Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt: The Right Darkness at the Right Moment

The Return of a Familiar Language

As we have now come to expect from the team in Meyrin, the first surprise comes from the combination of colours and finishes. The warmth of the 5N rose-gold case against the deep black dial is immediately striking, while remaining very elegant without compromising the restraint of the Extra Plat.

More importantly, this is also the first genuinely dark dial introduced into the Daniel Roth collection since the relaunch of the Maison. The linear guilloché is one of the finishes I associate most strongly with the identity of Daniel Roth.

There is also a deeply personal reason why I connected with this dial immediately. Within my own collection is a unique Daniel Roth Chronograph 2147 in yellow gold, fitted with a black dial featuring this same linear guilloché pattern. The watch carries the number “101” – 1 of 1. From everything I have been able to observe and research over the years, it could be the first, or at least one of the very first, black dials ever made by Daniel Roth himself. That possibility gives it a particular historical weight for me.

What “Gilt” Actually Means

The word gilt is deployed with rather variable precision in watchmaking, so it is worth being specific here.

Rather than printing the Roman numerals, signature and individual number onto the finished black dial, Daniel Roth – the brand – begins with a solid gold base. Those indications are first protected with a masking varnish before the dial undergoes several electroplating treatments to progressively obtain the desired black colour. Once the black treatment has been completed, the masking is removed. The inscriptions therefore aren’t deposited onto the surface ; instead, they reveal the original gold beneath it.

That distinction may appear small when explained in a few sentences, but visually it can make a real difference. The gold elements appear to emerge from the dial rather than simply sitting on top of it, while the linear guilloché interacts with the light and gives additional depth to an otherwise very restrained composition.

The Case: Difficult by Design

The double-ellipse case is where any compromise in execution becomes immediately apparent. There is no complicated design to distract from the quality of the surfaces, the transitions between planes, or the precision of the polishing. Everything is exposed.

Here I should disclose another personal connection. The cases are produced by Efteor, whose owner, Leonis Tafaj, is a dear friend of mine and, in my view, one of the finest casemakers working in the watch industry today. Friendship aside, I have enormous respect for what Leonis and his team are capable of producing. A Daniel Roth case is actually an excellent demonstration of the case maker’s craft because quality cannot simply be hidden behind a complicated design. The multiple curves, polished surfaces and characteristic double-ellipse geometry require extremely controlled execution. On an Extra Plat measuring only 7.7mm thick, those proportions become even more demanding. The result reflects that level of craft throughout.

Turning it Over

The caseback reveals the manually wound DR002, developed and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps under the direction of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini. What is architecturally interesting about this movement is that it was designed specifically around the proportions of the Daniel Roth case rather than adapted to fit it afterwards – a distinction that is visible once you know to look for it.

The finishing deserves an honest assessment in the context of the price. At CHF 55,500 excluding VAT, what you get in return is extensive hand bevelling and polishing of the bridge edges with clearly defined internal angles. Today, perhaps more than ever, it is worth distinguishing between movement decoration and genuine hand finishing – they are not necessarily the same thing, and at this level the difference matters. The DR002 sits clearly on the right side of that line.

Evolution Rather Than Reinvention

I was part of the panel of collectors consulted by La Fabrique du Temps during the early stages of the Daniel Roth revival, interviewed about the pieces in my collection as they tried to understand the original codes of the Maison. That gives me an unusual vantage point from which to watch this evolution today. And having since become involved in creating watches myself, I increasingly understand how difficult this particular exercise is.

Respecting a history is easy to say. Understanding it deeply enough to know what must remain untouched and where you are permitted to move forward is considerably more complicated. La Fabrique du Temps understands not just the surface of the brand, but something closer to its deeper logic. That, more than any single detail, is what makes this piece an important step forward.

For more information, please visit the Daniel Roth official website.