When we think of modern indie watchmaking, names like Kari Voutilainen, Philippe Dufour, F.P. Journe, and Roger Smith often come to mind. Independent horology has grown so much in stature that owning at least one independent piece is now considered a hallmark of serious collecting. That being said, before this wave of recognition, there was Daniel Roth—a watchmaker who, in many ways, helped lay the foundation for today’s independent movement.
To add some context, Daniel Roth was one of the most talented watchmakers of his generation and is responsible for many things we see in watchmaking today. For one, he was a leading figure who established the design language of the Breguet watches you see today. In the '60s and ’70s, Breguet had become a shadow of its former self with seemingly no future until it was acquired by Chaumet, who in turn brought in Daniel Roth to take the helm. The reference 3130, with its guilloché dial and straight-lugged case, set the tone for Breguet’s rebirth. Beyond design, Roth also contributed to complicated movement development at Lemania, who, may I remind you, until fairly recently, still supplied chronograph calibres to Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
Following that chapter, the 1990s marked the beginning of his own venture: Daniel Roth the manufacture. The brand’s history can be divided into three significant periods: the early period when he was fully independent, the middle period, when The Hour Glass was a stakeholder, and the final period, when Bulgari took over and Daniel Roth departed the company.
In 1995, Daniel Roth joined forces with The Hour Glass Group, and the example you see here today hails from that period. While it's typically the earlier, independent-era Roth pieces that command the most attention among collectors, there are still several pieces from this period that I think are great designs and also deserve equal recognition, such as this beautiful example of a GMT with a salmon dial. Looking at the watch, you’ll see that it retains many of Roth’s most desirable design traits: the signature vertical pinstripe guilloché dial, a visually balanced layout with a quick-set GMT indicator at 12:00 (adjustable via the 2:00 pusher) and a date aperture at 6:00; as well as an applied hour chapter ring with radially placed Roman numerals. A set of thermally blued hands ties it all together, leaving no doubt that this is unmistakably a Roth creation—elegant, distinctive, and deeply thoughtful.
In the past, I’ve often voiced my disappointment with the direction the brand took after Bulgari’s acquisition in 2000, when his trademark ellipso-curvex case blueprint was absorbed into their own lineup and scaled up beyond recognition. Needless to say, those reinterpretations were terribly oversized, gaudy, and clearly lacked the elegance of the originals. Thankfully, that era has given way to renewal. With Daniel Roth’s recent resurgence under La Fabrique du Temps and LVMH, and the introduction of the Tourbillon and Extra Plat Souscription models, I’m elated to see that Daniel Roth is finally returning to form and being celebrated for what it always was: one of the most important and original voices in realm of high-end independent watchmaking.
This example with its salmon dial is perhaps the rarest variant of the series, and I must say I have not seen another example in the market.
