11 June 2015
The art of skeletonizing 2.0, in other words the Excalibur Spider Skeleton Double Flying Tourbillon by Roger Dubuis. Nothing to do with the old-fashioned kind of openwork, with its sometimes rather over-precious “lace” effect: this is a very modern structure, linear in its construction, in which the star dominates (it is no coincidence that the manufacturer calls it an Astral Skeleton), and given an even more technical appearance by the anthracite rhodium-plating of many components. A concept taken to an extreme: even the titanium casing, partly covered with a black coating of DLC, is skeletonized, to show the case middle and the crown of anodized red aluminum, as are the dial, reduced to the flange (again in red aluminum), and the gold hands. The hand-wound mechanical movement has two tourbillons, devices that enclose the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage to counter the negative effects of the force of gravity: both are of the flying type (i.e. anchored only to the base and lacking an upper bridge, and thus “suspended,” at least in appearance) and connected by a differential that creates an average between the time determined by each. Which signifies, when all is said and done, a system capable of guaranteeing a very high degree of regularity, and therefore accuracy. Constructed according to the high standards of quality required by the Geneva Seal, the watch is produced in a 188-piece limited edition. Only for a few.
