Last year, Roger Dubuis men’s replica introduced their first carbon-case replica watch, and this year for SIHH 2017 we see them push the use of carbon even further. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Carbon Spider replica watch adds the first ever carbon movement plate, bridges, and tourbillon upper cage to be made entirely in carbon. This very light case and mainplate combination not only strips away weight but enhances performance, resulting in a very cool-looking black and red (hence, “Spider”) replica watch that is emblematic of Roger Dubuis’ commitment to stripped down horological performance that doesn’t give up an aggressive attitude just because it’s technically “minimalist.”
Since I typically prefer a strict dedication to conservative design, there was an initial hurdle in my appreciation of what makes Roger Dubuis replica watches so special. However, I have come around. Roger Dubuis’ dedication to continuously pushing the boundaries of their creativity through their use of materials is hard to deny, no matter what you think of the aesthetics. The automotive-inspired honeycomb pattern on the dial creates a little cohesion by creating a spider web effect (even though it’s a “honeycomb” pattern) throughout the dial that looks very cool. After all, a clean shot of some arm hair would kind of take away from the piece, right?
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Carbon Spider replica watch has a 45mm case that wears well considering its diameter and 14.02mm thickness. It’s something I am wary of any time case sizes move past the 44mm range, but as we can see here, so much of the on-wrist experience comes from the lightweight materials used. The crown, caseback, and inner ring on the dial are made of titanium and vulcanized rubber, with the bezel featuring red lacquer for that vivid color. Oddly enough, it was the bezel that initially pulled me in but the dial is really where all the action is.
