Against the tide

Geneva-based Roger Dubuis is a bold watchmaker which will readily break away from the norm. And CEO Nicola Andreatta wouldn’t have it any other way

- VARUN GODINHO

Only a handful of Swiss watchmaking brands are as rock ‘n’ roll in their being as Roger Dubuis. To anthropomorphize it – think of it as someone who’d pick Saint-Tropez over Aspen to vacation, would rather spend a day trackside at an F1 race than on a placid golf course, and one who’ll inevitably pick Tom Ford over Savile Row. Its edgy positioning is apparent in almost everything it does from its design (oversized case sizes, bold open-worked movements and bezels with sharp edges), choice of ambassadors (tattooist Dr Woo, graffiti specialist Gully and visual artist Liu Wei) and partners (Lamborghini and Pirelli).

It’s a brand that is only 26-years-old, and part of the Richemont Group since 2008, which is now led by CEO Nicola Andreatta. He is keenly aware that there are only two primary and polarising views about the brand – those who love it, and those who don’t. It is extremely rare to find observers who have ambiguous or ambivalent views of its watches that have deliberately been designed to elicit sharp reactions and strong emotions.