Introducing the Excalibur Pirelli ICE ZERO 2: a one-of-a-kind hyper-watch exclusively available on MR PORTER.

Many’s the watchmaker that has attempted to align itself with the high-octane world of supercars. None has done so quite as successfully – or, we might add, with as much gusto – as Roger Dubuis. The Geneva brand’s ongoing alliance with Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Pirelli has consistently turned out some of the most audacious and creative timepieces in the world.

And if there’s one that truly deserves the moniker of “supercar for your wrist”, it’s the latest addition to the stable: the Excalibur Pirelli ICE ZERO 2. Measuring in at 47mm and featuring a double flying tourbillon – more on that later – it’s one of Roger Dubuis’ boldest, most technologically advanced creations to date.

The name refers specifically to the watch’s rubber strap, which was developed in collaboration with specialist tyre producer Pirelli and echoes the appearance of its new ICE ZERO 2 winter tyres. Dotted along the Pirelli-designed tyre-tread grip pattern, you’ll find a series of tiny stainless-steel studs that mimic the 190 traction pins embedded in the surface of each tyre.

As attractive and unique as this watch strap is, it’s the intricate inner workings of the watch itself that merits the greater part of your attention. Within the skeletal, DLC-coated titanium framework of the dial sits Roger Dubuis’ in-house RD105SQ movement, its twin balance wheels encaged within the watch’s most impressive feature: a double flying tourbillon.

For the uninitiated, a tourbillon is one of the most impressive feats in all of watchmaking. Designed in the late 18th century, its original purpose was to mitigate the effects of gravity on the escapement and balance wheel of a pocket watch by fixing it inside a cage that rotates 360 degrees every minute.

The effects of a tourbillon are negligible in a wristwatch, as the watch will continuously change orientation anyway with the movement of your wrist – but it remains a hypnotically beautiful feature nonetheless and has become a show of skill for modern watchmakers. A “flying” tourbillon is more complicated still, doing away with one of the bridges that secures the cage and giving the impression that the tourbillon is detached or “flying” above the mechanism. This kind of watchmaking wizardry comes naturally to Roger Dubuis, whose skeletonized dials were designed to act as showcases for the most contemporary expressions of haute horlogerie.

With the Excalibur Pirelli ICE ZERO 2, Roger Dubuis packs not one, but two of these intricate complications into a single watch, each housing a separate balance and with a differential to yoke them together. Does that sound like over-engineering to you? Then good. That’s exactly the point. After all, a watch doesn’t need two flying tourbillons. Nor does it need to spend several hours being bevelled and polished to perfection according to the requirements of the Poinçon de Genève, Switzerland’s most scrupulous certification for the finishing and function of fine watches – a badge proudly worn by the majority of Roger Dubuis’ creations.

Likewise, a car doesn’t need a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine producing 700 horsepower that propels it from a standing start to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds. It doesn’t need to be made of carbon fibre, either, or to be so aggressively angular that the wing mirrors look like they could take your eye out. But these details, however unnecessary, make up the difference between a Lamborghini Aventador and a 1.2-litre hatchback. And we know which one we’d rather be driving.

This is exactly what makes Roger Dubuis and Lamborghini Squadra Corse such natural bosom buddies, and why their partnership has always felt so right. Other watch brands might attempt to align themselves with the supercar lifestyle with a bit of strategically placed carbon fibre here and there, or a dial that looks a bit like a speedometer if you squint. Roger Dubuis, by comparison, has woven the principles of supercar design – precision engineering, more-is-more styling, extreme attention to detail – into the very fabric of its brand.

Still, if the link between supercar and watch seems a little tenuous, or the rubber tread of the watch strap not literal enough a representation of Pirelli’s new winter tyres, fret not, because Roger Dubuis has the answer. Whoever invests in this watch – a unique creation available only on MR PORTER – won’t just receive it in the mail.

Instead, it’ll be personally hand-delivered by the CEO of Roger Dubuis himself, Mr Nicola Andreatta. The new owner will be flown out to take part in Lamborghini’s “Winter Accademia” ice-driving experience in the Italian Alps, where they’ll be invited to test-drive a selection of the brand’s supercars, including the new Urus SUV – all fitted with the very same tyres that inspired the watch. (If they are unable to attend the experience, a new date will be arranged for delivery of the watch according to the schedules of the client and Mr Andreatta.)

We’re reserved sorts at MR PORTER; typically British, you might say, and it takes a lot to get us excited. But we have to admit that this blend of intricate horological craftsmanship and extravagant hypercar silliness is rather doing it for us. In fact, if someone doesn’t take Roger Dubuis up on this one-of-a-kind offer soon, then we might just have to do it ourselves.