Editor's Picks
Farewell Roger
Editor's Picks
Farewell Roger
He asked me if I had seen any watches and when I replied in the negative, he unstrapped his watch and handed it to me. Not dial up. But sapphire crystal/movement-side up. That’s what really counted for him – the movement inside.
When people ask me about when I became interested in watches, this was it, my moment of horological conversion. Roger explained the different parts of the movement in such a way that I was captivated. He was a watchmaker, but also an excellent teacher, and over the years, many a watchmaker has shared with me how Roger had helped them solve a problem that was troubling them. He loved helping and was always willing to share his 60+ years of experience with anyone who requested it.
We both left the company under difficult circumstances, first him and then me, but we stayed in contact and would occasionally meet for lunch or a beer in his secret hideaway in a restaurant that was above the Nissan garage. You could drive your car right up onto the roof, it was the coolest of places.
In 2008 the Manufacture Roger Dubuis was bought by the Richemont Group and in 2011 Roger was invited back as a kind of Godfather figure. It was extremely hard for him to lose his business and his name, but this new role brought him a certain amount of closure.
Richemont kept him super busy but we would bump into each other at events. I remember the last time I saw him was at the Geneva watch show last year, he was with a group of people and gave me a wave and that super smile of his across the room that just filled you with warmth. He was one-of-a-kind and I am proud to have been able to call him my friend.