Introducing Watch Magic: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights Of The Round Table, The Enchanter Merlin
“Around this table, the bravest knights will gather as equals. They will set forth in search of adventure, righting wrongs, protecting the weak and humbling the proud.” If you can read this engraved in pink gold, you’re up close and personal with an exclusive watch. This engraved line on the case back of the new Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights of the Round Table, The Enchanter Merlin has been on 11 models since the extravagant series of timepieces debuted in 2013. The Arthurian legend also inspires the 12th watch. This time, the shimmering crystal palace that the wizard Merlin built to safeguard Viviane, the elusive Lady of the Lake, is the central theme. The limited-to-28-piece Poinçon de Genève watch shines brightly thanks to a never-before-seen “invisibility” diamond setting.
The second chapter in Roger Dubuis’s Tale of Merlin, a quest that began last year, is called The Enchanter Merlin. The wizard Merlin founded the Round Table order and was a central figure in King Arthur’s lore. In the first chapter of the watch story, The Omniscient Merlin, the famous wizard, journeyed to the world’s edge, the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. From its hexagonal basalt columns, he is said to have raised the stones of Stonehenge in honor of Arthur’s forebear, the great King Pendragon. Roger Dubuis captured this legend in a dramatic dial composed of 56 sculpted columns, with 28 carved from genuine basalt. In the second chapter, the dial reinterprets the hexagonal motif introduced in the first. This time, however, the design is enriched with reflective materials to create a shimmering optical illusion.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Knights of the Round Table, The Enchanter Merlin — Building a crystal palace
Merlin built a shimmering crystal palace upon a hidden lake surrounded by gardens to shield the Lady of the Lake. The illusion was so flawless that the palace remained invisible to all but those guided by the fairy herself. To pay homage to Merlin’s crystal palace, the dial of the new timepiece reinterprets the hexagonal motif introduced in the first chapter. This time, however, the use of reflective materials creates an otherworldly play of light.
Each dial begins with an 18K pink gold base plate machined into a mosaic of hexagonal sections and open settings. Into these spaces, the watchmakers position 56 sculptural columns, with nine in Murano-style glass, 19 in polished white enamel, 10 in matte white enamel, nine in rhodium-plated gold, and nine in polished 18K pink gold. Their staggered heights, ranging from 0.2 to 3.7 millimeters, create a dramatic, architectural landscape of contrasts and depth.
Crowning the rhodium-plated gold columns are hexagonal diamonds. The “invisibility setting” of these gemstones is very appropriate in a watch with wizardly origins. Each diamond is secured within hidden grooves at the top of its column. The result is a seamless, magical integration. The construction heightens the illusory effect and is in the spirit of the Lady’s invisible castle.
Bring on the knights!
Beneath the columns lies a shimmering bed of Crystalium (crystallized ruthenium). The crystals resemble diamond dust and evoke an image of a still lake. The 12 Arthurian knights encircling the dial stand guard over the Lady of the Lake. The 18K pink gold figures stand upon hexagons made of Murano-style glass before a luminous, two-part white flange. Each 6mm-tall knight marks his hour by a reflection of his character, capturing a scene alive with movement rather than a static display.
After the molding of the knights, an engraver takes two to three days to bring them to life by carving out sword edges, helmet lines, and other details. A touch of black patina enhances contrast, deepening textures, and makes the knights look even more realistic.
Why hide all this craftsmanship when you can try to highlight it as much as possible? That’s why Roger Dubuis put a sapphire crystal window beneath the bezel, allowing a clear view of the knights from different angles.
Movement beneath the 12 knights
You could easily forget that the Excalibur Knights of the Round Table, The Enchanter Merlin is a watch. But it is. The creation features the automatic Monobalancier RD821 caliber, comprising 172 components. The movement’s spaciousness provides ample room for the watch’s decorative elements to tell their story, but the RD821 itself is impressive as well. For instance, it showcases 14 types of manual finishing across its components, an essential criterion for earning the prestigious Poinçon de Genève certification.
The distinct 45mm Excalibur case, with its signature triple-lug design, features a crown protector in the shape of a sword. Yes, it symbolizes Excalibur, the legendary blade that Arthur pulled from the stone. The Lady of the Lake told him to do it: “I am the Lady of the Lake,” she said, “and I am come to tell you that your sword Excalibur awaits you yonder.” Arthur succeeded, and it signaled his destiny as the true king. Unlike the sword, the watch doesn’t have to be pulled from anything by the true watch fan. However, it is a limited edition of just 28 pieces with a price on request, so each owner will feel special.
Magic happens
I’m sure this 12th Roger Dubuis Knights of the Round Table creation will make its way to hardcore collectors of the series. In case you come across a “KRT” collector — a rare occurrence because I don’t think they often venture out of their castles, hidden away in mist-covered valleys that are not on Google Maps — bow and ask for a favor most gallantly. Choose your words carefully, using ones not unlike a magic spell.
If you do it correctly, you might be granted permission to examine the watch up close and maybe even hold it. In the extraordinary case of the latter, read the words on the back of the watch out loud, and magic will fall upon you. Let me know in the comments section below how that felt.
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