Founded in 1995, Roger Dubuis is a watchmaker that has long been renowned for their avant-garde design, fine finishing, and individualistic aesthetics. The independent brand has since broken away from their more traditional roots and embraced the hyper-technical designs we see them employ today. The Sympathie ref. 37.57.0, however, is a beacon of the brand’s bold stylings that successfully emblazoned them across the horological community’s psyche in the late ’90s as a watchmaker with a unique sense of style and artistry. Constructed of 18k rose gold, the Sympathie’s 37mm case is a feast for the eyes. Featuring a vertical satin grain on the caseband and lug profiles with a contrasting high polish on the bezel, thick fixing screws, and lug hoods, the Sympathie is a finely executed timepiece with appreciable attention to detail. Aside from its case, the Sympathie’s dial also stands out as another unique piece of design. Featuring applied rose gold Breguet style hour markers and an orange seconds track along its periphery sitting atop an intricate guilloche engraved brown-aged dial with rose gold dauphine hands, the dial setup perfectly matches the Sympathie’s detailed rose gold case, brown leather strap, and distinctive rose gold pin buckle.

Reflecting Roger Dubuis' mastery of watchmaking and its traditional artisanal crafts in abundance, early examples from the legendary indie like this have become relics of watchmaking that we ought to cherish and preserve.