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lot 27

Daniel Roth

Skeleton Chronograph

Estimate CHF 8 000 / CHF 10 000
Starting bid CHF 8 000
Hammer price CHF 20 000
Total bids 27
Buyer’s premium will not be charged

Specification

CaseEllipsocurvex polished platinum case 950/1000, with a solid platinum caseback, rectangular chronograph pushers, XV years engraving, limitation N° 2/15
StrapOriginal black Alligator strap, with a original white gold folding clasp
DialOpenworked dial, anthracite hour ring with Roman numerals, 2 silvered sub-dials, 60 seconds & 30 minutes counters, small seconds at 9 o'clock, date indication at 6 o'clock, blued hands
MovementRhodium-plated automatic movement, with column wheel chronograph
Cal.DR101
Ref.447.X.70
Movement No.03301
Case No.15785
D=38mm

Condition report

Case:Very good, small signs of wear
Strap:Very good, small signs of wear
Dial:Mint condition
Movement:All functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):Approx 300°
Accuracy (Dial on top):Approx +4 sec/day
Box:Yes

Details 

An extremely rare, attractive and collectible limited-edition platinum chronograph wristwatch from the haute horlogerie Swiss watch brand Daniel Roth, founded in 1989 and active until the 2010s. Limited edition launched in 2004 to commemorate the brand’s 15th anniversary. Double ellipse-shaped Ellipsocurvex case in platinum 950, measuring 41 x 38mm, 11.3mm thick, solid-platinum caseback with engraved brand logo, “XV years” commemorative inscription, reference, case serial number and limited-edition number, 18k white gold winding crown and chronograph pushers. Open-worked dial with white printed Roman numerals and “filet sauté” guilloché motif. Self-winding DR101 caliber with chronograph module on dial side, power reserve up to 36 hours, “15 years” commemorative inscription engraved on dial side. Functions – indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds hand at 9 o’clock, chronograph with central seconds and 30-minute counter, and date at 6 o’clock. Daniel Roth black leather strap, 18k white gold Daniel Roth double folding clasp. Limited edition of 15 pieces. 

Lot essay 

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Daniel Roth released several limited-edition platinum watches that rarely resurface. In this regard, the October auction must be considered an incredible event: examples from two anniversary limited editions will be offered at once – this lot and the Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date ‘XV years’ Limited Edition Ref. 199.Y.70. If for highly complex models such as Ref. 199.Y, platinum versions in the Daniel Roth collection are not uncommon, platinum chronograph Ref. 447.X pieces are extremely rare, even in regular, nonlimited versions. That’s why we believe that the proposition of the platinum limited-edition jubilee Master’s Chronograph XV at auction is an exceptional opportunity to acquire this extremely rare model. 

The present lot is one of the rarest Daniel Roth chronographs, keeping in mind that models with skeletonized dials are quite rare, and platinum specimens are also very rare. The present lot combines these two features, and what’s more, it’s part of a very small, 15-piece limited edition launched to celebrate the brand’s 15th anniversary.

The present example differs from regular models which also feature an open-worked dial due to its unusual dial design, with a dark-grey chapter ring with straight-grinding, and white Roman numerals. In addition, the movement is engraved with a commemorative inscription – very discreetly, in a technical manner, which can be seen through the open-worked dial under the small seconds. 

Throughout its timeline, Daniel Roth has used many high-end chronograph calibers in his collection, including hand-wound or automatic movements of vintage and modern production from Nouvelle Lémania, Zenith, Girard-Perregaux, Frédéric Piguet, as well as in-house movements. The present example houses the self-winding DR101 caliber – the fruit of a joint development by Daniel Roth and Girard-Perregaux, undertaken by the brands in the second half of the 1990s. In the Girard-Perregaux nomenclature, the movement was originally designated 3080 (GP3080), now known as GP030C0. Introduced by Girard-Perregaux in 1999, caliber 3080/GP030C0 is based on the GP3000 basic automatic caliber (now GP03300-0030) and shares that movement’s relatively small 23.3 mm diameter, due to which it can also be used in the manufacture of women’s chronographs. It features a column wheel of traditional design with a lateral clutch and small seconds hand at 9 o’clock. An unusual feature of the DR101/GP3080 caliber is the chronograph module installed on the dial side, which makes it possible to create a very attractive watch with a chronograph movement open from the dial side, as in the present example. However, Daniel Roth, like Girard-Perregaux, used this opportunity relatively rarely. The bulk of the production was in the conventional solid-dial design, which did not bring out the visual advantage of this chrono movement. Finished to a high standard, this caliber reveals appealing and finely elaborated haute horlogerie finishings and rhodium plating, creating a beautiful contrast to his signature blued steel hands, gilt wheels and subtle silvered and circularly brushed sub-dial outlines. 

Reasons to bid 

According to our knowledge the present lot is one of the rarest Daniel Roth chronographs, keeping in mind that models with skeletonized dials are quite rare, and platinum specimens are also very rare. The present lot combines these two features, and what’s more, it’s part of a very small, 15-piece limited edition launched to celebrate the brand’s 15th anniversary. Therefore, the Daniel Roth Master’s Chronograph XV Limited Edition Ref. 447.X.70 would appear to be an extremely attractive purchase for the collector. The present lot is a rare timepiece, representing one of the most spectacular pages in the chronology of excellent wrist chronographs by this remarkable watchmaker and the brand he founded.