Daniel Roth Masters Chronograph Salmon, 2001

Dealer description — Huntington Company

Ref. S247 Complete Set Specifications Year: 2001 Model: Masters Chronograph Case Diameter: 38mm Lug to Lug: 41mm Case: Steel Dial: Salmon Movement: Automatic Condition This is a very clean example overall. The dial is in fantastic shape with a subtle, rare configuration: lumed hour markers with no-lume hands. The watch comes with its original buckle and also its box and papers from 2001. The Story Daniel Roth, a renowned independent watchmaker, established his own manufacture in 1989 in Vallée de Joux. His unique aesthetic codes, including the double-ellipse case and pinstripe guilloché dials, set him apart from other watchmakers. His watches were known for their intricate designs, including the tourbillon with an 8-day power reserve, the instantaneous perpetual calendar, and the Westminster Grande Sonnerie Carillon. Daniel Roth was a key brand name in independent watchmaking in the 1990s before being acquired by the Bulgari Group in 2000. The steel Daniel Roth Masters Chronograph, S247 features a double ellipse case, stepped bezel, and straight lugs. The rare salmon, pink dial is hand-engraved with a line motif and guilloché pattern, with a brushed chapter ring with roman numerals. Daniel Roth uses three different shapes of hands: arrow-shaped for hours and minutes, lance-shaped for sub-chrono-dials, and anchor-shaped for chronograph seconds and small seconds. The dial displays chronograph sub-dials at 3, 6, and 9 seconds, with a date indication between 4 and 5. The Automatic Daniel Roth 400 movement, based on the El Primero, is a 50-hour chronograph movement, still in production after 51 years. The Brand Daniel Roth, born in 1946 in Nice, Switzerland, was a Swiss watchmaker who began his career in the Vallée de Joux. He worked briefly for Jaeger-LeCoultre and later at Audemars Piguet, where he gained mechanical aptitude. Roth's career began as mechanical watchmaking faced the executioner's blade. Breguet, a company owned by George Brown, was revived by the Chaumet brothers Pierre and Jacques. They revived the company, focusing on producing the finest watches. Roth studied Abraham-Louis Breguet's artistic style, techniques, and inventions, introducing a refined, minimalist design language that broke away from the baroque exuberance of the 18th century. He introduced complications within Breguet's aesthetic paradigm, such as the perpetual calendar and the Breguet ref. 3237. Roth also introduced the first tourbillon wristwatch ever produced under the Breguet name, the ref. 3350. In 1987, the company went through a change of hands, leading to the Chaumet brothers' bankruptcy and Roth leaving the company to start his own brand. Daniel Roth, a Swiss watchmaker, started his own brand in 1988 with the backing of Siber Hegner. He created watches with unconventional layouts, double-ellipse cases, and hand-made engine-turned dials, incorporating hand-finishing on his movements. Roth's work was influenced by his time at Breguet, and his Double Face Tourbillon ref. 187 showcased his unique case form. He commissioned 24 tourbillon watches from John Asprey in the early 1990s, which were certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). Roth also developed three types of chronographs, including the C147, C167, and C127. His collection also included time-only models, such as the C107, C167, and C127, each with its own unique features. The C127, for example, featured a retrograde hour hand inspired by a pocket watch created by George Daniels, a Breguet expert. Roth's unique approach to watchmaking reflects his commitment to precision and artistic pursuits.