A visit to Manufacture Roger Dubuis

By Su Jia Xian (SJX)

The trajectory Roger Dubuis has taken in its 15 years is remarkable. Founded in 1995 by Carlos Dias, Roger Dubuis started out as a maker of makers in the classic Geneva style – with a twist. Movements were finished to a high degree, consecrated with the Geneva Seal and blessed with an Observatory certificate. Even when the brand used new old stock movements, they were modified for that distinctively elaborate Geneva look with separate cocks for the escape, third and fourth wheel. In fact, the firm was founded as SOGEM, or Société Genevoise des Montres. It was like Patek but cooler – remember the Sympathie double retrograde perpetual calendar?

Roger Dubuis calibre (left) and the original Cyma movement (right); note the separate cocks and polished steel cap on the escape wheel cock

Photo courtesy of SteveG

Roger Dubuis was successful and it grew rapidly. By 2001 it had a shiny new enormous manufacture in Meyrin. Four years later it employed 400 people. That was a consequence of Dias’ ambition – he wanted Roger Dubuis to be entirely vertically integrated. The brand began designing and making its own movements and Roger Dubuis boasted 28 different calibres by 2009. It was quite a feat.

But then the brand ran into well publicised problems which were a symptom of its supercharged growth. Quality, reliability and finishing, began to suffer. And so Carlos Dias, who was always a better businessman than manager, sold Roger Dubuis to Richemont in 2008.

So what did Richemont buy? Richemont bought a brand, one that is slightly tarnished, but still valuable. Collectors have fond memories of the early Roger Dubuis pieces while later clients continue to appreciate the brand’s flamboyant aesthetic.

But Richemont also bought a factory, a brilliant and impressive facility with enormous potential.

The Roger Dubuis factory in Meyrin, Geneva, was created almost overnight and is capable of making nearly an entire movement from start to finish. Roger Dubuis is one of the few companies, as well as fellow Richemont firms Lange and Montblanc, which is able to make its own hairsprings.

A view of the two buildings of Manufacture Roger Dubuis

The reception area 

But movement production is merely an indication of having lots of machines churning out parts. Roger Dubuis not only owns the hardware, but it also owns a vast number of movement designs, created in-house. Though the number of in-house calibres totals over two dozen, it currently produces or intends to manufacture 12 to 15 of them, so as to ensure enough testing is done for perfect reliability.

Click here to read my interview with Matthias Schuler, the outgoing CEO of Roger Dubuis.