Discover the New Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton Watch

It should now be known by most watch enthusiasts that the highly revered name Daniel Roth, often seen as one of the precursors of independent watchmaking in the 1980s, was resurrected by Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique Du Temps. The return of the brand was done gradually, first by launching the Tourbillon, a watch deeply inspired by Roth’s own reference C187, followed by the Extra Plat, this time inspired by the old reference C107. For the third watch to bring back the name Daniel Roth, Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini of La Fabrique Du Temps are going more modern, by unveiling a superbly decorated, fully transparent version of the brand’s time-only model, the Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton. At first, this new Daniel Roth model appears like a straight-up skeletonised version of the Extra Plat Rose Gold… which it is, to a certain extent. However, there are a few notable differences to make this version special, besides the obvious use of a largely openworked movement. Starting with the case, we here find again Roth’s classic and highly elegant ellipsocurvex (or double ellipse) shape, in a compact version measuring 38.6mm in length (excl. the lugs) by 35.5mm in width. The case is made of polished 18K rose gold, with the signature gadroon on the profile. Where things start to change is on the thickness, as this skeleton version of the Extra Plat is even more plat than the closed dial editions, with an overall thickness of 6.9mm (versus 7.7mm for the classic models). This thin and compact case is equipped with flat sapphire crystals on both sides and is water-resistant to 30m. Let’s now talk about the dial, or the absence of dial, for that matter. Here, apart from the hours and minutes hands, in blued steel, with the signature arrowhead shape, nothing comes to distract the view of the movement. No indexes, no tracks, no markers… Just a lesson in horology and finishing in full view. Powering the Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton is the calibre DR002SR, a movement that shares most of its technical architecture with the calibre DR002 found in the closed dial editions. The movement, developed and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton under the supervision of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, is wound by hand and features a free-sprung balance beating at a 4Hz frequency, and boasts a comfortable 65-hour power reserve. It is made of 141 components, including 21 jewels, with a thin profile of 3.1mm. What sets it apart is how the main plate and bridges have been treated. First, all of these are made of 18k rose gold, not only to match the case but also because “gold is a noble metal that responds beautifully to traditional finishing. It allows the handwork to speak clearly, which is essential in a skeletonised movement,” explains Enrico Barbasini. For the occasion, the bridges and plates have been widely opened but also conceived to ensure that rigidity, reliability, and chronometry were never compromised. The movement is delicately finished by hand, with numerous internal angles, black polished steel parts, straight-grained top surfaces and polished countersinks. And as you’d expect in this price range, it is a shaped movement that follows the contours of the double-ellipse case.