Whether it’s Sofia Richie, Natasha from Sex and the City, or influencer The Gstaad Guy’s ‘Constance’ serving as your inspiration, ‘quiet luxury’ remains the hottest trend this summer – and I would make the case that this dashingly handsome collector’s piece doubles up as the ultimate embodiment of the ‘quiet luxury’ movement. With its combination of precious metal, the highest level of craftsmanship, and meticulous attention to detail, this horological masterpiece from Daniel Roth, christened the Tourbillon Rose Gold, is right on target for discerning aesthetes and collectors alike.
Daniel Roth: A legend in the realm of independent watchmaking
Particularly revered for its exquisite hand-crafted dials, Daniel Roth was established by the man of the same name back in 1988. His watches, particularly his ground-breaking Souscription, firmly weaved the brand into the tapestry of independent watchmaking history. Sold to Bulgari in 2000, the Daniel Roth brand moved into the loving care of Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps in early 2023. Under master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, Daniel Roth is now moving forward in leaps and strides, while remaining highly limited in production. Indeed, Daniel Roth will produce no more than 50 tourbillon watches per year, due to the intensive labour of craftsmanship required – making the new Tourbillon Rose Gold limited editions all the more special.
A highly crafted dial
While the case shape may be equally recognisable and the movement is exquisite in every way, it is really the expertly decorated dial that makes a watch a Daniel Roth. This latest tourbillon watch features a guillochage en ligne dial. This pattern of parallel, vertical lines harks back to the original C187, a revered tourbillon model created by Daniel Roth himself. While the earliest C187 models featured a hobnail guilloche finish (as seen in the Tourbillon Souscription), Daniel Roth made guillochage en ligne a signature of his brand shortly after its founding.
Just like the Tourbillon Souscription, the dial of the Tourbillon Rose Gold is the result of a collaboration with the renowned engine-turning atelier of Kari Voutilainen. The guilloche work here isn’t just any decorative flourish – it’s hand-engraved using a manually-operated straight-line engine that carves each vertical line one by one. It’s a process that demands both a sharp eye and a steady hand, and even the slightest mistake means starting over from scratch.
The physical layout of the dial is also worth a closer look. As mentioned, the Tourbillon Rose Gold is a fresh take on an old classic, drawing inspiration from the original Tourbillon C187 designed by Daniel Roth himself. Known as the first wristwatch to feature a large tourbillon on the dial, this updated version takes things to the next level with its ‘pink on pink’ design.
Speaking of materials: the dial features a 5N rose gold base, with the applied chapters and scales in sterling silver – a combination that feels both luxurious yet grounded. To play up the vivid pink of the dial, all the markings are printed in glossy black lacquer, perfectly matched with sleek, black-coated stainless steel hands. It’s a striking look that balances boldness with precision.
A 5N rose gold case
Furthermore, the pink-on-pink case and dial combination of the Tourbillon Rose Gold adds a slightly modern twist to this still beautifully classic watch. Matthieu Hegi, the Artistic Director of Daniel Roth, puts it best:
“Rose gold is a rich, vivid, and striking precious metal that is modern in appearance yet widely used in classical watchmaking. It is a perfect evolution from the vintage feel of the yellow gold used for the Tourbillon Souscription.”
The Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription
Thus, the new 18-carat 5N rose-gold (also known as red gold due to its deeper hues) timepiece also isn’t just a throwback; it’s a thoughtful update that gives a nod to tradition while feeling totally current.
The watch balances out with its dimensions of 38.6 x 35.5 mm or 20 mm lug to lug, which seems a good size for a watch that meets the demands of both old-school and trendy-minded customers. Meanwhile, the tourbillon watch’s case height measures a relatively slim 9.2 mm. The dimensions make the watch very wearable, and despite the precious metal case, it remains a comparatively light-weight timepiece at 77.5 grams. While absolutely not a watch destined for action, the Tourbillon Rose Gold nevertheless has its wearer covered for all everyday eventualities (provided your typical day tends to be a trip to the office and lunch at your local brasserie, not zip-lining in Puerto Rico), offering water-resistance to a good 30 m.
As for the distinctive case shape – this is a nod to the double-ellipse design that Daniel Roth himself created when he launched the brand in 1988. This unique shape, a blend of a square and a circle, was originally conceived to showcase the tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Now, over three decades later, the double-ellipse case is something of an icon in watch design. Upon the revival of the Daniel Roth brand, the case was thoughtfully refined, keeping the timeless look while subtly tweaking the proportions. The lugs were redesigned with a graceful curve that mirrors the rounded lines of the case, ensuring both elegance and comfort on the wrist. The new architecture is possible thanks to the slim DR001 calibre, which gives it a more balanced profile. On which note, let’s take a look at the calibre’s design, decoration, and the technicalities that lie behind it.
The Daniel Roth calibre DR001
The DR001, crafted meticulously at La Fabrique du Temps, is rooted deeply in the traditions of haute horlogerie. Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, the aforementioned masterminds behind it, aimed to create a movement that would honour the legacy of Daniel Roth, while elevating it to new heights. Before we dig into the details: this calibre has a strong 80-hour power reserve, and beats at a frequency of 3 Hz.
Just like the dial, craftsmanship is at the forefront of the movement, which consists of 206 components. Notably, the vertically aligned Côtes de Genève stripes on the bridges, echoing the linear guilloché on the dial, are a feast for the eyes, while the mirror-polished anglage edges play beautifully in the light.
That said, perhaps the true beauty of the DR001 lies in its subtlety. The polished steel components, from the tourbillon bridge to the tiniest screws, reflect the dedication to perfection that Daniel Roth himself championed. Returning to the topic of ‘quiet luxury’: the calibre’s design, like the dial, is best suited to those who understand that it is the finest of details that often hold the greatest significance.
Devil in the detail
The tourbillon, nestled at six o’clock, is framed by fan-shaped tri-second seconds that dance around it. The wheel driving the tourbillon is held in place by a curved bridge of black-polished steel, while its pivot jewel sits in a gold chaton, one of three gold chatons in the movement. Also in black-polished steel is the linear winding ‘click’ that creates the precise yet gentle sensation when winding the movement by hand. Finally, both the tourbillon bridge and carriage are in steel polished by hand to a mirror finish. Even the screws holding the carriage together, which are amongst the tiniest components of the movement, are mirror polished on their heads and chamfered along their edges and slots.
Daniel Roth Tourbillon Rose Gold: Price, strap, and availability
The new Tourbillon Rose Gold comes on a subtle yet luxurious light brown calfskin leather strap, which secures to the wrist via an 18-carat rose gold 5N tang-type buckle, thus maintaining its classic aesthetic nicely.
Finally, the price of the new model is 155,000 Swiss francs, excluding taxes. The Tourbillon Rose Gold will be individually numbered on the dial starting from ’21’, following the Tourbillon Souscription that was numbered ’01’ to ’20’. The Tourbillon Rose Gold will be very limited in term of production; as mentioned, no more than 50 tourbillon pieces will be produced each year.
