Manufacturer: Roger Dubuis Year: Circa 2000 Movement No: 07 Model Name: Hommage 40 Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 65, 21 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K pink gold Roger Dubuis buckle Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed
Catalogue Essay
The present Roger Dubuis chronograph is a tribute to the time he spent at Longines and Patek Philippe.
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 – a courageous move at a time when very few watchmakers were setting off on their own.
His watches were subtle, elegant with a definitive vintage Patek Philippe flair, especially seen in round Hommage models, like the present chronograph.
The present monopusher chronograph in pink gold features a superb grené dial with delicate Breguet numerals and feuille hands. It houses the wonderful Lemania 2310 ébauche – this was also used by Patek Philippe in its manual chronograph models from the mid 1980s to the mid 2000s. In another nod to his past at Patek Philippe, Dubuis chose to place a cap on the chronograph's column wheel, demonstrating his extreme attention to details.
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.
The present Hommage is fittingly a tribute to the end of the 90s, early 2000s, a period that saw the renaissance of mechanical watchmaking, a golden era of experimentation, innovation and adventure and a period where Roger Dubuis – the man- paved the path for the great independent watchmakers that followed.