César Azpilicueta, who was born in Pamplona in 1989, is taking part in his first European championships with the Spanish national team. He has been playing for English Premier League club Chelsea since 2012.
After coming up through the youth system of his hometown club, in 2010 Azpi (as his fans affectionately call him) transferred to Olympique de Marseille, which at the time was managed by Didier Deschamps. He won the League Cup in 2011 and 2012 and the Trophée des Champions in 2010 with Marseille.
Two years later the Spanish defender moved to England, where Chelsea FC took him on a five-year contract. Just a few months in, he replaced the legendary Ashley Cole as left back. Playing for Chelsea, he won the Europa League in 2013 and the English Premier League in 2015.
As a member of his national side the young player helped the Spanish under-19 team win the European Championships in 2007, and was picked for the under-21 team in 2009. He captained the Spanish team to the 2012 Olympic Games and was selected for the 2014 World Cup.
César Azpilicueta has been a brand ambassador for Roger Dubuis since 2013. In May, while in the thick of preparing for Euro 2016, he took the time to stop off in Geneva for a day to visit the Manufacture. After being welcomed by Roger Dubuis CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué, the footballer took a tour of the various watchmaking workshops to learn about the different stages of manufacturing a Roger Dubuis timepiece, particularly the latest Excalibur Double Tourbillon Skeleton Spider, which was unveiled at the SIHH in January.
César, who is often praised for his elegant style, tactical sense and technique on the field, appreciates the exceptional nature of Roger Dubuis timepieces: “I’m fascinated by Roger Dubuis’ skeleton models,” he confided. “They have a very strong image, a spectacular 3D effect, and most of all, they’re different.” For Euro 2016 the Spanish defender has swapped the Excalibur automatic in rose gold he has worn since 2013 for the sportier Excalibur Skeleton Automatic in DLC-coated titanium. The 42 mm watch is light and comfortable to wear, with a powerful architectural design that makes the most of the RD820SQ calibre with its micro-rotor and 167 components.
