For the first time this year, Roger Dubuis has been the main sponsor of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship. The championship takes places across six rounds in three regions: Europe (2009), Asia (2012) and North America (2013). A Super Trofeo championship under a slightly different format is also held in the Middle East. On the weekend of 17-18 November, the drivers from the three continental series converge at Vallelunga in Italy for the World Final, where they will battle it out for the title of Lamborghini World Champion in each of the four classes: Pro, Pro-Am, Am and Lamborghini Cup.
Since Roger Dubuis has a “360-degree” partnership with Lamborghini, you will see the brand’s name as the main sponsor of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo as well as on the “shark’s fin” of the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo, which is the 2018 car for this single-make series. Along with the large air scoop, the shark’s fin is one of the most noticeable differences from the road car. Another is that the Huracán Super Trofeo Evo’s 5.2 litre V10 powers the rear wheels only, unlike its four-wheel drive predecessor.
Roger Dubuis has chosen to use the name Lamborghini Squadra Corse, a separate division within the car maker’s research and development department dedicated solely to motorsport, for the watches it has launched since the partnership started. Four limited-edition Lamborghini Squadra Corse watches have been launched so far, all in keeping with the brand’s new philosophy of making its watches limited not just in number but also in time. The first was the Excalibur Aventador S “Arancia Argos” presented last year as an 8-piece limited edition in orange. The collection has been extended this year with a “Verde Mantis” green edition, also an 8-piece limited edition, plus an 88-piece blue model and a 28-piece “Giallo Orion” model in rose gold.
The Lamborghini Squadra Corse models are powered a specially developed mechanical calibre, the RD103SQ. Taking its inspiration from the brand’s incredible Quatuor model with four balance wheels, this movement uses two balance wheels (inevitably leading to the name “Duotor”), which are at an angle of 45 degrees to each other, just like the cylinder blocks in the Huracán’s V10 engine. The typical skeleton architecture of the movement is also dominated by two crossbars above the mainspring barrel of the manually-wound calibre, which are miniaturized versions of the bars fixing the mid-mounted engine of the Huracán in place. The movement also has a rare deadbeat seconds hand that beats in direct contrast to the rapid oscillation of the two balance wheels.
The cases of the Aventador S models are made of forged carbon that comes directly from Lamborghini and their bright colour accents on the dial and straps add a welcome touch of colour to an otherwise dark background. Much like the Lamborghini Aventador that they are named after, these watches are hard to come by and expensive, starting at 180,000 Swiss francs.
