Roger Dubuis Hommage H37 - Guilloché dial

ROGER DUBUIS HOMMAGE H37 – TIME ONLY
White gold | Guilloché black dial

Origin

Whilst most people today might think of bold watches with architectural skeletonized movements while bringing Roger Dubuis to mind, the brand’s roots are meticulously elegant, matching the vintage style and inventiveness of Patek Philippe. The story all starts with the Swiss founder Roger Dubuis himself, a watchmaking mystery turned into genius.

Roger Dubuis (1938-2017) was a watchmaker with an extraordinary vision of which little is known in the mainly analogue postwar period. What is known is that he has spent 9 years at the after sales atelier of Longines, mainly repairing chronographs from the late fifties onwards. The following two decades of his professional endeavors he worked at Patek Philippe in the complications department, constructing and perfecting the movements of perpetual calendars, gongs and minute repeaters.

His name became an equivalent for haute horlogerie. It was in 1995 that he, together with businessman and watch designer Carlos Dias, decided to bring his name to the world’s stage.

Soon Roger Dubuis became known for its idiosyncratic design and fine movement finishing while having a disruptive vision: approaching complications as an art form.

The company took great inspiration from Dubuis’ extensive experience at Patek Philippe and took pride in challenging Dubuis’ former employer in terms of exceeding their horological high standard. Out of this mindset the first two collections of Roger Dubuis were born in 1996: Sympathie and Hommage, paying respect to historically important vintage timepieces.

Roger Dubuis left the company in 2005 after having produced many innovative in-house movements. In 2008 the eponymous brand became part of the Richemont Group, by selling 60% of its shares. Some years later – in 2014 – Richemont acquired the remaining 40% of Roger Dubuis.

The early days models such as the Hommage are now highly sought after as they were created under the hands of the company’s co-founder Roger Dubuis. Very few of these models were made, only 28 pieces per edition, adding to the rarity of these special editions. Most of them are changing hands privately because of their limited availability on the market.

The Watch

The classic Roger Dubuis Hommage H37 has a distinct white gold case with a polished finish on the concave bezel and lugs, featuring sides with a satin brushed finish. Measuring up to its vintage standard, the 37mm case watch makes a larger impression on the wrist than would be expected, due to its smart body structure.

Having a black guilloché main dial with an outer minute and seconds track in white, this watch never ceases to captivate. It showcases white gold Breguet numerals (highly fashionable amongst independent watchmakers at the time, also favored by Daniel Roth) and white gold leaf hands. The Roger Dubuis pin buckle is also made in white gold, ensuring the watch breathes refinement in and out.

This stunning watch is further characterized by a bulletin d’observatoire, being signed horloger genevois on its dial and on its case-back, where the intricate engraving reminds us of the spirit of the legendary man behind the brand, watchmaker Roger Dubuis.

As was exemplary of the early day models, only 28 pieces of this series were supposed to be manufactured. But due to low demand at the time, it is believed that not all 28 pieces were also actually produced – making this model even rarer.

The Movement

The Roger Dubuis Hommage H37 Time only timepiece is powered by an automatic movement, in-house caliber RD57 which has been based upon the Lemania 8815 movement.

The movement bears the Seal of Geneva, underlining the watchmaking élan with which it has been crafted in approximately 1999 or 2000 – regulated by Roger Dubuis himself. At the time of production, movements that carried the Seal of Geneva (known as a high accolade of quality) were mainly manufactured by Patek Philippe.

An open case-back with engraved sapphire glass shows the movement, its 25 jewels and its artistry finishing, such as the RD emblem on the rotor.

Condition

This limited-edition Roger Dubuis Hommage H37 (one out of 28 pieces ever made) is absolute mint condition. It comes with official Roger Dubuis service papers.

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment. 

Reference	H37 57
Movement	Automatic
Caliber	Calibre 57
Dial	Black guilloché
Size (Case)	37 mm
Material (Case)	White gold
Bracelet	Taupe grainé
Glass	Sapphire
Condition	Very good, as new
Year	1999
Papers	RD Service papers
Box	-
Warranty	2 years