Daniel Roth

Bvlgari Papillon Chronograph Watch

For the time being it seems like Bvlgari (Bulgari) is keeping up production of most Daniel Roth watches. Here is the (former Daniel Roth) Papillon Chronograph. Still with the existing movement, it now has Bulgari clothing. This was a really clever watch from Daniel Roth - and it does in fact tell the time. It has jumping hour display along with a minute indicator with a trick hand. That blue "spike" turns downward when used to indicate the minutes, and it twists back in when the next spike has a turn. So this isn't a retrograde hand - even though it vaguely looks like one.

While the Bulgari version of the dial looks more complex, the Daniel Roth version was a bit more complex done with Geneva stripe polishing and some other textured elements. Though in the end they are very similar (just with different colors). While the Papillon Chronograph uses a case shape we have seen before it is larger at 44mm wide and done here in 18k rose gold.

The Calibre DR2319 movement is quite impressive, and this watch is made to be a serious chronograph. It starts with a Swatch Group made Frederic Piguet automatic movement with a Daniel Roth chronograph module. With dials measuring up to 12 hours, the chronograph has a column wheel and vertical clutch. Features often only found in the finest of mechanical chronograph movements. Look for this Bulgari (ex Daniel Roth) watch out now. Price is $44,500.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bulgari, chronograph, daniel roth, papillon, watch

Bulgari Daniel Roth Tourbillon Chrono Rattrapante Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

I am not sure exactly what is happening to the Daniel Roth visual aesthetic now that Bulgari has officially sunken its teeth into the each watch by having Bulgari branding. A small "Daniel Roth" label lives at the bottom next to the name of the movement. Looks like the branding message going forward is Bulgari design and character, with Daniel Roth movements - or something like that. This watch takes the (presumably new or newer) Calibre 8300 manually wound tourbillon movement with rattrapante (split second) chronograph and fumbles with a design to stick it in. From an academic standpoint the Calbire 8300 is an interesting a well laid out movement. The dial has a subsidiary watch face, with an emphasis on the 30 minute chronograph mechanism. It also has an exposed tourbillon window, and a power reserve indicator for the movement. All necessary things, and laid out well, in a logical, user friendly way. Though. when it comes down to it, this is a watch almost exclusively for collectors. The pool of people that need a very expensive watch that gives most of the dial real estate to a split second chronograph is minimal.

Tags: bulgari, bvlgari, chrono, chronograph, daniel roth, rattrapante, tourbillon, watch

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Bulgari To Engulf Daniel Roth And Gerald Genta For Unifed Watch Brand

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

In what feels like a strange turn of events, watch brands Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta will no longer be independent brands operating under the ownership of the Bulgari Group. Bulgari has been having financial difficulties for a while. Part of the problem relates to redundancy. Each of the brands that it owns is more or less independent - at least that was the case until now. That meant that they each had their own manufacturing, marketing, administrative, and design arms. This related to how the watch industry tends to prefer to run things. As a solution to the problem, Bulgari is taking a bold step to consolidate its main Bulgari brand with luxury brands Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth. Note that the actual watch designers Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth no longer have a stake in these brands and are not connected to the project.

The future is one consolidated effort for marketing, design, sales, distribution, and manufacture. Meaning that each of the brands will coexist. The reality of course is that they will really cease to be three separate brands with the Bulgari name more or less taking over. The image is of an early Gerald Genta Octa watch branded Bulgari, with the Gerald Genta name sitting demurely at the bottom. This is going to be "new way" for the brands in the foreseeable future. Whether or not this experiment will work to keep Bulgari profitable is unknown. The likely outcome in the elimination of the other two brand names over time as Bulgari assimilates their character, movement complication, and popular models for its own.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: Bulgari, Bvlgari, consolidation, Daniel Roth, DanielRoth, Gerald Genta, GeraldGenta, watch

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Lumière Platinum Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Finally! A classy looking skeletonized tourbillon watch in platinum with what looks to be a... blue horseshoe on the dial. Is that right? Horseshoe? Sure why not. A little good imagery always does watches good. The whimsy doesn't stop there as the matching blued hands squiggle ("serpentine") in delight, pointing to the time. The manually wound Calibre DR780 Tourbillon Squellete (skeleton) movement is chamfered and hand filed and polished until it gleams of worthiness (this includes hand polishing of the screws as well!). The movement is quite nice actually, with an 82 part tourbillon carriage spinning with lots of white area around it to ease your view, as well as 64 hours or power reserve.

