Roger Dubuis created his eponymous brand at a time where “going independent” wasn’t something watchmakers usually did.

Dubuis started his career in the late 1950s in the after sales department of Longines. Repairing the iconic 13ZN chronograph caliber was an eye opener for him into the wonderful world of chronographs. He then left Longines for Patek Philippe where he worked as a constructor and a master watchmaker in the complications department. He left Patek Philippe after 14 years and set up his own repair atelier in Geneva in 1980, even creating movements for other brands. However, it was not until the mid 1990s that he created his own brand.

Greatly inspired by his time at Patek Philippe and the brand’s beautiful timepieces Dubuis launched two models, the round classical Hommage and the more quirky Sympathie with its unusual case design.

The present Sympathie chronograph features a movement based upon the Lemania 2310 ébauche - just like the famed Patek Philippe reference 5070. The movement proudly displays the Geneva seal - an exceptional feat for a small, at the time, independent watchmaker. On top of that, it was certified by the Besançon Observatory.

This watch takes us back to a time, when now-household names such as F.P. Journe or Roger Smith were experimenting, producing their very first prototypes, pushing the boundaries of watchmaking and re-defining the meaning of watchmaking. Industry veterans will look back at this golden period of horology as the cradle of Independent Watchmaking, with doses of both pride and nostalgia.