DANIEL ROTH revisits a dial-making technique from the 1940s, in which gold numerals are masked, coated in black and then revealed, on its time-only Extra Plat.
DANIEL ROTH today introduces the Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt, which pairs a rose gold case with a contrasting black dial. The brand says the Extra Plat was Mr. Roth’s second favourite complication, after the Tourbillon.
The dial begins as solid gold, with a pinstripe guilloché cut entirely by hand on a traditional rose engine. When the masks come off, the gold numerals sit lower than the black coating, giving the dial two levels, inside the collection’s double-ellipse case.
Master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini oversaw the development and assembly of the manual-winding calibre DR002 at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. It shows the time alone, with 65 hours of power reserve, and all 143 components are visible through the open caseback.
A technique traced to the 1940s revives itself here, on a watch built for the simplest complication of all: telling the time alone.
The Basics
Brand: DANIEL ROTH
Model: Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt
Reference: DBBD04A1
Diameter: 38.6mm × 35.5mm
Thickness: 7.7mm
Case material: 5N rose gold, double-ellipse
Dial: Solid gold base with black galvanic finish; pinstripe guilloché by hand; Roman numerals, signature and individual number in solid gold, revealed by the gilt technique; gold minute disc; solid gold hands
Water resistance: 30m
Strap: Calfskin leather
The Movement
Calibre: DR002, manufacture, manual winding
Functions: Time only
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 65 hours
Frequency: 4Hz
Jewels: 21
Images courtesy of DANIEL ROTH.