This early Roger Dubuis Hommage Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. H40) white-gold, chronometer-graded watch is a limited edition of 28 and comes on a light-tan nubuck Carcassonne strap and Roger Dubuis, white-gold tang buckle. It is one of the earlier pieces created by the legendary watchmaker, after establishing his own brand in 1995. It has a glossy, off-white lacquer dial and the movement was regulated by M. Roger Dubuis himself.

Roger Dubuis career started in a typical watchmaker's fashion - learning his craft at large manufactures, including Patek Philippe. These formative years are clearly reflected in the style of this Hommage Chronograph watch, inspired by classics such as the Patek Philippe's Ref. 130 - albeit, with a contemporary twist.

It is understood that for each variant in the series, there were no more than 28 examples made. Each was chronometer-graded from the Besançon Observatory. One of the earlier pieces created by the legendary watchmaker, after establishing his own brand in 1995, these watches are becoming increasingly collectible.

According to Mr Dubuis himself, he starting working on his first complication in the late 1980s - a perpetual calendar module with retrograde displays. For several years, Roger Dubuis worked on the complication with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht (founder of respective complications specialist Agenhor), for Harry Winston, who announced their own version of the Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar at Baselworld, in 1989. It was the first double retrograde perpetual calendar, and Roger Dubuis later made the same perpetual module the signature complication of his brand. The Bi-Retrograde Perpetual Calendar is one of the quintessential Roger Dubuis watches of the era, powered by the Lemania cal. 2310 (as with Patek Philippe’s version of the same, except the Roger Dubuis is bi-retrograde).

The design is that of a two-register chronograph, with an off-white, lacquer dial. It’s painted with blue, stylised Arabic numerals and blue minute markers, which add a nice contrast against the off-white dial. The minute and hour hands are skeletonised white-gold, with blued-steel chronograph, 30-minute counter and skeletonised date hands. Two ‘arcs’ are visible on the dial at 3 and 9 o’clock, showing the day and date, respectively. The month and leap year indicators are visible at 12 o'clock. The case is very distinct, with its polished, stepped concave bezel and brushed concave lugs. The three-piece case construction gives the watch a noticeable presence on the wrist, sized at 40mm.

The watch is powered by the Cal. RD 5632 (based on the Lemania 2310), bearing the Seal of Geneva. The complexity of the movement is revealed through an engraved sapphire case-back, featuring a 25 jewel, straight-line lever escapement, a monometallic balance adjusted to 5 positions, a self-compensating Breguet spring and swan-neck micrometer regulator.

Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.

Closer look