High Five! Here’s The Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt, The Dress Watch’s Fifth Iteration

A black-and-gold watch is hardly a new idea. It is one of those colorways that watch brands opt for whenever they want something to look slightly more serious, a bit more elegant, or simply a little more expensive. But that’s not what the new Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt is all about. The fifth iteration of the Extra Flat features a dial showcasing the traditional gilt-dial technique, resulting in something extraordinary. This latest version of the Extra Plat could be Daniel Roth’s best version of this elegant dress watch yet.

You might think you’re looking at a black dial with applied gold Roman numerals and details. But you’re not. The gold isn’t on top of the black surface; it is underneath it. Things are getting a bit technical now, but trust me, it’s interesting. The starting point is a solid-gold dial base. The Roman numerals, the Daniel Roth name, and the rest of the dial markings are masked with varnish. A semiautomatic pad-printing process transfers the varnish onto the gold, with positioning controlled to within a hundredth of a millimeter. This extremely precise printing protects what will later be revealed when the varnish is removed. Now it’s time to turn the dial black.

Introducing the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt

The black you see is not lacquered or enameled. The rose gold dial undergoes several electroplating treatments, and its color gradually darkens with repeated immersions. Timing, temperature, and ambient conditions all influence the result. But when is black, black enough? Well, that’s up to the artisan overseeing the process. In this case, you must trust the process and the expert, and remember, experience matters. After the expert is satisfied, the masking varnish is removed. And this is where the gilt technique earns its keep. The Roman numerals and inscriptions appear in the dial’s original gold. They are not gold-colored markings sitting on a black surface. The openings in the dial’s surface expose what was there all along — soft, shimmering rose gold.

Why go through all this trouble? Because of the way the light moves across the dial and catches the fine edges where glossy black meets the gold beneath it. From a distance, you see a fairly straightforward black-and-gold dial. Up close, however, it starts to look as though the numerals have been carved out from underneath the black surface. It’s considerably more interesting and a mark of veritable high horology.

And there’s more…

And then there is the guilloché because, apparently, “just” making a gilt dial wasn’t enough. Adding even more luster to the dial, it features a pinstripe pattern cut by a single artisan using a traditional rose engine. The process takes several days and requires the kind of controlled skill deserving of the term “craftsmanship.” This dial is a great example of craftsmanship, as you can actually point to the work and explain what the artisan did. The dial’s pattern is deliberately purist and simple, and the decoration doesn’t overpower the black surface at all. On the contrary, the deep black color remains dominant, while the guilloché underneath changes the reflections as you move the watch. Sometimes, the dial looks simply black. But once it’s been tilted slightly, the light catches the guilloché pattern, and the lines emerge.

Finally, the chapter ring finds its way to the dial, and the work is complete. After it’s in place, the result is a watch that looks deceptively simple. And that seems to be the recurring theme here. Hours of specialized work went into making the dial look as though not much had happened to it. The result is a textbook example of understatement. But for those with a trained eye, it is a veritable horological treat.

Case and movement

The 35.5 × 38.6 × 7.7mm case in 5N rose gold looks more modern than the yellow gold one of the Extra-Plat Souscription, especially since that dial featured an intricate combination of guilloché patterns on a hobnail backdrop. This rose gold iteration is also much warmer than the platinum version and more understated than the skeletonized version and the other rose gold model with a partly gray dial. The Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt (DBBD04A1) is the understated modernist of the quintet. And the double-ellipse case keeps it from becoming just another black-and-gold dress watch. The elongated, slightly eccentric geometry might not be for everyone, but with a price of CHF 55,000 (ex. taxes), it isn’t anyway.

What might be to every watch lover’s taste is the DR002 movement. This 143-part, manually wound, shaped caliber was specially developed to fit the Extra Plat case’s slim proportions. Through the case back’s sapphire display, you can see the extensive hand finishing. The bridges show broad bevels, the interior angles are sharply defined, and the edges are shaped and polished by hand. The movement beats at a contemporary 4Hz frequency and provides 65 hours of power reserve; the evolution of movement-making also extends to “simple” dress watch movements, and that’s a great development. The winding mechanism uses a bar click, offering the lucky owner a subtle resistance and rhythm. It’s one of those tactile pleasures that matter.

Final words on my favorite of the five

The most appealing thing about the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt is its subtle voice. It doesn’t shout, “I’m special!” but it is. The artisanal dial is an understated masterpiece. The way the black surface is built up over a gold base and then selectively removed, the guilloché cut into the gold beneath, and the numerals appearing from within create an extremely compelling dial. Of the five Extra Plat references Daniel Roth has made so far, this could well be my favorite. This is more than another black-and-gold watch; this is artisanal subtlety with a contemporary twist. But it does make me wonder how this watch would look in yellow instead of rose gold — too classic or too good? Let me know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.