. 

A limited number of the industry’s most revered watchmaking houses, including Vacheron Constantin, Roger Dubuis, Chopard and Cartier, have facilities in Geneva and consistently submit watches for the Geneva Seal. However, not all Geneva-based companies choose to apply for the seal, and even among brands like the ones above, not all references are submitted. Though 20 million Swiss watches are manufactured every year, just 24,000 carry the seal, according to the Roger Dubuis website.

Roger Dubuis introduced two new watch designs at Watches & Wonders 2022, the Excalibur Monobalancier and the Knights of the Round Table Monotourbillon. Also, in 2022, the company partnered with the Goodwood Festival of Speed and marked the collaboration with the racetrack-inspired Excalibur Spider Huracán watch. Roger Dubuis is now part of the Richemont Group. 

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Antique, new and vintage wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.

Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.

Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.

Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.

In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.

Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.

Find antique, new and vintage wristwatches on 1stDibs.