Roger Dubuis has introduced Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy, a timepiece that draws on 17th-century Japanese history and combines the Maison’s high-watchmaking expertise with traditional Métiers d’Art.
The piece centers on a pivotal chapter in Japanese history: a period when the country, long divided by warfare among rival warlords, was brought together under the leadership of three notable figures. By uniting the nation’s bushō, or samurai commanders, these leaders established a new political order that ushered in more than 250 years of peace and prosperity, with Edo Castle standing as the symbolic center of the reformed society.
Excalibur The Kabuto Legacy, limited to just 28 pieces, reflects that moment of unification through its design. The 18K pink gold dial depicts a hand-painted Edo Castle alongside twelve samurai commanders, each represented not literally but through their Kabuto, the ceremonial and protective helmets that signaled a commander’s lineage, philosophy, and ambitions. Keen eyes will be able to spot the famous deer antlers of Honda Tadakatsu and the golden crescent moon of Date Masamune.
Roger Dubuis renders these symbols using its Métiers d’Art techniques, translating centuries-old iconography into a contemporary watchmaking format. The dial’s deep blue – inspired by the indigo garments once worn by samurai under their armour, continues on the 45 mm watch’s case back, which features the same 12 kamon or family crests honoring the samurai clans, as well as the mark of the Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal), which certified the watch’s movement.
Powering the piece is the RD821 automatic calibre, the construction of which allows the dial’s elaborate artistic expression to take shape. The new release is presented on a blue calf leather strap, assembled from stitched tiles that mirror the plates of a samurai’s armour, with a 18K pink golf folding clasp. The timepiece is water resistant to three bars.
With this release, Roger Dubuis positions the watch as more than a decorative object, framing it instead as a study of a specific historical turning point, the transformation of conflict into lasting order, told through the tools of fine watchmaking.
