Daniel Roth has unveiled the Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt, a new variant of the brand’s elegant time-only model featuring a gilt black dial. Unlike many contemporary watches that misappropriate the term, this is a true gilt dial by definition, where the gold seen on the dial is in fact the dial plate shining through where the dial finish hasn’t been applied.
Initial thoughts
Daniel Roth is keeping up its momentum at a thoughtful pace; the latest Extra Plat is quintessential Daniel Roth in style, though it stands in stark contrast to earlier versions of the model. Though the new Extra Plat is unchanged in form and movement, it has a strikingly different feel, akin to a dress watch with a bit more flair.
Daniel Roth’s line-up, then and now, was dominated by pale-coloured dials. Though the brand made watches with black dials in its original incarnation back in the 1990s, they were uncommon, making the “Rose Gold Gilt” dial both historically correct and novel.
Dial aside, the rest of the watch is familiar. The compact dimensions are spot-on for an old-school dress watch, but unconventional in form thanks to the double-ellipse case. And the movement is simple but finely executed, and decidedly superior to the workmanlike Frederic Piguet calibre in the 1990s original that inspired this.
A true gilt dial
Creating the dial finish is a multi-stage process. Daniel Roth start with the solid 5N rose gold dial plate and apply a pinstriped guilloché, executed by hand on a straight line rose engine.
Next, a varnish mask is applied over what will be the finished dial’s gold sections — the numerals, signature and text — to protect the gold during the finishing process.
Next, the dial makers at La Fabrique du Temps (LFT) electroplate the dial to apply a thin black layer resulting in the inky black finish over the guilloché substrate. Once electroplated, the masking over the gilt numerals and signature is removed to reveal the rose gold shining through.
The familiar
Beyond the dial it’s standard rose gold Extra Plat, sized at 38.6 mm and (as the name would suggest) just 7.7 mm thick. The time-only Extra Plat uses the manually-wound cal. DR002 that’s produced in-house by LFT, on show through a sapphire case back and is beautifully finished with hand-polished anglage on the bridges and Geneva striping.
The Extra Plat has quickly become one of the most desirable watches in recent years as the brand’s revival under LVMH rolls out. Following a Platinum Extra Plat in May earlier this year, I suspect the gilt dial may eclipse it as the most hotly desired time-only Roth in the contemporary lineup.
Key facts and price
Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt
Ref. DBBD04A1
Diameter: 38.6 by 35.5 mm
Height: 7.7 mm
Material: 18k rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: Cal. DR002
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Manual-wind
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 65 hours
Strap: Calfskin leather strap
Limited edition: No
Availability: At Daniel Roth retailers
Price: CHF55,000 excluding taxes
For more information, visit DanielRoth.com.