Nicola Andreatta, the CEO of Roger Dubuis, has an incredible history with the brand. The watch cases for Roger Dubuis’ very first watches back in 1995 were, in fact, manufactured by Andreatta’s father in his capacity as the head of Timeo SA.

And Andreatta both created and ran his own brand N.O.A. watches and was the CEO of Tiffany watches before joining Roger Dubuis, in 2018. So, he understands on a very deep and personal level what it means to visualize success. He says, “One of the things that attracted me to Roger Dubuis is this spirit of adventure, courage and hope – qualities that I think we are all in need of now, more than ever before, during this period of the global pandemic.

“As such, when you approached us with the idea of creating a charity auction to benefit the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Solidarity fund, and express solidarity in the watch collecting community, which is a wonderfully international community, we did not hesitate to join.”

What is amazing is that Andreatta had to wait for his manufacture to reopen before assembling his team to create a watch that they would feel expresses the concepts of solidarity, optimism and hope.

Says Andreatta, “We wanted to create a watch that was an expression of who we are today, a unique voice that celebrates modernism but also represents the very best of Geneva watchmaking traditions.” Indeed, Roger Dubuis is unique in its ability to create wildly imaginative modern watchmaking but still backed by iconic hallmarks, like the Geneva Seal.

Andreatta chuckles when he remarks, “We were the very first manufacture to have a watch with a carbon fiber movement that was given the Geneva Seal. At first when we submitted the movement, the Geneva Seal authority was quite perplexed, but then we showed them all the high finishing such as beveling on the bridges and so on was still there.”

The pièce unique watch created specifically by Andreatta and his team is a black DLC treated titanium Excalibur model named, Excalibur Essential Blue. It is one of a kind and has been created expressly for the Revolution x The Rake Covid-19 Solidarity Auction, with the objective to direct funds raised to the parts of the world most in need.

The watch features a 45mm grade 5 titanium case that has been given a Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) treatment to give it the matt black hue. Look closely and you’ll see that previous to this treatment the case has received all the refined finishing, the fine brush on the lugs contrasted by the high polished case flank that is synonymous with Roger Dubuis.

The unique dial features a grey galvanically applied color combined with an appealing sunburst effect. The bezel flange features a blue minute ring, while the continuous seconds indicator is located at 6 o’clock together with the date aperture.

The dial design features Roger Dubuis’ iconic flying Roman numerals, as well as, the diamond tipped hour and minute hands, which are crafted from white gold then anthracite coated. Flip the watch over all you’ll see the massive oversized automatic rotor crafted from titanium then DLC coated, and is inspired by the wheel of a super car.

Says Andreatta, “At Roger Dubuis we are constantly obsessed about our effort to embody the future of Haute Horlogerie. At the same time, we are all facing a present which is shaking the fundamentals of our personal and professional lives, at a level never seen before. For us to live the present while continuing to think positively about a better future, we believe this is the time to think and eventually re-think our relationship with the world surrounding us.

It is a moment to give back and to help the communities which are currently struggling in coping with the pandemic. That is the reason why, to look at the future with trust and hope, and to give our own contribution in shaping a better tomorrow, we happily decided to join the initiative promoted by Revolution and WHO.”

The year of the Excalibur Essential Blue’s creation is 2020 and it is valued at 15,000 Euro (excl. taxes).