They see me rollin‘, they hatin’: The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Huracán Performante

There are collaborations between watch companies and car companies that do not require too much effort – a logo here, a splash of color there, and it’s all good – but this is certainly not how Roger Dubuis from Geneva rolls. The Excalibur Huracán Performante was inspired by the Lamborghini of the same name, and while the design might not make every watch purist’s heart race, even they have to give props for the engineering and the absolute execution.

With a diameter of 45mm, the watch is certainly smart, if not exactly old school. In order to ensure such an impressive vehicle handles well, Roger Dubuis chose titanium as the material, thus shaving massive weight off of the chassis – exactly the right decision, given that the model is a sports car, not a tank.

Ventilation slots are clearly not needed on a mechanical watch, but they do act as the perfect point of departure for this artistically skeletonized timepiece. The beautifully formed bridges immediately call to mind the front of a supercar, and at the same time reveal the 12° inclined balance wheel, which sits enthroned in the housing like a highly polished mid-chassis engine. Just beneath, filigree, honeycomb-shaped “radiator grilles” conceal the two barrels, which together allow for 60 hours of power reserve. At 6 o’clock we find a date display styled like a speedometer – a remarkable achievement this, in that despite the open design the date appears only here, and is not visible from other angles as it is in other skeletonized watches. The expressive crown, which is shaped like a Hurácan lug nut, also exhibits great attention to detail.

The loving details continue at the back as well, with the rotor of the automatic movement virtually indistinguishable from a typical Lamborghini wheel rim. Even the bracelet is impeccably thought through. It is made from the same rubber as Pirelli tires and upholstered with the same Alcantara leather as the seats of the Hurácan.

If the police caught you ridin’ dirty and jacked your Lambo after its last street race, or if you simply want the Hurácan always near to your heart, this is the watch for you. To live in this particular fast lane, you just have to locate one of only 88 copies and come up with just short of 52.000 €.