Exciting news: Daniel Roth’s new Extra Plat isn’t a limited edition and now has an exhibition caseback
Zach Blass- This is the second Extra Plat watch from Daniel Roth (while under Louis Vuitton’s stewardship).
- It switches from yellow gold to rose gold, now has a two-tone pinstripes guilloché solid gold dial, and uses an exhibition caseback for the first time.
- The new Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold is not a limited edition like its predecessor, but only the first 20 will be numbered.
If you have read enough of my writing or watched videos like my interview with Patrick Moratoglu or Daniil Medvedev, you already know I am quite fond of tennis. It is, while very physical, very much a mental game that tests psychological endurance. In inevitable moments of frustration, whether the person playing is recreational or professional, you will often notice people, after shanking a ball long or wide out and off the court, the person stare or even scream at their racquet as if the racquet itself did something wrong. The tool failed the individual. Now, I am by no means saying that post-Roth Daniel Roth prior to Louis Vuitton was a complete flop or misguided. But I think it is fair to say it was not meeting its full potential in the hands of Bulgari. The ingredients, designs and legacy Roth had built for his namesake brand were all there. It was just a matter of getting the racquet in the right hands.
The hands that Louis Vuitton has entrusted the Daniel Roth brand with, Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, are true custodians of traditional horology. These are two men who have long worked behind the scenes and have no brand or ego of their own that, whether intentionally or not, dilutes or deviates too strongly from the original vision. With the Gérald Genta brand also in their hands, and having worked with the man themselves, they are fluent in the responsibility and desire to act in a manner the originator would approve. Indeed, Daniel Roth – who, for the record, is still alive – is asked for his counsel. And this is why the revived Daniel Roth brand we have seen the past few years appears to be back stronger than ever, back in a manner that makes it seem like it never left, picking up right where it was last found in its purest form.
Daniel Roth is not (and has never been) a brand that pumps out mass quantities of watches. In its early stages, understandably, it has offered scarce opportunities for people to engage. They’ve offered higher-end watches with higher prices made in very limited quantities, nothing regular production, only fleeting limited editions, all likely pre-sold before publications like ours hit publish on our articles. Today, however, the current generation of the brand takes a step forward, introducing a second variant of its Extra Plat watch. On the surface, it may seem a mere case metal swap, but the new Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold is the brand’s first regular production model – and it does have notable, subtle differences from the 20-piece limited edition Souscription model in yellow gold that preceded it.
The Extra Plat, a descendant of Daniel Roth’s Extra Plat Automatic born in the ’90s, retains the signature double ellipse case shape Roth designed to distinguish his timepieces. Its deviations from the ’90s designs are strictly tweaks and refinements that improve upon the case in a manner Roth the man would approve of. The primary difference, which only a keen observer might recognise once on the wrist and otherwise would only know if you were told, is a redesigned lug profile with a softer, more rounded edge that curves at an increased downward angle to increase comfort and better hug the wrist.
The size of the crown is slightly different, and the typefaces are ever so slightly tweaked in weight on the dial. Otherwise, the watch appears nearly identical to the original. Same handset, same chapter ring to house the hour indexes and minutes scale, and outer border that has been finished with true guilloché.
This new rose gold 5N case is equal in dimension to the yellow gold Extra Plat Souscription, and compared to the original, it only deviates by less than a millimetre in any direction – measuring 35.5mm in width, 7.7mm thick, and 38.6mm lug-to-lug whereas the ’90s model was 35mm in width, 6.7mm thick, and 38mm lug-to-lug. The yellow gold model had a clous de Paris guilloché pattern framing the chapter ring, both executed in yellow gold.
The new Extra Plat Rose Gold switches to two-tone rather than keeping monochromatic, and introduces “guillochage en ligne,” or pinstripe guilloché, back into the mix – the same guilloche pattern you will see on the ’90s ref. C107 shown earlier. Though it is clear the chapter ring is made of solid 5N rose gold, it is worth noting that the grey and guillochéd surfaces surrounding are also performed on a solid gold base. The entire dial is crafted in solid gold, just like the Extra Plat Souscription.
The major deviation from the ’90s Extra Plat to the present models is the design and usage of the DR002 movement, and this time, unlike the Extra Plat Souscription, the movement is actually exhibited. It may seem strange that a watch with a manually-wound movement would be 1mm thicker than the original with an automatic movement, but it is, in my opinion, a massive upgrade.
To be clear, the F. Piguet calibre 71 is a fantastic movement; one Daniel Roth became very acquainted with during his time at Breguet and used in models like my Classique Perpetual Calendar ref. 3057. The off-centred rotor acts like a micro-rotor in that it helps keep the movement thinner. The elevated decoration found on the new DR002 movement, however, makes the extra millimetre a worthwhile trade in my book.
While Roth’s F. Piguet 71’s were well-finished, the DR002 is incredibly finished with top-notch anglage that includes several interior angles – one of the most difficult tasks in movement finishing that only a masterful hand can execute. The calibre also offers nearly three days of power reserve on a full wind, while the F. Piguet only delivers approximately two days.
A calibre that respects tradition while incorporating modern innovations, this is a movement that undoubtedly gets the seal of approval from Daniel Roth himself. It’s a movement that I imagine Roth would have happily used back when the brand was his own. Looking at this finishing, does it not seem criminal that it was hidden on the yellow gold Extra Plat Souscription?
You need to be down with “the sickness” to understand why this watch is so special. For a watch, which does not even have a running seconds, to cost nearly CHF 50,000, the uneducated would gasp in disbelief that this timepiece commands such a price. But once you understand how hand-finished and meticulously crafted this watch is, with its hand-decorated dial and movement, how precious it is with its solid gold dial and case… It is clear that Daniel Roth today is competing with the hottest and best-regarded independent high watchmakers.
This is a testament to LVMH and Louis Vuitton, the first major conglomerate to wake up and decide it is worthwhile and rewarding, both artistically and financially, to compete against the likes of the F.P. Journes of the world. It is an incredibly arduous task, one that requires significant investment without over- or micro-management. LV is clearly toeing that line well, entrusting the right people, people like Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, and saying yes where most other corporations would say no.
The result is a brand that appears to produce one grail watch after another. And if some people find it too expensive, or the design not their cup of tea, it is no sweat, considering it is not about selling to the masses. It is about selling to those who know, those who respect watchmaking and its traditions. I hate that I personally cannot afford the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold, but I am damn glad it exists and am very excited to see how this era of Daniel Roth progresses.
Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold pricing and availability
The Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold is not a limited edition, but will be limited in annual production, with only the first 20 pieces numbered. Price: CHF 49,000 (excl. VAT)
| Brand | Daniel Roth |
| Model | Extra Plat Rose Gold |
| Reference | DBBD01A1 |
| Case Dimensions | 35.5mm (W) x 7.7mm (T) x 38.6mm (LTL) |
| Case material | Rose gold 5N |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Rose gold 5N chapter ring, white gold base, pinstripes guilloché pattern |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Bracelet and strap | Calfskin leather, case-matching pin buckle |
| Movement | DR002, in-house, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours |
| Functions | Hours and minutes |
| Availability | Limited production, only the 20 pieces numbered |
| Price | CHF 49,000 (excl. VAT) |