Daniel Roth, an iconic and highly respected independent watchmaker during his first golden age in the early nineties, is back.
Characterised by artisanal quality and a refined aesthetic, the brand is undergoing a renaissance led by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
Staying true to its founding spirit, Daniel Roth is now on the cusp of a second golden age that pays tribute to the achievements of Daniel Roth the watchmaker, which begins with the Tourbillon Souscription.
The origins
Established in 1988 by the talented watchmaker of the same name, Daniel Roth was a pioneer of independent watchmaking, a time before the genre was even recognised as historically important.
Prior to founding his own brand, Mr Daniel Roth was instrumental in creating the modern-day Breguet marque. The final and most important project Mr Roth completed at Breguet was the brand’s first-ever tourbillon wristwatch. So, with elegant historical symmetry, the inaugural creation of his own brand was a tourbillon, the reference 2187/C187 with double faces of 1988.
Perhaps the defining complication in haute horlogerie at the time, the tourbillon was then an exceptionally rare mechanism, especially in wristwatches and by making its debut with a tourbillon, the brand made history.
The revival
Thirty-five years after the brand was first founded, Daniel Roth is once again making its debut, and once again with a tourbillon.
The brand says that in paying homage to the original design of 1988, the Tourbillon Souscription encapsulates the values of the brand itself that have remained unchanged over the decades.
The brand’s approach is just as it was in 1988 – tapping on the skills of the finest watchmakers, constructors, and specialist suppliers to create artisanal timepieces.
Executed in traditional yellow gold, a metal exclusive to this edition, the case of the Tourbillon Souscription is naturally a double ellipse.
To maximise the elegance of the Tourbillon Souscription, it has only a single face on the front, resulting in a case that is a mere 9.2 mm high.
The double-ellipse case retains the proportions of the original, but with subtle refinements. The lugs are still carefully soldered by hand to the case middle, but they have been slightly reshaped to create an elegant downward arch, improving the ergonomics of the iconic case.
Like the case, the dial is a tribute to the brand’s history, but gently refined. Formed from a plate of solid yellow gold, the dial is decorated with Clous de Paris guilloche just as the original was.
Under the dial is the in-house manufacture calibre DR001 conceived exclusively for Daniel Roth as a brand, which is manufactured entirely by La Fabrique du Temps, the Geneva workshop founded by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini – both master watchmakers who will personally oversee the creation of each Daniel Roth timepiece.
On the movement, Michel Navas explained: “Our vision for DANIEL ROTH is to respect the brand’s history while also leveraging some of the concepts and savoir faire that Enrico and myself have accumulated in our careers.”
While Enrico Barbasini added: “Respecting the origins of the brand and the craftsmanship of its foundational pieces is especially important for us, since we are both long-time friends of Daniel.
“Many of us look up to Daniel as an important figure in the industry who spearheaded contemporary independent watchmaking.”
This respect for the brand’s history is embodied in the DR001, an in-house manufacture movement conceived especially for the Tourbillon Souscription – the same approach that will be applied to all future Daniel Roth calibres.
Souscription
Limited to just 20 watches, the Tourbillon Souscription takes after the 1988 original in not just concept and execution but also availability.
The Tourbillon Souscription will be sold on a souscription basis – patrons of DANIEL ROTH will “subscribe” with a deposit upon order confirmation, with the balance due upon delivery in early 2024.
Priced at CHF140,000 before taxes, the Tourbillon Souscription will be available only at select retail partners.
