Watch Paparazzi

Athlete Nyjah Huston spotted wearing Roger Dubuis

Nyjah Huston has never been the type to reach for the obvious choice, and his wrist confirms it. The American skateboarder — who has dominated competitive skating for well over a decade and commands the sport's highest earnings — was recently spotted wearing the Roger Dubuis Excalibur MT Cobalt Chrome, reference RDDBEX0838, a limited edition of just 88 pieces that sits firmly at the intersection of haute horlogerie and advanced materials science.

The Excalibur MT Cobalt Chrome RDDBEX0838 is built around the calibre RD01SQ, a manufacture movement that carries Geneva Seal certification — a distinction Roger Dubuis holds across its entire production, making it one of very few brands to achieve this universally. The movement delivers hours, minutes, seconds and a flying tourbillon, the latter being the mechanical centrepiece of the watch. What separates this tourbillon from conventional executions is its bi-material cage construction: the lower bridge is machined from titanium while the upper cage is formed in cobalt chrome. The result is a lighter, more dynamically balanced rotating assembly that reduces the energy demand on the gear train. The same cobalt chrome alloy extends to the 42mm case itself, ensuring material consistency from movement architecture to exterior form.

The fully skeletonized dial leaves no ambiguity about the mechanics within. Every bridge, wheel and the tourbillon cage are visible in an open-worked composition that Roger Dubuis has refined across the Excalibur collection since its introduction in the mid-2000s. The MT designation signals the brand's ongoing collaboration with Pirelli and its MonsterTruck aesthetic language — bold geometry, aggressive finishing, unapologetic scale.

At 88 pieces, the RDDBEX0838 occupies serious collector territory. Roger Dubuis limited editions in exotic case materials have consistently appreciated on the secondary market, particularly those combining Geneva Seal movements with unconventional alloys. The cobalt chrome references attract buyers who understand materials engineering as much as watchmaking.

For Huston, whose competitive profile and brand partnerships have reshaped what a professional skateboarder can earn and represent, the Excalibur MT Cobalt Chrome is a coherent choice — technically demanding, visually radical, and built in a number that guarantees scarcity.