Sometimes, it is hard to get excited about new watches; sometimes, it’s even harder to not let yourself get too excited by something you’ll never be able to afford. But in the case of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Star of Infinity Double Tourbillon watch, I’ve no trouble with the former and have completely given up on the latter. How much you like this piece will have a lot to do with how you feel about the Roger Dubuis Excalibur range to begin with. This Roger Dubuis Excalibur Star of Infinity Double Tourbillon watch, despite offering a totally new calibre layout, with a high degree of operational precision and a breathtaking aesthetic, slots neatly into an ever more impressive family of horological machines being cranked out by the respected Swiss maestro.

I have this deeply-rooted opinion that I am not a flashy guy, but every time a watch dripping with diamonds is thrown at me (not literally) I start swooning. It’s also becoming increasingly apparent to me that I have a penchant for the brash. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the whispered nuances of traditional maisons, just that I get a real kick out of a brazen brand kicking and screaming its way into the limelight. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Star of Infinity Double Tourbillon watch is not a shy timepiece. Its over-the-top barrel bridge, in the shape of a star, instantly turns one’s mind towards the heavens and the concept of space and the infinity beyond. This is clearly intentional. Beneath the diamond-encrusted barrel bridge is a busy void of everything and nothing. The watch’s double tourbillons hang in their own space, seemingly unconcerned with the goings-on around them. It reminds me of staring up at the night sky. At first you see only black, but the longer you stare at the same spot, the distant stars emerge, and before you know it, you can’t see anything but that distant blanket of light in the darkness.

And that’s the feeling I get with this Roger Dubuis Excalibur Star of Infinity Double Tourbillon watch. Initially, the tourbillons seem to be independent of the mechanism, but a moment later, it becomes very apparent that despite the “holes” in this calibre, there is a complicated network of components at play. After the initial “wow” factor subsided, I almost lost the ability to see the tourbillons as detached at all. Far from detracting from this watch’s attractiveness, I found it better for it. With mystery watches, I enjoy the illusion, but get really bored, really quickly: there’s nothing to draw the eye, to pique the interest. This piece lulls you into a false sense of security before slapping you out of your stupor with the brusque reminder that this thing, in spite of its fancy decoration, is a serious machine and should be respected as such.

The star motif continues on the reverse side of this calibre, obviously fully displayed by an edge-to-edge crystal case back. Both tourbillon bridges are shaped like skeletonised stars, creating a constellation on your wrist! Despite the visual complexity of the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Star of Infinity Double Tourbillon watch, there’s not a whole lot going on aside from the twin tourbillons.