The Genevan watchmaker’s take on Lamborghini’s Huracán Evo, now available in titanium with “Verde Ithaca” detailing.

If you had said to anyone 20 years ago – even keen observers of the horological world – that Roger Dubuis would be finding serious success with a watch that brought together ancient English mythology and the latest V10 Lamborghini, well let’s just say eyebrows would have been raised.

That’s exactly what we see before us, however: having introduced it in 2005, Roger Dubuis has turned the Excalibur collection into the main pillar of its range and since partnering with Lamborghini in 2017, it has proved a surprisingly versatile canvas on which to create homages to the automotive output of Sant’Agata.

In fact, although many, many watch brands have sought to recreate the appeal of performance cars and motorsport on the wrist, none has approached the task with anything like the freethinking gusto of Roger Dubuis. Already a key player in taking skeletonisation – the process whereby a watch’s dial is removed and the plates and bridges beneath stripped back to their barest bones, to put all the watchmaking mastery on display – from a baroque, handcrafted practise to an avant-garde industrial aesthetic, Roger Dubuis has been able to make watches that really do resemble engine bays in miniature, with the criss-crossed struts and complex polygonal architecture favoured by Lamborghini. In short, it’s the most complete crossover of car to watch ever seen.

Still not convinced? Let’s walk through some of the watch’s more on-point features. Naturally, the automatic rotor on the back has been styled to match a Lambo wheel rim design (not as easy as it sounds, given that whatever its shape, the rotor has to weigh a specific amount). The balance wheel, visible at 12 o’clock, is inclined by 12 degrees to mimic the angle of the Huracan Evo’s engine block. And the strap is trimmed in Alcantara to match your steering wheel. Unlike an actual Lamborghini, there’s no carbon fibre involved; instead the case is titanium, coated with DLC (diamond-like carbon).

In case you were wondering, the watch does also feature a direct nod to the sword of King Arthur – the notches on the bezel are styled as if cut by the legendary blade itself. When the Excalibur launched, much was made of these exaggerated touches, but today it feels like that detail has itself been lost in the mists of time. Come to think of it, they’ve really missed a trick not calling the movement the X-Calibre. Maybe next time.

Excalibur Spider Huracán Automatic Skeleton, ref. RDDBEX0830

Materials: Titanium, rubber and Alcantara

Diameter: 45mm

Height: 13mm

Water-resistance: 50m

Power reserve: 60 hours

Price: £47,000