Roger Dubuis dedicates a movie to the Poinçon de Genève
A unique claim in the world of Fine Watchmaking, all timepieces made by the Roger Dubuis Manufacture bear the prestigious Poinçon de Genève stamp – also known as the Geneva Seal. This mark of excellence refers not only to the movement but to the watch as a whole, attesting to its Geneva origins, the quality of craftsmanship, its performance, exclusivity and durability. Now, this label that guarantees the highest standards of the watchmaker’s art is depicted in sumptuous imagery in a groundbreaking film, featuring the imposing eagle – the symbol of Geneva – displaying its power, a strong characteristic it shares with the timepieces of Roger Dubuis.
Since it was founded in 1995, the Geneva watchmaker Roger Dubuis has transcended all the conventions of Fine Watchmaking with its masterly creations that combine avant-garde with great tradition. Thanks to its fully integrated Manufacture, the brand is able to produce all watch complications in its own workshops, and demonstrates its bold, exceptional vision with mechanisms that are both sophisticated and innovative.
At Roger Dubuis, the choice of the Poinçon de Genève goes hand in hand with the quest for excellence that has inspired all of the watchmaker’s creative impulses since it was founded. The brand’s values are encapsulated perfectly in this prestigious label: audacity, traditional know-how, cutting-edge design, complex mechanisms and the creation of breathtaking timepieces that are not afraid to break the rules.
In the hierarchy of labels, the Poinçon de Genève is one of the most exacting. Only some 24,000 watches out of the 30 million produced each year in Switzerland receive this mark. Roger Dubuis is a unique exception in Fine Watchmaking, being the only Manufacture to get its entire production certified – around 5,000 watches a year. Because for Roger Dubuis, the
Poinçon de Genève is not the end goal but the point of departure on the path to excellence.
A film that casts light on the practical implications of the Poinçon de Genève
The Roger Dubuis Manufacture is proud of its Geneva origins and is a standard-bearer for this birthplace of Swiss watchmaking. Only watches assembled, cased-up and adjusted in Geneva are eligible for the Poinçon de Genève label, which incorporates in its initials the crowned eagle and key motif of the Canton of Geneva flag. At the 2013 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), Roger Dubuis paid a symbolic tribute to this emblem with a giant crowned eagle holding in its talons a key stamped with the values of the Poinçon de Genève: origin, exclusivity, know-how, performance and durability. The Manufacture is now honouring these symbols of excellence once again with a bold film that casts light on the practical implications of the Poinçon de Genève, made by the well-known director Ruth Hogben. Following many international collaborations with leading names of fashion and couture such as Nick Knight, Alexander McQueen and Lady Gaga, Ruth Hogben has now turned her attention to illuminating the beauty of Haute Horlogerie and the Geneva Seal.
A label that has raised its standards even higher to mark its 125th anniversary
The Poinçon de Genève was introduced in 1886. Granted by the State of Geneva to a few rare watchmakers, it provides an official guarantee that a watch mechanism has been made by hand, assembled and adjusted in Geneva, and respects the highest watchmaking standards set by the 12 historical criteria. All components of a movement stamped with this label are finished and delicately decorated by hand, even those that will never be exposed to view.
In 2011, the year of the label’s 125th anniversary, the Timelab Laboratory of Horology and Microengineering, an independent organisation operating under the auspices of the State of Geneva, issued a new version of the Poinçon de Genève criteria that had been significantly updated to reflect clients’ expectations. The label’s original conditions were retained, while new requirements were added. The biggest change is that the whole watch must now be submitted for approval rather than just the movement. This means that each timepiece must individually undergo a series of rigorous tests carried out over seven days in order to verify its accuracy, water-resistance, features and power reserve.
The new criteria of the Poinçon de Genève amount to a demand for excellence that is fulfilled by all watches made by Roger Dubuis. In its component production workshops, 60% of the Manufacture’s master craftsmen – 60 people working in 20 teams, each representing a different skill – are dedicated to achieving the certification criteria. Protecting and promoting these traditional and regional skills requires not only rigour, but also time. The manufacture of a movement to Poinçon de Genève standards demands almost 40% additional work. This is probably why Roger Dubuis is the only Manufacture to get all of its watches stamped with the Poinçon de Genève. This was true yesterday; it will be true tomorrow.
About Roger Dubuis
Roger Dubuis has been at the forefront of contemporary Fine Watchmaking since 1995. Its bold designs are firmly anchored in the 21st century and reflect the brilliance of the Geneva watchmaker’s know-how and expertise. Roger Dubuis timepieces are magnificent displays of powerful, charismatic design that showcase the hallmarks of the brand: an avant-garde spirit combined with a respect for tradition, as well as audacity, extravagance, innovation and know-how. Demonstrating absolute attention to detail and an exciting conceptual creativity, the Roger Dubuis collections are inspired by four different characters: the Player, the Warrior, the Venturer and the Diva. Its La Monégasque, Excalibur, Pulsion and Velvet lines are sold around the world through an exclusive network of sales outlets and own-name stores. The philosophy of this Swiss company, which has been part of the Richemont Group since 2008, is based on its quest for excellence and the development of exclusive know-how. Located in Geneva with a fully integrated Manufacture, Roger Dubuis is the only watchmaker to have every one of its precious timepieces stamped with the famous Poinçon de Genève.
