Like film stars, watches can project fantasies people want to live out. Roger Dubuis' four collections at the SIHH 2012 evoke characters that inspire collectors to live their lives the way they want to.
"We associate the SIHH 2012 range of products with imaginary worlds. For instance, the Pulsion line is associated with adventure, while the Velvet collection is linked to the image of a diva," says Jean-Marc Pontrou, general manager of Roger Dubuis. The Excalibur line conjures an image of a warrior determined to defy destiny, while the La Monegasque collection is synonymous with a player who is a successful gambler.
"We are rebuilding the brand," Pontrou says. "It is the first time we have shown the four worlds [La Monegasque, Excalibur, Pulsion and Velvet] of Roger Dubuis, which will pave the [way for the] brand for the next 30 years. We don't want to have new collections every year, which means, from now on, we will only be releasing new models in these four lines." The two new lines are the glamorous Velvet and the adventurous Pulsion.
Inspired by the diva who is brave, elegant and passionate, the Velvet collection features a dial set in relief on two levels adorned with elongated Roman numerals. Housed in a 36mm case, the Velvet collection is equipped with an in-house RD 821 automatic mechanical movement. The Velvet Fine Jewellery in white gold is set with 1,300 diamonds, 310 on the case, 494 on the bracelet and 496 on the back of the dial. For those who gravitate towards more understated timepieces, the Velvet Jewellery in pink gold features a bezel set in diamonds and a pink gold bracelet sprinkled with diamonds.
"The Velvet watch is a piece of jewellery which happens to show time," Pontrou says. "All Velvet timepieces are set with stones. The target customers for the Velvet line are ladies who like to dress up. Pulsion is targeted towards young and sporty gentlemen."
Inspired by the intelligent adventurer with a penchant for breaking rules, the timepieces from the Pulsion line come in a generous 44mm diameter case. Water-resistant up to 100 metres, the sporty Pulsion Chronograph in black titanium features a black DLC titanium case and a rubber strap. The watch's partly skeleton dial displays its RD680 chronograph movement, which has a power reserve of 48 hours.
Roger Dubuis aims to extend its reach in Asia by opening more boutiques. "We have opened our third boutique in Hong Kong at 1881 Heritage," Pontrou says. "Our boutique at Galaxy Macau is our most successful boutique, so we plan to open two more boutiques in Macau this year."
Asia is not the only market on the brand's mind. "We don't want to be Asia-oriented only, so we also have projects in places such as the United States, South America and the Middle East.
"Roger Dubuis has its own personality. We make watches with more diamonds because we know in China people prefer this type of model," Pontrou says.
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