MASTER, DISRUPTOR

AS CEO OF ROGER DUBUIS, DAVID CHAUMET HAS CHARTED A COURSE FOR THE MAISON NOT USUALLY TREADED BY FELLOW GENEVAN WATCHMAKERS. I SPEAK TO HIM TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS IS GENIUS, LUNACY, OR A DELIGHTFUL BLEND OF BOTH.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

WHEN DAVID CHAUMET TOOK THE REINS as CEO of Roger Dubuis in 2020, he brought with him not only a rich pedigree from the world of luxury, including roles at Richemont and Jaeger-LeCoultre, but also a contrarian spirit finely tuned to the rhythm of disruption.

Chaumet entered the maison with a clear mission: to amplify its identity as a rule-breaker in haute horlogerie. Several heritage brands rest on laurels and archives. Chaumet, however, saw an opportunity to double down on audacity. Under his leadership, the Geneva-based brand has leaned into its avant-garde DNA with unapologetic boldness and provocative flair.

Since his arrival, the watches emerging from Roger Dubuis have been anything but conventional. The brand's signature Excalibur line has become a playground for both mechanical excess and design bravado: skeletonised calibres, multi-axis tourbillons, and technical artistry that toe the line between engineering and performance art. Collaborations with Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Pirelli have brought supercar energy into the atelier, culminating in timepieces that not only evoke speed and adrenaline but also integrate automotive materials and design cues in ways no other Swiss brand dares to.

But it’s not just the watches that make Roger Dubuis and Chaumet disruptive. It’s the underlying ethos. In a world of quiet luxury and traditionalist codes, Chaumet has positioned the brand as a provocateur. It embraces limited production runs, experiential ownership, and even NFT-linked watch drops. Sustainability is tackled not with platitudes but with experimental materials and transparent sourcing initiatives. Roger Dubuis is, under Chaumet's guidance, actively rewriting the rules of what a luxury watch brand can be: more immersive, more kinetic, and defiantly unorthodox.