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.

Andreatta is the third generation of his family to be part of the watchmaking business. His grandfather had a factory that manufactured components, especially cases and bracelets, for several watch brands. His father carried on the business. “As a matter of fact, the first cases manufactured for Roger Dubuis were done by my father,” says Andreatta. However, his father encouraged Nicola to look at a world beyond watches, which is why he studied finance and started working in financial management for a company in Asia. He subsequently returned to Europe to start his own luxury brand, which he sold after the 2009 crisis. After a stint at Tiffany, Nicola eventually made his way to Roger Dubuis where he was appointed as CEO in 2018.