Mixed feelings on Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar due to design and features, but overall appealing. | Roger Dubuis

The Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar

I have mixed feelings about the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar ref. DBEX1179.

But, as it has never really been reviewed on our site, I thought it would be interesting to share our thoughts about it.

WHAT I LIKE

I'll start with what I like about this watch: the look and design.

Bold, strong, dynamic. Yet clean and well balanced.

Loud? A little, yes. But it works for me.

The notched bezel, crown guards, crenelated crown, and triple lug design are decisive elements of this strong design.

I also like the strongly beveled outer lugs.

The integrated bolstered calfskin leather strap is also a nice detail matching the bold design.

Back to the first photo: the 40 x 11.25 mm pink gold case looks really good on the wrist.

And the mother-of-pearl inserts at 6 and 12 o'clock add a touch of dream to what could otherwise feel a bit too industrial.

I also like the hollowed hands and the lumed hour indexes.

The automatic caliber RD480, though far from being mesmerising, is quite appealing too.

I like, in particular, the Geneva Seal emblem featured on the rotor.

The engraved text is a bit anecdotal, but why not?

The sentence in French says: “C’est une montre actuelle, inspirée mais pas soumise au passé, qui se projette dans un futur qui nous appartient”.

Which means: “This is a watch of today, inspired by but not bound to the past, which looks ahead to a future that belongs to us”.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE

Well, it's very simple: I personally don't like openwork dials.

And I think that when you create an openwork dial like that, you really have to go all the way and offer exquisite finishes, with beautiful inward angles.

Here, the bridges for the bi-retrograde mechanism and wheels don't do it for me.

Not having made inward angles on these bridges is a real missed opportunity, especially at the high price being asked for the watch.

So my feelings are really mixed from an aesthetic standpoint.

But there's another point which leaves my unsatisfied: this is only a biretrograde simple calendar, not a perpetual and not even an annual calendar, as far as I've understood (correct me if I'm wrong).

What are your personal feelings about this watch?

Do you like it? Do you hate it? Do you have mixed feelings like me?

As a closing image, here's the 40 mm Excalibur ref. DBEX1179 side by side with the 37 mm Sympathie Perpetual Calendar ref. S37 similar to the one worn by the late Roger Dubuis.