Roger Dubuis is among the few brands in the industry today that continuously work towards introducing new materials into the watchmaking craft. From materials like the Cobalt Micro Melt in the Excalibur Quatuor to the use of carbon fiber in the Excalibur Spider Carbon, the Geneva-based watchmaker has relentlessly pursued new technology. And now it brings three new innovations in a glow-in-the-dark watch, time to meet the Excalibur Twofold.
The watch uses an imposing 45 mm case in pristine white. It is made from a new material that’s been developed specifically by Roger Dubuis. It is called Mineral Composite Fiber (MCF), an ultra-white composite material made of 99.95 per cent silica. In a technique called sheet molding compound (SMC) process, a white epoxy resin is added to carbon fiber to obtain a white that doesn’t fade or turn yellow over time.
Apart from the case, a layer of MCF is also applied to the top surfaces of the characteristic skeletonized bridges of Caliber RD01SQ. The open-worked dial and signature star bridges of movement are then given a special treatment that allows for SuperLuminova to be applied to every angle of the MCF-coated bridges. As visible in the pictures, the movement glows in the dark and lasts 60 per cent longer than standard luminescent material.
The third party trick is the use of SuperLuminova on the fluorocarbon rubber strap. The luminescent material is mixed with the rubber before the strap is molded. Roger Dubuis has given this process the ungainly name “LumiSuperBiwiNova” but the result is a strap that glow sin the dark.
Caliber RD01SQ has a double flying tourbillon with a power reserve of 50 hours. Excalibur Twofold is limited to just 8 pieces. The price is not known yet, we will update this story as soon as we hear from the brand.
