Roger Dubuis' career started in a typical watchmaker's fashion - learning his craft at large manufactures, including
Patek Philippe. These formative years are clearly reflected in the style of this
Hommage Chronograph watch, inspired by classics such as the
Patek Philippe's Ref. 130. It is also similar to the
Ref. 5070, albeit in a more elegant, smaller size.
It is understood that for each variant in the series, there were no more than 28 examples made. Each was chronometer-graded from the
Besançon Observatory, with the combination of rose-gold and black ‘sector-dial’ especially desirable. One of the earlier pieces created by the legendary watchmaker, after establishing his own brand in 1995, these watches are becoming increasingly collectible.
The design is that of a two-register chronograph, with a black sector-dial. The face is painted with luminous Arabic numerals and minute markers, which add a nice contrast against the black dial and compliment well the creamy white sub-registers. The other hands are rose gold, with the hour and minute hands taking the form of feuilles shape and filled with luminous material. The case is very distinct with its polished, stepped concave bezel and brushed concave lugs. The three-piece case construction gives the watch a larger presence on the wrist than the mid-size 37 mm case would normally suggest.
The watch is powered by the Cal. RD 56 (based on the Lemania 2310), bearing the Seal of Geneva. The complexity of the movement is revealed through an engraved sapphire case-back, featuring a 21 jewel, straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions, a self-compensating
Breguet spring and swan-neck micrometer regulator.
Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.