With their Breguet-inspired dials and immaculately executed ellipsocurvex cases, these three examples of the Masters Chrono exemplify Daniel Roth’s sophisticated classicism in watchmaking
Founded in 1988, Daniel Roth is rightfully heralded as one of the earliest entrants into the world of modern independent watchmaking. While the space has exploded to boast names such as Richard Mille, MB&F, Urwerk, Moser and countless other incredible independent watchmakers over the years, Daniel Roth's place as one of the brands that paved the way is without question.
Blending a distinctive aesthetic with a focus on the traditions within the very craft of watchmaking, Daniel Roth's early timepieces rose to fame as some of the most stylistically unique and mechanically sound timepieces on the market. With high levels of finishing, attractive dials and the brand's unique design language, these timepieces offered an exciting proposition for collectors seeking to break away from industry norms.
Daniel Roth – the Man's Entry to Horology
Born with watchmaking in his blood, Daniel Roth had a long line of watchmakers in the family – effectively securing his fate long before he ever decided to pick up a watch. Constantly tinkering in his family workshop as he grew up, Roth quickly became obsessed with timepieces and attended a three-year watchmaking course when he was old enough, finally securing work as a watchmaker for several brands following his graduation.
After spending some time with Jaeger-LeCoultre, he joined Audemars Piguet, where he could hone his talents as a watchmaker. He spent seven years in Le Brassus and then took a position as the head watchmaker with Breguet through the famed French jeweler Chaumet, who had acquired the brand during the Quartz Crisis. Following 14 years with Breguet, the Daniel Roth as we know today was born, as he deepened his understanding of traditional watchmaking through Breguet’s works. He was now familiar with Breguet's style of hands and numerals, the beautiful engine-turned dials and signature coin-shaped cases. Furthermore, he even went as far as to develop several complications with Breguet's traditional style of engineering in mind.
The Master Watchmaker and His Eponymous Brand
Following the dramatic collapse of Chaumet in 1987, Roth left the group and Breguet so he could set up his own Maison the following year. With everything he learned from JLC, AP and Breguet under his belt, Daniel focused on developing a unique stylistic identity that was still rooted in classic watch design. Using hand guilloché dials, blued steel hands and meticulously constructed cases in a rather unique ellipsocurvex shape, Daniel quickly laid the aesthetic foundations upon which his brand was built.
With his design DNA effectively realized, Daniel focused on creating two models that could most clearly communicate his vision and become the foundation upon which all of his subsequent models and designs would look upon for inspiration. These were a tourbillon model and a chronograph model, which the three Masters Chronograph examples that we have here feed off. Offered in stainless steel, 18k yellow gold and 18k rose gold, these three examples are representative of the brand's earliest days.
The Masters Chronograph
Launched in the mid-90s when The Hour Glass was a shareholder with the brand, the Masters Chronograph Ref. S247 is a timepiece that boasts Daniel Roth's distinctive aesthetic while also bridging from the original Chronograph's classical design into the slightly more contemporary – mainly through its size. Featuring the brand's signature ellipsocurvex-shaped case, the Masters Chronograph is larger than its predecessor – 38mm wide and 41mm tall – as compared to the 35mm x 38mm case on the Ref. C147. This is in keeping with the trend for significant timepieces that became evermore rooted in watchmaking during the 1990s.
Unmistakable in its execution, the Masters Chronograph's construction is remarkably unique in each of the three metals we have in our possession. Marrying an oval with a rectangular side profile, the ellipsocurvex case sports a stepped bezel and straight sharp lugs that feed from Daniel's inspiration from Breguet.
Of course, this Breguet-led source of inspiration continues in the Masters Chronograph's dial in the form of its blued steel hands and exquisite guilloché work. Across the collection, Daniel Roth employed a myriad of dial-finishing techniques for their timepieces. These include a vertical pinstripe effect and a beautiful Clous de Paris pattern, amongst plenty of others, such as concentric brushing encircling the chapter rings and minute tracks found along the periphery of his dials. Thanks to the stylistic consistency across these dials, they quickly became symbolic of Daniel Roth's link to independent watchmaking and haute horology.
Beyond the Breguet-inspired dials and immaculately executed ellipsocurvex constructions offered in several metals, the Masters Chronograph collection also communicates Daniel Roth's commitment to the mechanics of horology. As such, the Masters Chronograph is powered by the automatic cal. DR500, which is effectively a Zenith El Primero Cal. 400 – but finished to an extremely high standard by the watchmakers at Daniel Roth.
Famed as one of the most iconic chronograph movements in watchmaking, it is only fair that one of Daniel Roth's most talismanic offerings would feature a behemoth of the chronograph world. A truly remarkable watch on the inside just as it is on the outside, the Masters Chronograph distills everything that made collectors fall in love with Daniel Roth and offers it within one stunning timepiece that deserves every second of positive air-time that it receives and we couldn't be happier to have three examples in stock with us at once.
Editor's Note: The Daniel Roth Masters Chronographs in stainless steel, 18k yellow gold and 18k rose gold are now available.
