Roger Dubuis Shows What Happens When Magic Meets Minutes
Roger Dubuis unveils The Enchanter Merlin, a rare 28-piece timepiece where Arthurian legend meets audacious haute horlogerie.
Roger Dubuis has built its reputation on audacity. Since its founding in Geneva nearly three decades ago, the maison has pursued a form of watchmaking that thrives on spectacle, narrative and uncompromising craft.
Its creations are statements of identity, fusing legend with mechanical ingenuity. The Knights of the Round Table collection has long exemplified this spirit, offering horological interpretations of Arthurian lore that blend theatre with technical mastery.
The latest chapter, Excalibur Knights of the Round Table: The Enchanter Merlin, draws inspiration from one of mythology’s most enduring figures.
Merlin is celebrated not only as the architect of Arthur’s destiny but also as a sorcerer of profound devotion, a man who protected the Lady of the Lake by conjuring a palace of crystal invisible to the outside world.
Roger Dubuis reimagines this legend in a timepiece that is as much an artistic tableau as it is a feat of haute horlogerie.
A Dial of Illusion and Light
At the centre of this creation is a dial conceived as an enchanted stage. Its foundation is laid in ruthenium crystals, a material within the platinum family, chosen for its rare lustre and shimmering depth.
The surface sparkles like still water under moonlight, providing a perfect canvas for the structures that rise above it.
Fifty-six miniature columns, fashioned from Murano-style glass, enamel and gold, are arranged at differing heights to create an architectural landscape. Nine of these are crowned with hexagonal diamonds, a distinctive cut that maximises brilliance and reflects the light from every angle.
For the first time, Roger Dubuis employs an invisibility setting to secure these stones, hiding the supporting gold to create the illusion of diamonds floating in the air. The result is an optical enchantment that recalls the legendary crystal palace.
Knights in Eternal Vigil
Around this luminous construction stand twelve Arthurian knights, guardians in sculpted pink gold. Each figure is unique, captured mid-action with swords raised or armour fastened, their presence imbued with movement rather than rigidity.
The creation of these six-millimetre miniatures is a triumph of craft, beginning with sketches and resin prototypes before being engraved by hand over several days. A subtle black patina enhances the detail, drawing out every fold of armour and every etched line of expression.
These knights are not mere embellishment. They are a symbolic ring of protection, surrounding the Lady of the Lake and, by extension, the dial itself.
Viewed through the sapphire window beneath the bezel, they reveal their complexity from every perspective, embodying Roger Dubuis’ determination to perfect details that might remain hidden.
Mechanical Heart, Legendary Soul
Beneath the artistry lies a movement of technical distinction. The RD821 calibre, comprising 172 components, is produced entirely in-house and finished to the most exacting standards of the Poinçon de Genève.
The automatic Monobalancier architecture balances efficiency with elegance, while the skeletonised rotor visible on the reverse side recalls the stained-glass windows of medieval castles.
The pink gold case, measuring 45 mm, features a crown guard shaped like a sword hilt, a subtle yet powerful evocation of Excalibur itself.
Every element reinforces the central narrative. This is not decoration imposed on mechanics, but mechanics and myth designed as one.
Exclusivity and Fellowship
The Enchanter Merlin is limited to just 28 pieces worldwide. With its white leather strap and engraved caseback bearing the motto of the series — “Around this table, the bravest knights will gather as equals…” — it joins a lineage of watches that are less possessions than initiations.
Ownership is entry into a fellowship of collectors who see horology as culture, not commodity.
Beyond Time
What makes this watch compelling is not only its technical pedigree or its scarcity but the way it transcends both. Roger Dubuis has taken a legend rooted in devotion and given it tangible form.
The result is a timepiece that does more than mark hours and minutes; it captures the drama of myth, the brilliance of diamonds, and the legacy of fine Geneva watchmaking.
In The Enchanter Merlin, horology becomes story, craftsmanship becomes theatre, and time itself feels touched by magic.
