DANIEL ROTH WATCHES
Daniel Roth is a Swiss luxury watch brand created by master watchmaker Jean Daniel Nicolas. Founded in 1989, it soon became known and acknowledged among connoisseurs of complications and collectors the world over. The shape of its first timepiece – the twin-face Tourbillon – soon came to symbolise the quintessence of the Daniel Roth style, and continues to embody it to this day.
History of Daniel Roth watches
In 1989, Daniel Roth founded his own brand and set up his Manufacture in the village of Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux).
Aided and abetted by talented craftsmen, Daniel Roth rapidly created an atmosphere propitious to the full expression of time-honoured expertise and to the birth of the Grande Complication models for which the brand was to become famous. By combining demanding technical standards with an original design, the Manufacture soon built up a strong reputation in the field of international fine watchmaking.
Daniel Roth was acquired in 1995 by The Hour Glass, a company specialising in the luxury retail trade. This was the start of an international adventure, particularly with the opening of the Asian and American markets.
From 1999 onwards, the reins of the company were taken up by the able hands of Gérald Roden, a visionary individual with 20 years of watch industry experience behind him. His mission was to usher the brand into the 21st century, while cultivating its values based on rectitude, honesty and excellence. With his team of designers, engineers and movement design engineers, he established a clear-cut picture of the company’s prospects. He thereby succeeded not only in preserving the excellent reputation built up over its first ten years of existence, but also in marrying the Daniel Roth spirit with the latest technological breakthroughs.
In 2000, the iconic Italian Jewellery House Bulgari acquired the Daniel Roth Manufacture in Le Sentier.
In 2001, master watchmaker Daniel Roth created his new brand, Jean Daniel Nicolas.
LVMH acquired Bulgari in 2011, and discontinued the production of Daniel Roth watches in 2015. In 2023, LVMH group revived the brand.
Timeline
1989: Launch of a world first: the twin-faced Tourbillon (Calibre 187). The emblematic shape of Daniel Roth cases is born.
1990: Two models are launched: the Self-winding column-wheel Chronograph (Calibre 147) in classic and skeleton versions, and an Hour Minute model (Calibre 107) with an ultra-thin self-winding movement, measuring just 2.4 mm thick and 27.4 mm in diameter.
1991: Presentation of the ultra-thin self-winding model (Calibre 167), measuring 1.73 mm thick and 23.33 mm in diameter.
1992: Creation of the Retrograde Jumping Hours with small seconds at 6 o’clock (calibre 127).
1993: The first Perpetual Calendar, developed in cooperation with Philippe Dufour (Calibre 117).
1995: Daniel Roth introduces the Minute Repeater with Perpetual Calendar and Moon Phases (Calibre 189), the first striking model.
1996: Six years after the launch of its first chronograph, Daniel Roth presents its Self-winding Chronograph (Calibre 247), on a Zenith El Primero 400 column-wheel movement beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour. The chronograph is accurate to within 1/10th of a second.
1998: Launch of an exceptional timepiece: the ultra-thin Minute Repeater (Calibre 307), a mere 7.35 mm thick. Development and launch of a world first: the Instantaneous Perpetual Calendar in a skeletonised version, enabling one to admire the change of all functions at midnight (Calibre 117.1).
1999: On the occasion of the brand’s 10th anniversary, creation of an innovative movement, the Papillon (Calibre 317), with jumping hours, retractable minute hands and central small seconds. Offering an original alternative to the retrograde function, the retractable hands are duly patented.
2000: Bulgari acquires Daniel Roth. Development and launch of the Metropolitan (Calibre 857), which provides simplified reading of time zones. This model is also patented.
2002: Creation of the world’s first Tourbillon with 8-day power reserve (Calibre 197). With its twin-faced movement endowed with a 200-hour power reserve and its pivoting case, this model soon came to symbolise the brand.
2003: Loyal to the complication on which it has built its reputation, the brand introduces a Tourbillon, this time equipped with a Retrograde Date (Calibre 196).
2004: 15th anniversary of the brand foundation. Daniel Roth presents on this occasion the first Grande Sonnerie Self-winding Tourbillon watch with 4 hammers and Westminster Chime.
2005: Launch of the Ellipsocurvex Minute Repeater, entirely developed, built and assembled in the Manufacture, and the Ellipsocurvex Papillon, a new interpretation of the emblematic Papillon.
2006: Athys I emerges from the workshops. It heralds a line symbolising the essence of the Daniel Roth spirit: the case shape, Roman lines, precious materials three-arm seconds hand and finely finished movement decoration. The Metropolitan is enriched with a new variation – the Dual Time – and a new 8 Day Tourbillon model is presented.
2007: Daniel Roth launches the Tourbillon Lumière, the unique openworked model featuring an “all-gold” movement specially developed to ensure a maximum of transparency and lightness. Presentation of a new Grande Sonnerie Moon Phases model, featuring a self-winding tourbillon movement with Grande and Petite Sonnerie with four hammers and Westmisnter chime – a watchmaking masterpiece entirely developed in-house. At the end of the year, a spacious and luminous new building is added to the existing one.
2008: Launch of the Papillon Chronograph. A worthy heir to the Papillon, launched in 1999 to celebrate the brand’s 10th anniversary and reinterpreted in 2005, it is equipped with a unique patented pivoting double minute-hand system. This new chronograph model wins the “Watch of the Year” prize in 2009 prize in the “Upcoming brand” category at the 2nd edition of the Salon International de Haute Horlogerie, in Mexico.
2009: The brand celebrates its 20th anniversary.
2010: Introduction of the Bulgari x Daniel Roth watch collections.
2015: Bulgari (owned by LVMH since 2011) discontinues the production of Daniel Roth watches.
2023: LVMH group announces the revival of Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta brands.
2024: Launch of the new Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription model made by La Fabrique du Temps watch factory of LVMH group.
