May 2016, Monaco Grand Prix. A heavy and tenacious rain seems to want to take the lead role in the race, however, on the most famous circuit in the world the Pirelli's blue tires prevail for the win. A few days away from the beginning of the 2017 GP, the wonderful experience comes back into my mind in all of its intensity.
Nothing strange really, considering that from the great performance given by the Pirelli tires on that occasion, a collaboration between Roger Dubuis and Pirelli Design was born. Something that led to the creation of the Excalibur Spider Pirelli, a limited edition collection of watches that celebrate the Incolour tires with the innovation and craftsmanship of the iconic watch brand.
An extremely interesting partnership in my opinion, combining state-of-the-art technologies and luxury with the world of both car racing and watch collectors.
Recently I was in Bordeaux to attend the exclusive presentation of the new Excalibur Spider Pirelli Yellow and Red. Two new color codes that add a motoring touch to the limited edition collection that was previously presented only in the color Blue at the 2017 SIHH in Geneva. The three colors represent Pirelli's tires for the F1.
Events like this are overflowing with content and stimuli. The research Roger Dubuis made on the exquisiteness and innovation of the materials used is fascinating, always aimed towards making out-of-the-ordinary watches for men who want to stand out. In other words, true outliers.
Watches are winning, literally. Their straps are made from natural rubber from Pirelli tires that have raced and won real competitions, with insides decorated in a distinctive pattern of a tread from a Pirelli Cinturato™ Intermediate tire.
Offered in a super-limited edition collection – only 88 watches made – these exclusive timepieces are a masterpiece of precision and design. Suffice it to think that the iconic skeleton caliber – best-seller in the Roger Dubuis brand – consists of 167 components, all hand-finished. The production of every single watch requires 530 hours of meticulous work by maison specialists... pretty fantastic!
After the first part of the day full of inspiration, the afternoon and evening flow into a relaxation between a boat trip and dinner in front of a very impressive sunset. A providential rest in preparation for the big event the following day: the start of The Run to Monaco!
The Run to Monaco is a private rally where 30 teams and their supercars come from all over the world to challenge themselves on a journey from Bordeaux to Monaco for 4 days of pure performance and adrenaline. To enrich the baggage of the day's emotions, I was asked to participate in a Pit-Stop Challenge during which you simulate a tire change as they do in F1.
Taking part in this race against time while wearing an Excalibur Spider Pirelli made me appreciate these watches even more. Touching the tires with your hand and seeing the stopwatch scanning the seconds makes you fully understand how essential time truly is in the racing world. A tremendously concrete entity to be respected, monitored and celebrated through rare and extraordinary watches like those Roger Dubuis had the pleasure of sharing with us.
I was extremely impressed by how light these watches were along with the extreme attention to detail and beauty of the visible movements; something that excites you for its total perfection... I look at the “skeletal heart” of these watches and think to myself how in exceptional products like these innovation and design, engineering and style, luxury and performance all move in unison just like the components of a perfect gear.
Andrea Mazzuca, Founder
