CEO Of The Month | Chapter 13 : David Chaumet: Building Roger Dubuis Into The Next Generation Of Haute Horlogerie
5 min read
Over the past few years, I've noticed confusion in conversations with collectors about is the direction of Roger Dubuis. The brand seemed adrift - bold releases without clear direction, partnerships that felt disconnected, positioning that shifted depending on which market you were in. Collectors I've spoken with across Mumbai, Geneva, and Hong Kong asked the same question: where is this brand actually going? That ambiguity has evaporated since June 2024 - the appointment of David Chaumet as the new CEO of Roger Dubuis. Chaumet's first months brought clarity - not through announcements, but through decisive product choices, strategic market focus, and consistent communication about what Roger Dubuis actually stands for. It's the difference between watching someone manage a brand and watching someone own the vision.
Chaumet's appointment as CEO of Roger Dubuis represented something unusual in luxury watchmaking: the return of a seasoned insider who understands the manufacture from every operational angle. This isn't his first time at the helm of the brand. He spent eleven years at Roger Dubuis across three distinct roles - from Customer Service and Quality Director in Geneva to Senior Managing Director for Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong - before departing in 2019 to lead Baume & Mercier as CEO.
But his return to Roger Dubuis last year signals something deliberate: a leader choosing to come back to unfinished business, to a brand he knows intimately, to execute a specific vision. This is why he's our CEO of the Month, not because of flowery strategy narratives, but because his track record demonstrates operational depth across retail, regional markets, quality control, and executive leadership. He doesn't need to learn Roger Dubuis. He already knows how it works.
Strategy Since Return: Rebuilding Community and Accessibility
Since taking the CEO role in June 2024, Chaumet's actions reveal a specific mandate: reconnect with lapsed collectors while expanding accessibility. His initiatives include: The revival of the Hommage collection, specifically the La Placide edition featuring a bi-retrograde perpetual calendar in a 38mm case. This wasn't historical romanticizing. The original Hommage collection (1996) honored those who shaped the founder's vision. Reintroducing it served a strategic purpose: unifying historical enthusiasts and newer collectors around the brand's foundational DNA.
A steel version of the Excalibur Biretrograde deliberately positioned at a more accessible price point to reach new clientele who respect the complications but haven't accessed them at higher price tiers. Stronger emphasis on bespoke services, positioning custom work as central to the brand's value proposition rather than peripheral offering. The "Movements of the Sky" collection for 2026 - eight models grouped around an astronomical theme centered on perpetual calendars and retrograde displays. Not trend-chasing, but systematic thematic development.
The Technical Foundation
Roger Dubuis operates with specific technical parameters that define its positioning. The manufacture maintains 33 in-house calibers and holds the Poinçon de Genève certification across all watches. Under Chaumet's direction, emphasis has shifted toward the complications that defined the founder's early work: bi-retrograde perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, and flying tourbillons. The La Placide exemplifies this focus. In a 38mm case, it features bi-retrograde and perpetual calendar complications with a "Léman blue" dial - a reference to Lake Geneva where the manufacture is based. Limited to 28 pieces, it bridges aesthetic restraint with mechanical density.
The Grande Complication represents the opposite approach: maximum complications in maximum case size. The Excalibur collection serves as the architectural playground for bolder designs. The 40mm Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar demonstrates the principle: interior angles and finishing details create light effects that elevate the piece beyond functional specification.
Product Strategy: Tiered Accessibility
Chaumet's approach establishes distinct product tiers without compromising technical standards. The Excalibur Biretrograde in steel represents the entry point to complications - same movement specifications and finishing standards as precious metal versions, different material cost structure and resulting retail price. Bespoke services receive operational prominence, not peripheral positioning.
The Lady of the Lake collection expansion recognizes a market gap. Prior women's segment work - the Velvet collection (launched 2012) and subsequent releases demonstrated collector interest but received inconsistent brand support. Reframing women's watches as a full creative universe rather than derivative category represents strategy shift, not demographic patronization. The 28-piece limitation on La Placide and similar releases establishes scarcity economics without artificial production constraints. Production limits correspond to actual market demand for highly complex, manually-finished pieces rather than marketing-driven rarity.
India Market Commitment: Market-Specific Editions
Rather than global releases adapted for local retail, Roger Dubuis has commissioned India-specific editions demonstrating genuine market commitment. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monobalancier Lord Ganesha Edition (2025) featuring contemporary metalized art signals recognition of India's cultural significance and collector sophistication. Then there was a Velvet collection edition created to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Art of Time, the longtime retailer operating in India.
These editions represent strategic recognition that the India market has matured enough to justify dedicated production runs, cultural sensitivity in design, and direct engagement. This aligns with Chaumet's broader philosophy: market-specific accessibility and community building rather than one-size-fits-all global approach.
Assessment and Industry Position
Chaumet's return to Roger Dubuis in June 2024 wasn't a lateral move - it was a deliberate reclamation. His 11 years at the manufacture provided intimate operational knowledge that cannot be learned from consulting reports: production constraints, quality protocols, market channels, organizational personality. What distinguishes Chaumet is operational credibility. He doesn't propose strategies, he executes them. Steel Excalibur variants exist. La Placide pieces are in collectors' hands. India-specific editions are commissioned. The "Movements of the Sky" collection is in production. The auction market is responding. Collectors are returning. These aren't announcements; they're accomplished facts within two years of his appointment.
In an industry where brand leadership often defaults to marketing narratives and aspirational positioning, David Chaumet represents something rarer: operational depth combined with strategic clarity, regional market expertise combined with manufacture understanding, and willingness to rebuild community over pursuing unsustainable growth. Roger Dubuis has clarity again. Collectors recognize it. The market is responding. For his execution-focused leadership, his restoration of collector confidence, and his commitment to building a coherent, sustainable brand trajectory, David Chaumet is The Hour Markers' CEO of the Month.
