When we think of the big independents today, names such as Voutilainen, Dufour, Journe, and Smith come to mind. In fact, there is such a huge appreciation for independents today that it has become somewhat mainstream within collecting circles to own at least one watch from an independent brand.
Before all of this hype though, there was Daniel Roth. To be honest, in my opinion, the story of the Daniel Roth brand is a tragic one that could’ve worked out very differently.
Daniel Roth the man came from a family of watchmakers and as such, was always destined to be one. Beginning his career at Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus, he worked there for 7 years before moving on to Breguet during the Chaumet era, where he really honed his skills.
Without a doubt, Daniel Roth is one of the most talented watchmakers of his generation and was responsible for many things you see today but do not realize. At Breguet, he was a leading figure who established the design language of the Breguet dress watches that you see today. In the ’60s and ’70s, Breguet had become a below-average watch brand with no future, mainly supplying utilitarian Type 20 watches to the military.
When they were acquired by the Chaumet brothers, they brought in Daniel Roth to lead the helm as technical director. The Ref. 3130 for example, with its guilloche dial and its straight lugged case, set the tone for Breguet and was created by Daniel Roth after studying the brand’s history and archives for over a year. Moreover, he played a significant role in producing complicated movements for Lemania who may I remind you up until recently still provided the likes of Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin with chronograph calibers.
It wasn’t until the Chaumet brothers fell into scandal and had to sell Breguet, that Roth decided to pave his own path forward. Towards the end of the ’80s, Daniel Roth did the unthinkable by starting his own eponymous ‘independent’ brand. Back then, it was a crazy thing to do, especially as the industry was still reeling from the quartz crisis that decimated most brands.
Without the constraints of big corporate hovering over him, he was free to create whatever he wanted and the results were some of the most original and beautiful watch designs of all time. You see, while no one can question the technical genius of Roth’s watchmaking, what many do not realize is that he is also a master in design, with an innate eye for proportion, texture, and depth.
The most unique trait of the Daniel Roth brand is, without a shadow of a doubt, the double ellipse (‘Elipsocurvex’) case that underpinned the entire collection. It featured a three-piece case that was an amalgamation of a rectangular shape cut off by semi-circles at the top and bottom, resulting in a truly unique look.
The Daniel Roth Ref. 2127 Retrograde you see here today is one of my favorites from the early era. Inspired by George Daniels’ One Minute Tourbillon Pocket Watch, the design of this Retrograde makes it one of the most unique from the collection. While ‘regular’ Ref. 2127 Retrogrades are difficult enough to find, the open-worked version would certainly be considered the holy grail of early Daniel Roth. On top of this, what makes this particular example even more special is the fact that it is engraved Numero 1, making it the first example produced by Roth.
Roth made skeletonized versions of his watches in extremely small quantities due to the amount of work that goes into them and the example you see here is a very early example of that. Featuring concentric silver rings that display the retrograde hour, minutes, and running seconds, there is a real three-dimensionality to it as they sit above the hand-engraved and expertly finished modified Lemania Cal. 27LN. The contrast between the gold movement and the silver rings accentuates the depth of the watch and beautifully displays the movement clicking with each hour passing. Flipping the watch over, the hand finishing continues with more hand engraving on the movement plates. The overall symmetry and simplicity achieved despite the complication and details are stunning- this not only is classical watchmaking at its finest but also a trailblazing watch that certainly defined what was possible for independent watchmakers at the time.
It is important to note that the story of Daniel Roth went through three important stages. The first stage was the early period when Roth was fully in control and leading the brand. This era is the most collectable, not just for its historical significance but also because of the exceptional quality of the watches, which were crafted exclusively from precious metals with no compromises. The second chapter began in 1995, following a period of success, when The Hour Glass, a major global watch retailer, acquired a majority stake in the brand. This shift marked a downturn, as the quality of the watches began to decline and some designs became questionable, though there are still beautiful pieces from this time. The final chapter came with the sale of Daniel Roth to Bvlgari during the Asian Financial Crisis, ending Roth's direct involvement, that is until the brand's recent revival in 2023. This revival was carried out in collaboration with La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the watchmaking division of Louis Vuitton, which now also includes Gerald Genta, alongside Daniel Roth.
In the past, I’ve repeatedly expressed my utter disappointment with the direction Daniel Roth took after being acquired by Bvlgari, who incorporated his unique case design but rebranded it with their own style. These reinterpretations were oversized, flashy, and lacked the elegance of the originals. However, with the brand's recent resurgence in 2023, highlighted by the introduction of the new Tourbillon Souscription, I am thrilled to see Daniel Roth finally receiving the recognition it has long deserved and is now one step closer to regaining its footing in the industry once again.
