Rosneathian
1471
The Daniel Roth Ellipsocurvex Moonphase
38mm x 41mm. Manual wind. 18K yellow gold. Power reserve, date disk, moonphase, and small (very small) seconds.
This watch arrived yesterday from a merchant in Germany. Before and during the purchase process I connected with a number of seasoned Daniel Roth collectors, especially in Italy which was its first market from 1989. I’m also fortunate enough to have access to the Eurostar archives, which covered his earlier references from the early 1990s onwards. The watch pictured here is from the mid-2000s. It channels Roth’s classicism with heft, the latter due to its solid 18K case back.
I realize this watch is from the Bvlgari period, and hope the moderators don’t mind that I post it here under ‘independent.’ This is out of my sheer respect for Monsieur Roth, his singularly independent mind, and far reaching influence.
The Daniel Roth Ellipsocurvex Moonphase
38mm x 41mm. Manual wind. 18K yellow gold. Power reserve, date disk, moonphase, and small (very small) seconds. This watch arrived yesterday from a merchant in Germany. Before and during the purchase process I connected with a number of seasoned Daniel Ro...
Thanks and you're welcome.
One of the pleasures of collecting is to reach into the back stories of individual watchmakers, brands and watches. I'm fairly eclectic so my web extends in a number of directions. I have to say though that I'm smitten by Daniel Roth past and present, and...
That's kind of you to say. It's one of three Daniel Roths I'm looking for
The other two will be from the early 1990s. I also have an eye on Roth-era Breguet, such as the landmark (by some accounts) 3130.
They are indeed. To think that before Roth, Breguet was all but done, and its inventory reduced to Type XXs and not much else.
Daniel Roth did as much as anyone to bring Abraham-Louis Breguet's codes to the present day. As one Italian collector has put it: "English design; French conception; Swiss production. He ranks alongside Daniels, Genta and a handful of others as one of the...
It's regarded by people who understand more than I do to be a late-early phase great.
From what I gather, the Papillon appeared ten years into Roth's independent venture and was in some respects a crowning achievement.
In time, perhaps. I've yet to find the particular watch for me
I've remarked elsewhere how issues of Eurostar from 1989 through to 2001 provide an excellent sweep of how Daniel Roth's work evolved. It's a trade publication, so much of the content is brand-driven. Nevertheless it's a thorough, educational reference an...
Congratulations on this beauty!
It’s not everyday an independent watchmaker creates a case for a watch that is both unique and instantly recognizable. And when the dial matched to said case is just as charming it’s imho a classic. Enjoy yours in good health!
Nicely put. I'm working my way from the outside in to the heart of his finest work.
This watch is of course from after Daniel Roth left the project, when he had to leave the use of his own name behind him. I find that quite - how to put it - unsettling? A case of artistry and commerce pulling something beautiful apart. So I actually have...
You might be interested in some information compiled by
A collected man, regarding DR references. www.acollectedman.com If you haven’t read it already. H.
Thanks. Yes I read it when it was published and have since spoken with some of its contributors
There's a copious four-part series in Orologi di Classi by Denny Grigolo from 2018. It covers much of the same ground as the ACM piece. When I pointed this out - purely out of a wish to share information on a watchmaker who doesn't receive an awful lot of...
Excellent choice and huge congrats. Such a beautiful and iconic design
Like you i am a big fan of DR watches for many years but just recently added a few . Don’t ask me why it took me so long to do so 🤷🏻♂️. But happy to have them in my collection now . ...
Thanks for sharing these fine THG period examples.
Chance encounters stimulate curiosity. Curiosity develops into study. Study gives rise to admiration. Head, heart and gut all play their part in transforming observation into action. So, in my case, it took the better part of a year to get to this point, ...
Huge congratulations 🎉
I just got my Papillon back from full service too. I feel it’s kinda best of two worlds, many of my friends are concerned about indie future serviceability. But for DR or RD, it’s probably something I am not too worried. I was surprised when I first took ...
You have an extraordinarily beautiful watch.
When Bvlgari took over from THG, they didn't just buy the use of Daniel Roth's name (he couldn't use it himself after the buyout), they bought the designs and capacity to sustain production. Of course they did that for several years, during which they rel...
I have just spent the afternoon sifting through the archives of Eurostar and it is a trove for information on Daniel Roth (and every other watch company under the sun).
Eurostar has digitised all of its periodicals dating back to the 1950s, and is about to complete the project back to the 1930s. That is about 80,000 pages of watch history. I highly recommend a subscription for anyone interested in diving deep into brand ...