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.