Tennis player Gaël Monfils spotted wearing a Roger Dubuis

Gaël Monfils has never been shy about his love of high horology, and this latest wrist sighting confirms his taste runs toward the avant-garde. On his left wrist sits a Roger Dubuis Excalibur Astral Skeleton in a black DLC-coated titanium case, paired with what appears to be a dark alligator strap — a combination that keeps the focus squarely on the extraordinary movement visible through the fully open dial.

The Excalibur Astral Skeleton houses the in-house calibre RD820SQ, a manually wound skeletonized movement with a flying tourbillon and Roger Dubuis's signature star-shaped bridge architecture — the 'astral' motif that gives the watch its name. The movement is assembled and finished to Poinçon de Genève standards, a certification more demanding than COSC chronometer status, requiring each component to be individually hallmarked by Geneva's official inspection body. The inscription 'Poinçon de Genève' is clearly legible at the 6 o'clock position in the image. Power reserve runs to approximately 60 hours.

The black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) titanium case measures 45mm — substantial even by Roger Dubuis standards — with the brand's characteristic notched, almost medieval bezel treatment. The case architecture references the Excalibur collection's knightly aesthetic while the skeletonized movement transforms the dial into a kinetic sculpture of interlocking gears, ruby jewels, and hand-beveled bridges. Nothing is hidden; everything is performance.

Monfils has been a Roger Dubuis friend and ambassador, and the brand's DNA — high-energy, technical, unapologetically theatrical — maps naturally onto his playing persona. The ATP's so-called 'La Monf' is as comfortable performing acrobatic shot-saves on clay as he is pairing a $150,000 skeleton tourbillon with a silver Cuban-link bracelet on the wrist.

On the secondary market, the Excalibur Astral Skeleton commands strong premiums given its limited production, Poinçon de Genève credentials, and the inherent complexity of the flying tourbillon movement. Grey market values sit close to or above retail for desirable executions in black DLC, reflecting genuine collector demand rather than speculative flipping.