Beware Of The Shapeshifter: Introducing The 13th Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights Of The Round Table
Welcome to a realm where time is told by 12 knights. Introducing the 13th Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights Of The Round Table, a watch in forest green and, for the first time in the long-running series, a pink gold case adorned with handmade engravings called The Metamorph Merlin. The final watch in the Tale of Merlin trilogy recreates a dense forest by using the 57 hexagonal-shaped blocks you saw in the previous two creations. This time, the dial with the 6mm-tall knights is composed of green CVD-coated elements, polished pink gold, transparent glass, and shimmering Crystalium to create depth and shifting reflections.
Once again, the wizard Merlin from the Arthurian legend is the inspiration for a watch. The 13th Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights of the Round Table edition tells of his shapeshifting capacities. Interesting fella, Merlin. Did you know that in early Welsh tradition, the figure behind Merlin was Myrddin Wyllt, a wild man of the woods and a prophet rather than a court magician? Later medieval romances gradually turned him into the more recognizable Merlin, adviser to kings and occasional troublemaker with a talent for being somewhere he probably shouldn’t be. A stag, for instance, as is shown on the latest Knights of the Round Table (KRT) watch.
Introducing the 13th Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights of the Round Table, The Metamorph Merlin
Merlin was an excellent shapeshifter. Medieval stories describe Merlin taking on disguises as a beggar, woodcutter, peasant, or herdsman, usually when he needed to guide, test, or manipulate people such as King Arthur or Uther Pendragon. In other words, Merlin did not always arrive looking like Merlin. His ability to change form went further than a convincing disguise. He was also capable of assuming animal forms, with the deer being his favorite. No, Merlin was never simply a wizard with a pointy hat; his defining quality was transformation. It’s no wonder Roger Dubuis chose metamorphosis as a theme to end the Merlin-inspired trilogy.
The trilogy started in 2024 with the black-dial Knights Of The Round Table, The Omniscient Merlin. A year later, The Enchanter Merlin dressed in white followed. The thirteenth Roger Dubuis Knights Of The Round Table is the last watch in the trilogy, and it’s called The Metamorph Merlin.
Enter the Broceliande forest, where things are not what they seem
The 57 hexagonal green blocks on the multidimensional dial depict the forest of Broceliande. This is where the wizard’s metamorphic powers unfold. But the dial doesn’t show that. To see Merlin change form, you need to look at the case side.
For the first time, the side of the pink gold case is engraved by hand. Here, Merlin appears in two forms — as the mythical white stag, a fitting symbol of metamorphosis, and as the wise Merlin holding a book, hinting at the knowledge and almost omniscient character explored in the first chapter of the trilogy.
The micro-relief scenes run all the way around the case. It’s a spectacular extra to an already exuberant watch and also a great opportunity for the brand’s métiers d’art department to show. Having a loupe at hand helps you to enjoy the tiny tale told on the side of the watch, and it’s worth it. Also, after admiring the craftsmanship on the side, you can examine the twelve 6mm-tall knights on the dial, the blocks they’re standing on, and the ones surrounding them. It takes three days of sculpting and hand-finishing to have a pink gold knight ready to take its place on the dial.
Two swords to tell time
Roger Dubuis managed to transform a watch into a three-dimensional spectacle telling Arthurian tales, but it’s also a timekeeper. The large, open-worked, sword-shaped hands show the hours and the minutes. There’s no need for minutes in the ancient mythical world of Merlin; I get that. But even a magician needs a power source to project time. And in this case, it’s the in-house caliber RD821, a special design that accommodates the dial’s three-dimensional architecture.
The automatic movement comprises 172 components. Finished by hand in the canton of Geneva, it meets the demanding criteria of the prestigious Poinçon de Genève certification. Roger Dubuis employs no fewer than 14 distinct decorative techniques to create this time-telling beauty.
A wizard on the wrist
The story behind the Excalibur Knights of the Round Table, The Metamorph Merlin, is out of the ordinary. So is the wearing experience. You’ll likely need a bit of metamorphosis to pull off this 45 × 16.87mm watch and fully enjoy it. Just imagine being a legendary knight out on a quest, believing that wearing this magical object will guide you through the obstacles surely lying ahead of you. Yes, it is a bit heavy and clunky, but it’s there for all the right reasons.
This KRT is again a showcase piece, not a daily beater for mere mortals, as evidenced by its 28-piece limitation and price on request. Roger Dubuis created something special in 2013 with the launch of the first KRT — a unique realm in which quite a few collectors now happily dwell. The thirteenth KRT will undoubtedly put them under a spell once again. Just beware of the shapeshifter.
