On the new DANIEL ROTH Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt, unveiled at the Geneva Watch Days 2026, the Roman numerals, signature, and individual serial number on the dial emerge directly from the solid gold base, preserved through a gilding process that combines guilloché and subsequent electroplating treatments.
This is the new interpretation of the Extra Plat: a double-ellipse case in 5N rose gold, a black dial, and the DR002 hand-wound movement, with all attention focused on a historic technique that DANIEL ROTH incorporates into his contemporary vision of the Montre Objet d’Art.
At first glance, it looks almost austere. Deep black, rose gold, two hands, and very little else. As you look closer, the surface begins to reveal its construction.
A difference that’s subtle to the eye, but enormous once we discover how it’s made.
The Return of the Gilt Dial in Fine Watchmaking
The gilt process follows a fascinating logic. The base of the dial is made of solid gold, and everything that will eventually appear gold must be protected even before the black makes its appearance.
Roman numerals, the DANIEL ROTH signature, and the individual number are applied using a coating applied directly to the hour ring. The transfer is performed using a silicone pad with a stated precision of up to one-hundredth of a millimeter, which is necessary to achieve uniform and perfectly aligned markings.
The electroplating process then begins, gradually building up the black color. This is not a single application: the dial undergoes successive immersions, and the result depends on time, temperature, and environmental conditions. The final shade is not determined solely by a predetermined parameter. It is the artisan’s eye that determines when the black has reached the desired intensity.
Once the electroplating process is complete, the paint is removed without damaging the underlying surface. The gold, which had been previously protected, becomes visible again, and with it, the numerals, signature, and individual number reappear. No markings are added to the dial; what we see is physically part of the dial itself.
The difference is most noticeable in the depth. The gold lies slightly below the black surface and creates a very subtle break along the edges where the light can rest. It is precisely this interplay of layers that gives the markings a presence that is difficult to replicate using standard pad printing.
The guilloché continues
The guilloché pattern is crafted by a single artisan using a traditional rose engine and can take several days to complete. On the Rose Gold Gilt, it takes the form of a pinstripe pattern, a dense series of linear grooves that crisscross the surface and alter the way it reflects light.
Once the electroplating and stripping processes are complete, the hour ring is secured to the base, and the dial can finally be mounted onto the movement. At that point, three elements come together: the glossy black finish, the gold that peeks through the hour markers, and the guilloché pattern beneath.
The effect changes significantly depending on the angle. When viewed head-on, the dial appears clean and minimalist, almost graphic; as you move your wrist, the pinstripe begins to catch the light, and the black takes on different shades and depths.
DANIEL ROTH could have based the entire character of this model on the color contrast. He chose to build it one groove and one layer at a time.
The Double Ellipse Meets 5N Rose Gold
This dial features one of the most recognizable silhouettes in contemporary independent watchmaking.
The double-ellipse case is crafted from 5N rose gold and measures 38.6 × 35.5 mm, with a thickness of just 7.7 mm. A flat, anti-reflective sapphire crystal on the dial, a sapphire caseback, and water resistance to 30 meters round out the design.
Subtlety is at the very heart of the Extra Plat philosophy. Daniel Roth, in fact, considered the slim dress watch to be one of the highest expressions of functional elegance, and the current collection preserves this approach through understated proportions and a design that possesses enough personality on its own to not require large dimensions.
The 5N rose gold adds warmth to the case’s silhouette and creates a particularly striking contrast with the black dial. The black calfskin strap maintains the minimalist design, while the gold hands echo the markings that peek out from the base.
There is a beautiful tension between the softness of the double ellipse and the clean lines of the dial. The shape is unmistakably DANIEL ROTH; the gilt finish completely changes the way we look at it.
The DR002 Gauge
When you turn the Extra Plat, the DR002 appears, a manually wound movement developed and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton under the supervision of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini.
Its geometry is worth noting. The DR002 measures 31 × 28 mm and is just 3.1 mm thick: it is not a circular movement housed within the double ellipse, but rather a caliber designed to fit the case’s proportions and make the most of its space.
A choice that is immediately apparent when looking at the caseback. The movement naturally fills the available space and allows the bridge architecture to harmonize with the watch’s perimeter, avoiding that feeling of an undersized caliber that can detract from the rear view of a dress watch.
It features 143 components and 21 jewels, with a frequency of 4 Hz and a power reserve of 65 hours. The most interesting aspect, however, is the craftsmanship. The bridges feature sharply defined internal angles and broad bevels, with edges shaped and polished by hand. These finishes require time and skill, and are perfectly consistent with the level of craftsmanship chosen for the dial.
Manual winding also receives special attention through the “bar click,” designed to provide the crown with precise tactile feedback during winding. On a watch as minimalist as this, the connection to the mechanics is also fostered by gestures like this: taking the crown between your fingers, feeling the click, and winding a movement that we can see almost entirely just a few millimeters below.
An Extra Plat Worth Discovering
DANIEL ROTH uses the phrase “La Montre Objet d’Art” to describe his vision of the watch. The Rose Gold Gilt embodies this vision without resorting to a new complication or a display of mechanical spectacle.
That dial remains the centerpiece. It requires days on the lathe, masking executed with centesimal precision, repeated electroplating treatments, and the craftsman’s eye to judge the depth of the black. Much of this work, once the watch is finished, remains deliberately understated.
From a distance, we recognize the double ellipse, the black, and the rose gold. Then the pinstripe begins to catch the light, revealing the dial’s different layers, and we realize that those ultra-thin gold markings weren’t added to the surface, they were there from the very beginning.
On the case back, we find a pattern specifically designed to follow the shape of the case itself. These are details that take time. It comes naturally to bring the watch closer, tilt it, look back at the dial, and search for the exact moment when the black background reveals the guilloché pattern.
Perhaps the true luxury of this Extra Plat lies precisely in that: the more we look at it, the more slowly it reveals itself.
The new DANIEL ROTH Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt will be available starting in September 2026, priced at 55,000 CHF, excluding taxes.
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