BREAKING! The New Roger Dubuis Hommage La Placide. A Return to the Maison’s Roots with a Modern Revival Limited to 28 Pieces, featuring both original and remanufactured in-house components
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New: Roger Dubuis Hommage La Placide
The Roger Dubuis Hommage La Placide has a retail price of CHF 115,000 before taxes. Limited Edition of 28 pieces.
Commentary
Most collectors today have forgotten what Roger Dubuis once stood for. The brand is now commonly associated with the Excalibur line and its high-octane partnerships with Pirelli and Lamborghini. However, this perception is set to shift with the revival of one of the brand’s earliest pillars: the Hommage.
The Hommage was one of two inaugural collections (the other being the Sympathie). Launched in 1996 when Roger Dubuis first presented its watches to the public, the Hommage carried special emotional weight. It embodied Mr Roger Dubuis’ tribute to the watchmakers who shaped his career: his mentors, his friends, and the artisans who influenced his craft.
One of these friends was Mr Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, founder of Agenhor. Together, the pair developed a groundbreaking bi-retrograde perpetual calendar for Harry Winston in 1989. A world-first for a wristwatch at the time. This signature complication later found its way into both the Hommage and the Sympathie when the brand debuted its collections in 1996. A notable reference that parallels the new release is the Roger Dubuis Hommage Perpetual Calendar H37.
Now, 29 years later, Roger Dubuis has revisited its roots. The Geneva-based Maison has unveiled the Hommage La Placide, a tribute that honours the legacy of its founder. Limited to just 28 pieces, the number itself is deeply symbolic. “28” echoes Mr Dubuis’ student registration number 208, at the École d’Horlogerie de Genève, and also recalls the early days of the Maison, when each variant was produced in strictly limited runs of 28 examples at the atelier in downtown Geneva.
Far from being a mere namesake revival, the new Hommage carries the Poinçon de Genève-certified calibre RD1472. Its foundation is the RD14, the brand’s first in-house automatic movement introduced in 2004. The RD14 was significant not only for its architecture, but also because it featured an in-house balance spring developed in the early 2000s, allowing the Maison to earn its status as an official manufacture.
For the Hommage La Placide, the restored RD14 is paired with the RD72 module, originally introduced in 1999 which brings a full perpetual calendar to the watch, complete with day, date, month, leap-year indicator, and moonphase display. To reintroduce this complication, Roger Dubuis remanufactured the mainplate, large bridge, and nearly half of the module’s components, including levers, springs, wheels, and pinions. All executed entirely in-house.
The work, however, extends well beyond the movement. The dial of the Hommage La Placide carries forward Mr Dubuis’ signature bi-retrograde aesthetic, reinterpreted here as a dramatic five-layer composition. Each layer is crafted with distinct decorative techniques, incorporating materials such as mother-of-pearl and yellow gold to heighten the visual depth and complexity of the design.
In conclusion, we welcome this new direction from Roger Dubuis. The Hommage La Placide marks a long-awaited return to the Maison’s origins and to the sensibilities that made early Roger Dubuis so revered. All of us at the Deployant office hope that this revival continues and that the Sympathie, too, may one day return.
*Bonus: Our team will be on the ground later today to give a comprehensive hands on video of this exciting new release. Stay tuned to our socials
UPDATE
A special edition named The Hommage “Sukoon Al-Layl” is revealed at the Dubai Watch Week 25. This is the very same watch as this novelty executed in platinum. Other than the case material, the dial is also different. Still a multi-layered construction, but now featuring a flange in MOP, and calendar segments. The main dial plate is now guilloché. See image below.
Press Release
ROGER DUBUIS PRESENTS A MODERN REVIVAL: HOMMAGE LA PLACIDE-
A LIMITED SERIES
An emotive tribute to the Hommage collection, which Mr. Roger Dubuis dedicated to the watchmakers who had influenced his career. This time, it’s a tribute to the watchmaker himself.
-A modern revival coming in a limited edition of 28 pieces, made in-house with both original and
remanufactured components, meeting the Poinçon de Geneve standard.
-A meaningful and layered aesthetic expression, with Mr. Roger Dubuis’ favourite Biretrograde
display.
In a limited series of 28 timepieces, the new Hommage La Placide takes the wearer on a 30-year journey, with authentic components and inspiration from the past, brought to life today through a modern Roger Dubuis lens. An important 30th anniversary creation that celebrates the legacy of this Geneva Maison and its revered founder.
Inside each model, the Calibre 1472 is a testament to Roger Dubuis both then and now. Combining original and remanufactured components in the same movement, it celebrates history and the present-day through technical savoir-faire and layered aesthetics.
This dedicated series echoes the Excalibur Monobalancier Biretrograde Calendar recently launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva, giving watch aficionados and collectors two biretrograde creations that have a rich connection to the Maison’s heritage.
Hommage Inspiration
Launched in 1996, the original ‘Hommage’ was Mr. Roger Dubuis’ tribute to the talented watchmakers, teachers, and friends who had influenced his career. Those who had guided him throughout his life and provided the inspiration to create his own path.
When conceptualizing this new series, the manufacture returned to that story, borrowing the idea for a new tribute to Mr. Roger Dubuis himself. It combines his favourite Perpetual Calendar complication with Biretrograde display, while honouring his passion for restoration and expressive aesthetics.
The name “La Placide” includes a reference to Mr. Roger Dubuis’ “Placide” nickname, which he received during his childhood days as a scout, and which he carried throughout his life and career. A perfect reflection of his calm and gentle spirit, and the quiet wisdom he brought to the industry.
