Roger Dubuis continues its decade-long exploration of Arthurian mythos with The Enchanter Merlin, the twelfth iteration in its fantastical Knights of the Round Table (KRT) collection, and the second Merlin-themed watch in the series.

At the heart of the spectacle is a highly architectural dial composed of 56 stepped columns, inspired by the basalt pillars of Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. The columns are rendered in a variety of materials, including Murano glass, vitreous enamel, and invisibly set diamonds. Above them stand 12 hand-engraved knights, each a unique character from the Matter of Britain, the medieval tales of King Arthur and his knights.

Initial Thoughts

Geneva has a long tradition in the decorative arts dating to the 18th century, mostly focused on enamelled boxes, small clocks, and of course, watches. It’s only natural that a Genevan watchmaker like Roger Dubius would continue that tradition, as do neighbouring Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. In 2013, Roger Dubius launched the first KRT watch with a miniature enamel replica of the famous Round Table in Winchester’s Great Hall.

Since then Roger Dubuis has pushed the boundaries of what can be reasonably called a “table” with striking results. While the miniatures were what made the first KRT special, The Enchanter Merlin’s basalt pillar-inspired crystal palace dial could easily stand on its own (perhaps Kollokium should take notes for its next Projekt).

The 45 mm case is 18k pink gold, and would probably seem monstrously large were it not for the captivating dial, which uses the volume of the case to good effect. The large size of the case is probably the only shortcoming of the watch, as it limits wearability, but the target audience, the hard-to-miss case is likely a selling point.

It’s also worth pointing out the automatic RD481 movement inside. The calibre is a little too small for the case, but appealingly classical in its layout, likely inspired by the Patek Philippe cal. 27-460 AT and the earlier cal. 12-600, two of the most beautiful automatics ever built.

The RD480/481 as seen in another model that reveals more of the calibre’s details

Knights of lore

The latest in a long running series within the Excalibur collection, The Enchanter Merlin marks the 12th instalment of the Knights of the Round Table series. This follows up last year’s edition, The Omniscient Merlin, and continues the basalt pillar motif on the dial but now in a new colour scheme. The motif also takes inspiration from the crystal palace Merlin magicked into being for the Lady of the Lake.

Housed in a 45 mm 18k pink gold case, the 28-piece limited edition combines gem-setting, micro-sculpture, and a glittering dial structure inspired by the basalt pillars of Giant’s Causeway. A layer of sapphire crystal is sandwiched between the bezel and mid-case, flooding the scene with light and allowing closer inspection of the miniatures. The crown, styled like an actual crown, is ringed in glass to match the case. 

Twelve unique knights are positioned around the dial, each just 6 mm tall and cast from 18k pink gold. Engravers then add the many fine details by hand, sharpening the tiny blades, defining the feathers of their helmet plumes, and so on. The figures are intentionally aged, just the right amount so that the patina adds contrast.

Not only are each of the 12 knights unique, each corresponds to a specific Matter of Britain character. Noon is, of course, King Arthur, and Sir Lancelot – the most famous of the knights – stands by his side at one o’clock. Sir Tristan, at three o’clock, is kneeling to avoid bumping his head on the crystal as he is positioned atop the crown tube.

Fifty-six basalt columns, ranging from 0.2 to 3.7 mm tall, sit on a gold table decorated with ruthenium crystals, a technique recently spotted on the Ulysse Nardin Freak X Crystalium. The crystals are meant to evoke the sparkling surface of The Lake, though could also pass for pave-set diamonds at a glance.

There are nine Murano glass columns, 19 in polished white vitreous enamel and a further nine in matte white vitreous enamel, nine in 18k pink gold, and finally nine in rhodium plated 18k gold. The rhodonized columns carry invisible-set hexagonal diamonds.

Partly visible through the back is the RD821. Like all current Roger Dubius movements, it bears the Poincon de Geneve, meaning it meets relatively high standards for construction, finishing, and decoration.

Today the seal also includes (somewhat lenient) performance requirements for accuracy. However, at 11.5”’ (~26 mm) in diameter, the calibre is much too small for the 45 mm case, an impression that Roger Dubius obfuscates with an open-worked 18k gold 360° rotor.

Key facts and price

Roger Dubuis Knights of The Round Table The Enchanter Merlin
Ref. RDDBEX1117

Diameter: 45 mm
Height: 16.87
Material: 18k pink gold and sapphire
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: RD821
Functions: Hour and minutes
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 48 hours

Strap: Leather strap with folding clasp 

Limited edition: 28 pieces
Availability: At Roger Dubuis boutiques only
Price: US$398,500 excluding tax

For more information, visit Rogerdubuis.com.