Velvet Haute Joaillerie

VELVET

A world of passion, elegance and charm

With its audacious beauty and natural frankness, the Velvet collection is the incarnation of passion.  Like the Diva who inspired it, glamour and elegance are in its genes. Fitted with the most beautiful mechanical movements, its graphic lines express strength with refinement. A talent for never being where you expect them gives a unique flavour to the models of the Velvet collection. Coming from the extraordinary Universe of Roger Dubuis, however, this is perfectly normal.

The new collection from Roger Dubuis, the Velvet line, applies the philosophy of the Geneva watchmaker: to enhance both the beautiful and the secretive, and relish the difference. This unusual approach is strikingly clear in each of the Velvet models and makes its mark on the daily task of timekeeping with some highly demanding design features.

Breaking with conformity, the Velvet line nevertheless incorporates all the discipline of Fine Watchmaking, offering a unique combination of creative flair and technical expertise. The result: watches that flirt with virtuosity and poetry. The watchmakers and engineers of the Roger Dubuis Manufacture have conceived models with character and creativity that sets them apart. Graphic dials set in relief on two levels, oversized, stylised numerals, symbolic triple attachments seamlessly joining the bracelet to the  36 mm case: these watches take pleasure in revisiting the Roger Dubuis design codes. The luxurious, glamorous curves, the trompe-l’oeil of the case that is between circular and barrel-shaped
 
and the sheer aesthetic power, all come together in a daring, sophisticated style. Elegance is important, but glamour even more so: the models in the Velvet Collection are quick to earn pride of place on a woman’s wrist. The Velvet Automatic with a satin-finish strap is also produced in a limited series, Sapphires and Spinels. The Velvet Jewellery version is set with 262 diamonds, while the Velvet Fine Jewellery is paved with 1300 diamonds. Unmistakably feminine, emphatically attractive, these watches have both spirit and bite, like the Diva that has inspired them.

The Diva, seductive and intriguing

It’s the world of the Diva and the free woman that inspired the Geneva watchmaker Roger Dubuis to create the Velvet line. The elegant, passionate Diva has a very strong character. Her whole personality is combined to express a specific point of view or vision. Her fiery nature is an endless source of inspiration. By rejecting what is merely chic, the Diva represents the women of today. These are women who never stop, always seeking to turn each and every second into a precious moment and who are uncompromisingly demanding with  themselves. Contemporary and seductive, they cultivate the art of the extravagant. In this they are totally faithful to the spirit of the Diva, and are free to go where others do not dare. The world of the Diva is perhaps best defined by thinking of her as a “muse”. Roger Dubuis has absorbed her seductive power to create exceptional watches.

VELVET Fine Jewellery

It shines with the sparkle of a thousand reflections from its diamonds that encircle the time.  From the heart of the watch to the folding buckle, the whole timepiece gleams with the light of the gems. The key word for this watch is “absolute”. Absolute as a watchmaker, absolute as a jeweller: the Velvet paved with diamonds is a tribute to the expertise of Roger Dubuis. A magical blend of technical excellence and high luxury, the watch is set with 1,300 diamonds totalling approximately 9 carats. More precious than ever, the Velvet Fine Jewellery is set with 310 diamonds on the case (approx. 2.93 carats) and 494 on the bracelet (approx. 5.03 carats) with another 496 diamonds (approx. 1.03 carats) on the background of the dial. To produce this precious piece, Roger Dubuis gem-setters have carefully selected and set the diamonds,while rounding their shapes to soften the style of the watch. It is available in rose or white gold.


Automatic movement RD821

Behind the inspiring design, the precious materials and the contemporary spirit of the Velvet collection, beats a real mechanical heart. With its dedication to reliability, Roger Dubuis has fitted a latest-generation self-winding calibre, the RD821, into a case that is water-resistant to 3 BAR (30 m). In the belief that a work of art can be judged by its finest details, the finishing of the RD821 has been taken to extremes. Decorated with “Côtes de Genève”, it contains 172 parts, beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and has a power reserve of 48 hours. It has been designed, developed, produced, assembled and adjusted within the Roger Dubuis Manufacture and certified with the Geneva Seal.

The Geneva Seal

As with every model by Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis, the Excalibur 42 meets the latest requirements set by the Geneva Seal. Awarded by the State of Geneva to the rare few who meet the challenge of the Geneva Seal’s strict standards, it’s an official guarantee that the watch’s mechanical movement was made by hand, assembled and adjusted in Geneva. In 2011, the Geneva Seal celebrated its 125th anniversary. Today, this time-honoured certification has evolved to address the entire watch: in addition to the 12 historic criteria relative to the movement, specifications linked to the watch’s casing and performance have been added to the official regulations. For Roger Dubuis, the Geneva Seal is one of the fundamental elements in its quest for excellence. There is no doubt as to  why Roger Dubuis is the only watchmaking manufacture to be 100% certified by the Geneva Seal.