RD14: The Base Calibre
Roger Dubuis began this new watchmaking journey by reintroducing the original RD14 calibres – the Maison’s very first in-house automatic movement, which was debuted in 2004. One by one, the calibres were given an extensive check-up, undergoing quality control tests and full diagnostics to make each one like new.
Notably in design, these RD14 calibres include the swan neck regulator – a respected feature due to its traditional nature and more decorated finish. It’s a piece that offers better shock-resistance and a more precise setting.
The calibres also use original Roger Dubuis balance springs. These have a special place within the Maison’s heritage, because their in-house production in the early 2000s enabled Roger Dubuis to receive the title of an official manufacture.
One significant improvement to the calibre for greater performance is the repositioning of all the axes of the wheels, following a complete recalculation of the gear train.
RD72: Adding the Perpetual Calendar
The restored RD14 base calibres were then coupled with the RD72 module – which was first used in 1999 and is notable for its Perpetual Calendar complication, a favourite of Mr. Roger Dubuis that combines day, date, month, leap year, and moonphase displays.
For this project, the Maison had to remanufacture the main plate, large bridge, and 50% of the components, such as levers, springs, wheels, and pinions. All of this work was carried out in-house, highlighting the expertise of Roger Dubuis’ integrated manufacture today.
It also reveals a smooth month and leap year conception, whereby two star-shaped wheels are combined, one with 12 teeth and another with 48 teeth. This allows the month and leap year to be displayed on the same counter, with two co-axial hands.
RD1472: A Modern Revival
This is only the second time that the RD14 and RD72 have been combined. Their return together results in the Hommage 1472 calibre that sits at the heart of the new series.
With a newly made rotor in 18K pink gold, the entire movement is constructed with 291 components and is distinguished by 15 decoration techniques, including wheel-bevelling, tool-bevelling, rounding, circular graining, snailing, Geneva stripes, mirror polishing, teeth polishing, tip polishing, perlage, truing, internal drawing, external drawing, frosting, and burnishing.
The Poinçon de Geneve certification was a mark of excellence for Mr. Roger Dubuis when creating his timepieces, and it has remained an important feature of the Maison’s watchmaking through to today.
The criteria of the certification, however, has evolved over the years, and is now somewhat different to the demands for the original RD14 and RD72. The latest standards, put into effect in 2012, are largely related to chronometry, with tests now performed on the entire timepiece, rather than just the calibre.
Therefore, when crafting the RD1472, the artisans particularly focused on the setting of the calibre, ensuring it could meet the modern Poinçon de Geneve requirements. Movement setting has historically been very important within horology workshops, and this detail further highlights the virtuosity of Roger Dubuis craftsmen today.
The Layered Dial
The dial of the Hommage La Placide tells its own story of complexity. Firstly, it highlights Mr. Roger Dubuis’ beloved Biretrograde display, whereby the calendar’s hands move gracefully along the semi-circle scales, and at the end of their cycle, return immediately to zero to begin their journey again. Just like their original Roger Dubuis appearance in 1995, the scales are wide on the outside, and narrow towards the centre, giving them a unique sense of ellipsis.
Layered dials are characteristic of Roger Dubuis singularity and this timepiece illustrates that approach through five different layers, each revealing their own expressive decoration.
▪ The flange is circular brushed with a rhodium coating. It includes transferred numerals and a minute track, along with polished angles for extra radiance.
▪ Mother-of-pearl is then used to create the calendar segments, with transferred texts and hand- bevelled sides.
▪ The main plate is produced in a colour known as “Leman Blue”, a tribute to Lake Geneva, which Mr. Roger Dubuis viewed each day as a watchmaking student on the train journey between Geneva and Vevey. It is lacquered to obtain a deeper hue and features applied hour markers, with transferred text and lunar month information.
▪ The counters are also made in mother-of-pearl, with a broader circular brushed finish and transferred texts.
▪ Finally, there is also a moonphase layer, made with a blue aventurine base and curved 18K yellow gold moons.
This 38 mm timepiece is crafted with an 18K pink gold case and is fixed to a blue interchangeable leather strap featuring an original Roger Dubuis emblem on the buckle.
Both the Hommage La Placide and the Excalibur Biretrograde Calendar, launched on this 30th Anniversary, celebrate Mr. Roger Dubuis’ vision and work as a master watchmaker. Inspired by the past, they celebrate the biretrograde display, renowned to our Maison, and today’s expressivity.
Honouring Original Owners
As a sign of gratitude to coincide with this launch, all existing Hommage owners will be welcomed to visit any Roger Dubuis monoband boutique around the world to receive a complimentary Hommage strap to fit their original timepiece.
ABOUT ROGER DUBUIS
Representing an unexpected blend of distinctive character and horological expertise, Roger Dubuis has been at the forefront of expressive watchmaking since 1995. The Maison has become renowned for its limitless obsession with conceiving, designing and shaping the future of Haute Horlogerie – the values of pleasure, freedom, and madness fuelling its disruptive attitude. Sustained by its fully integrated manufacture, where every caliber is made in- house, Roger Dubuis commits to performance and strives for excellence.
Rewarded by the Poinçon de Genève certification, their traditional yet contemporary masterpieces are a demonstration of radical skill and ancestral craftmanship, which the Maison reinterprets year after year with fervid creativity and innovative materials. With this avant-garde and daring energy, Roger Dubuis is bringing its collections to an exclusive circle of clients and friends.