Daniel Roth further suggests oddness in the watch as it is an inherent paradox (if you see it their way). While the case itself is make out of platinum (a very heavy metal) the dial is highly skeletonized suggesting lightness. Thus the watch mixes the concepts of high weighted stateliness with a feeling of feather-light delicacy. Are they harmonious or do they oppose one another? The light tone of the platinum and blued steel on the dial meld well with the midnight blue hand-sewn alligator strap. The strap clasp is in white gold as opposed to platinum (likely to prevent scratches on this "high contact area" of the watch). This Daniel Roth Tourbillon Lumière Platinum horological acquired taste will likely be available soon in limited numbers.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: daniel roth, DanielRoth, lumiere, platinum, skeletonized, tourbillon, watch

Bulgari Group To Lay-Off 50 Employees From Gerald Genta And Daniel Roth Watch Makers

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The last few months have seen a series of bad-news stories regarding Bulgari and its attempts to survive and adapt to the change in economic times. When things were good, Bulgari started to snatch up other watch makers such as Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta. As I feel the need to be clear, the men themselves Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta are not in some state of bondage, but rather that Bulgari owns the rights to the brands (the trademarks). I've mentioned this before, but I still find it odd that the namesakes of these brands no longer have a place at the brands - and perhaps only a small stake in the success thereof. Nevertheless, if the brand releases a bad product, it will still effect the men negatively from a PR standpoint.

Well, the brands have fine products, but are about to lose 50 employees between them. Some one out there is bound to get pissed at Gerald and Daniel even though they have no part in this. We go back to Bulgari who is attempting to stay afloat by terminating the employment of 50 out of just 130 employees. Over 40 percent of the work force. There will likely be a consolidation of efforts and less redundancy of roles between Bulgari, Gerald Genta, and Daniel Roth. As the demand for luxury watches is currently low, this makes sense. Even though this is bad news for fans of the brands as well as the employees of the companies (especially those losing their jobs), Bulgari isn't in a significantly worse position than other luxury brands these days.

Via World Tempus (in French).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bulgari, bvlgari, daniel roth, DanielRoth, firings, gerald genta, GeraldGenta, group, lay-offs, watch

Daniel Roth Athys Moon 2134 Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Daniel Roth's most marketable claim to fame for this new Athys Moon 2134 watch is that it will not require any moon phase calendar adjustment for 125 years. That is of course unless you forget the wind the manually-wound movement and then you are out of luck for that whole impressive 125 year number. Though I have a feeling if you are a proud owner of this watch you'll be very happy to wear it (and wind it) often.

What makes the moon phase function in this watch different than those in other moon phase calendar movement based watches? It has to do with the moon phase complication. Instead of the normal gearing that requires a moonphase to be adjusted every few years, that in the Daniel Roth Calibre 2300 (DR2300) movement has a much larger gear with more teeth. This allows for the movement of the moon through its phases to be much more precise (combined with other mechanisms and gears of course) and thus not require adjustment for such a long period of time. Truly the type of issue only your heirs, or heirs' heirs need concern themselves with.

The Athys Moon 2134 is available in 18k red or white gold in the traditional Daniel Roth watch case shape that you either love or don't. but don't knock it until you get one on your wrist. The moon phase disc is rendered with a more realistic image of the moon's surface while the the rest of the watch dial has the time, a subsidiary seconds dial, and the date. A really good looking and classic watch with a unique take on engineering the moon phase, one of the most desirable and popular complications in the horological enthusiast community.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2134, 2300, athys moon, AthysMoon, daniel roth, DanielRoth, moon phase, MoonPhase, perpetual calendar, PerpetualCalendar, watch

Daniel Roth Perpetual Calendar Watch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

I'm perpetually smitten by the watches that have a perpetual calendar, an achievement of watch wizardry that allows a watch to keep accurate dates without need of correction. The latest from Daniel Roth is a stunner, it combines multiple complications in one watch. The Masters Grandes Complications collection has a series of complications that can now show wearer the difference between mean solar time and true solar time whenever they wish at a mere glance. I'm not sure why you need to know this but it still seems amazing. There are five complications in the same movement, the offset hour and minute indication is accompanied by a perpetual calendar and displays of the leap years, the moon phases, the equation of time and number of days of the month. The complications are powered by a self-winding movement with a 44-hour power reserve. The 2007 Haute Horologie version has an 18K gold dial with a spiral guilloché motif features three overlapping counters, a minute circle with snailed finish and a partial hour indication on a white mother-of-pearl plate showing the elongated Roman hour numerals between 10 and 2 o'clock. The watch case measures 44 x 41 mm, and the watch has a black alligator leather strap with a gold clasp. Overall the watch is beautiful although I do question the wisdom of having Roman numerals for the top third of the watch it adds to the cluttered look of the watch face.

[via Time Zone]

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Tags: daniel roth, DanielRoth, timepiece, watch