The history of Roger Dubuis is rich and complex, as Dubuis started his career in the 1950s working for Longines, before moving on to Patek Philippe’s complications department, before breaking away to start his own workshop in the ‘80s. Later on, in 1995, Dubuis would launch his eponymous brand with the help of businessman Carlos Dias.
Roger Dubuis' watchmaking combined traditional techniques and aesthetics with a more contemporary approach. Perhaps more than any other, the Sympathie design speaks to this forward-thinking approach. Neither round nor square, the Sympathie case design balances the two different shapes, complemented by a stepped bezel and curved, elongated lugs. In an industry where case shapes generally follow quite a narrow blueprint - either round, rectangular or square - the brand put forwards a genuinely innovative design.
According to Roger Dubuis, the basic form was suggested by a respected casemaker in the Vallée de Joux, having later been refined by Dubuis and Dias. This unique silhouette was used across several of the watchmaker's earliest pieces, from his chronographs to his perpetual calendars. Traditionally, it is understood that each variant of the Sympathie series was limited to 28 pieces.
In this instance, the dial is very restrained and classic, combining a rose gold case with a white lacquer face. The design is that of a two-register chronograph, with rose gold indices. Interestingly, this configuration of case and dial appears to be more commonly found in the 34mm pieces, as opposed to the watches found with a 37mm case size.
The watch is powered by the Cal. RD 56 – based on the Lemania 2310 – bearing the Seal of Geneva. The movement was originally developed in 1942 in a partnership between Lemania and Omega, and the resulting movement was later known as the calibre 321, which powered the first watch to go to the moon. The movement bears the Seal of Geneva and was regulated by Roger Dubuis himself. Furthermore, as indicated by the "Bulletin d'Observatoire" signature on the dial, this movement was tested for accuracy at the Besançon Observatory, setting far more exacting standards than a test from the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC).
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Sympathie Chronograph will be subject to 20% VAT.
