This timeless elegant stainless steel GMT embodies the spirit of early Daniel Roth. It is rare for a watchmaker to successfully execute an instantly recognisable dial and case with such conviction. 

The name Daniel Roth still causes furore amongst collectors for reasons that are known to most. In his attempts to become a recognised watchmaker, Daniel Roth completed his technical apprenticeship in Nice, before moving to the epicentre of watchmaking, Vallée de Joux. The revered school in Le Sentier and a seven year period with Audemars Piguet laid the foundations of Roth’s craft. When the Chaumet Brothers, the then owners of Breguet, were attempting to revamp and restore the glory days of Breguet, they turned to a young Daniel Roth. Fourteen years later, Roth, not only brought back the glory days for Breguet, he created some of the most specular watches since Abraham Louis Breguet’s time.  

The Quartz Crisis signalled the end of the Chaumet tenure and allowed Daniel Roth to pursue ambitions of his own. In 1989, Daniel Roth decided to establish his own manufacture. The rise of the independents was almost renaissance like, Roth was one of the pioneers in this newfound era of ‘freedom’, other honourable names such as Svend Andersen, Franck Muller, F. P. Journe, Roger Dubuis played a crucial role in allowing this movement to flourish. Interestingly, Roth was able to carve out his own design language that made most of his pieces instantly recognisable. There were subtle cues and nods to Breguet’s work in his designs although what made Roth’s instantly distinguishable was his double-ellipse case, the difference polished facets found on the case and the unique construction of the case was ahead of its time. 

The relatively young brand paired with its eponymous founder, Daniel Roth, had grand ambitions. In order to realise this, the brand accepted an external investment, which resulted in Daniel Roth being sidelined to an extent, similar to that of Roger Dubuis. In 2001, the Daniel Roth brand was sold to the Bvlgari Group and eventually morphed under the name. This resulted in Daniel Roth losing the right to use his own name for his future project.

Our Example

This double-ellipse stainless steel Daniel Roth measures 35 mm x 38 mm in diameter and 8.50 mm in thickness. The unique shape of the modernised case along with the addition of the downward slopping lugs allows this Daniel Roth to offer unparalleled comfort on the wrist. The black dial features a sharply executed pinstripe guilloché pattern, which complements the brushed chapter ring paired with Roman numerals. The use of a monotone dial highlights the different finishing methods found on the dial, Daniel Roth’s dials can be compared to an artist’s canvas, he expressed and executed some of the most spectacular dials in his early years when he was closely associated with the brand. 

The time-only function can be easily distinguished from the dual-time complication due to the contrasting methods used. The dual time function is found at 12 o’clock with an inverted cyclops enhanced aperture, the function can easily be distinguished from the date found at 6 o’clock due to the GMT inscribed dial. The button found on the periphery of the case is used to advance the hours of the GMT. The time only relation function is segregated by classic petite arrow hands. 

The Movement

The automatic movement signed Daniel Roth, is adjusted to five positions and features twenty-seven jewels. The relatively slim movement is believed to be an ébauche made by Girard Perregaux (GP 3000 / 3100). Notable for the use of ball bearings in order to eliminate the use of lubrication on the rotor and is thought to have increased the efficiency of the movement. Aesthetically, the calibre is finished to a high standard. The classic Côtes de Genève is found on both the 18-carat gold rotor as well as the base of the movement.

Brand: Daniel Roth
Model: S247.1
Movement: Calibre GP 3100
Case Diameter: 35mm x 38mm
Year: 1996
Box & Papers: Signed Pin Buckle 

This timeless elegant stainless steel GMT embodies the spirit of early Daniel Roth. It is rare for a watchmaker to successfully execute an instantly recognisable dial and case with such conviction.