Everyone loves a comeback. Except Lance Armstrong. And Mike Tyson. And probably Michael Schumacher, too. Ok… comebacks don’t always work out. Not only does a returning competitor need to rise to the level of fresh rivals, but the rose-tinged memory of one’s past glory is an ever-present challenge for an old name playing a new game.

The 2023 Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription is a comeback candidate from a brand name with an illustrious past.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription on the wrist

Full disclosure: my firm, “The 1916 Company,” is a retailer for the revived Daniel Roth. That said, the watch featured here is not for sale, and its edition of 20 pieces has been sold. This article and photos are solely intended for future collectors conducting research and for the amusement of present collectors intrigued by the Roth revival.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription on the wrist

Before assessing the challenger, a quick detour through Roth’s history is required.

Mr. Daniel Roth – the watchmaker – emerged in premier watchmaking as the creative force behind the Chaumet jewelry empire’s stewardship of Breguet. From 1973 to 1987, Roth helped relocate the company’s operations from Paris to Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux, forge many of the wristwatch design tropes used by Breguet to this day, and develop his own sense of what a high-luxury mechanical watch should be.

When the Chaumet brothers fell from grace amid scandal and criminal charges in 1987, Roth departed to create his eponymous brand.

Roth directed the “Daniel Roth” marque in its entirety from 1988 until the company’s sale to retailer “The Hour Glass” in 1994. While Roth’s influence remained initially, he gradually detached himself from the Daniel Roth brand through the 1990s and founded the far smaller – and family run – “Jean Daniel Nicolas” outfit in 2001.

Jean Daniel Nicolas Two-Minute Tourbillon by Mr. Daniel Roth in pink gold (photo courtesy Guy Lucas de Peslouan)

“Jean Daniel Nicolas”, a composite of Roth’s son’s name, Roth’s own name, and his wife’s, continues to sell and service Roth’s distinctive work on a miniscule basis. The original Daniel Roth brand passed into the hands of jeweler Bulgari in 2000.

Bulgari, which purchased Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta’s combined operation, continued to run the workshops while building up its own “Bvlgari” brand watches in the 2000s. At Baselworld in 2010, Bulgari revealed its intention to fold the Roth and Genta brands into Bulgari’s own label to create a single unified collection.

For several model years afterwards, these Bulgari watches were co-signed before the tenant brands disappeared entirely. And that might have been the end of the story had Bulgari itself not been purchased by French luxury superpower LVMH in 2011.

LVMH already possessed significant watchmaking interests in 2011, but its acquisition of Bulgari and haute horlogerie shop “La Fabrique Du Temps” only months apart set the stage for a Daniel Roth comeback. LVMH evidently took interest in its inherited quiver of dormant brands, and Gérald Genta was the first to resurface as a 2019 edition to mark the brand’s 50th anniversary.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

Daniel Roth followed in 2023 with the announcement of the Tourbillon Souscription featured in this survey. Since the 1988 Roth brand launched with a “subscription” run of 25 tourbillon watches for Asprey of London, the modern Daniel Roth concern launched with a comparably scarce tourbillon series in 2023 to unify the two eras.

Daniel Roth C187 tourbillon from 1988

At first glance, the new watch appears exactly like Roth’s C187 tourbillon of 1988. That model, with its distinctive form factor, is regarded as the foundation of the original company. Consequently, the design informs the launch model for the new Roth concern. However, despite similar shape and size, the new watch is not identical to its predecessor.

Lug and caseband of the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

Externally, the lugs are the most obvious difference. While rather straight and severe on the original, the new lugs are smaller, thinner, and more tapered. From an ergonomic standpoint, it makes a significant difference; the original wore large for its size, but the new one wears true to its 35.5 x 41.7mm dimensions.

Roth’s current stewards understand that nostalgia is a major part of this brand’s appeal, so precious little changes besides the shape of the lugs. In a nod to history, the lugs are welded to the case and hand-finished for a sharp break where they emerge from the case flanks.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription caseband

And while “double-ellipse” is the current marketing nomenclature, the historic “ellipsocurvex” shape holds to the original with fidelity. A circumferential gadroon ringed the original watch, so that returns as well. Take note; Roth’s unique case shape is raised in relief on the face of the crown.

The original C187 was constructed in two styles: one with caseback complications and one with a solid caseback. The latter was chosen for the Souscription because it slims the case and helps to keep the retail price of the comeback watch somewhat more approachable.

Solid caseback of the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

While the 2023-2024 Souscription edition has a solid caseback and yellow gold construction, the 2024-present production variant of the watch includes a display caseback and rose gold. Apparently, the more traditional “solid back” approach was judged more appealing to early adopters.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

All the action is on the front of this watch. Topside, the dial includes genuine lathe guilloché on sterling silver and 18-karat gold base plates.

Hand guilloche dial of the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

Kari Voutilainen becomes part of this project by virtue of his work on the dial, and its complexity surpasses the C187’s dial intricacy by a margin.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

There’s a base plate with côtes de Genève below the plane of the tourbillon carriage, and that’s a major upgrade on the simple blasted finish of the 1988-1994 watch’s visible base plate. Between the fired blue steel hands, raw yellow gold dial plaques, and silver tones throughout, this is a colorful dial.

Below the upper dial, La Fabrique du Temps’ role in the Roth renaissance becomes apparent. Although the original C187 used a modified Lemania 387 ebauche, the new watch features an original execution by LFdT. The movement’s signature remains a towering tourbillon bridge, which sits atop flanking pillars.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription

The one-minute rotation and tri-spoke seconds hands have been retained, as has the hollow in the lower interior wall of the case that allows the longest of the tri-spokes to pass unimpeded.

From a finishing standpoint, the work surpasses Roth’s originals. While the ’88-‘94 model featured a flatted steel bridge, the new watch includes a fully rounded set of mirror-polished half bridges to support the upper pivot of the tourbillon.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription tourbillon carriage

Details of the tourbillon cage include both internal and external bevels with excellent consistency of width and polish; the inner cage boasts numerous gratifying interior angles where bevels meet. The overall finish of the cage, its contents, and the stud holder speak to a higher level of resources and expectations relative to Daniel Roth’s era of watchmaking.

While not obvious, the backside decoration of the DR001 movement is excellent in ways only a watchmaker will ever appreciate. Côtes de Genève, mirrored steel, interior creases, chaton-fixed jewel cups, and LFdT’s distinctive polished ratchet wheel click provide a show of force for anyone fortunate enough to open the caseback.

Display back of the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription in red gold

Owners will need to take psychic satisfaction knowing the quality is present but entombed. Alternatively, buy the rose gold model if you need to see the works.

The Daniel Roth comeback is on. This story isn’t written, and we’re only a single model into the new era. That said, it’s encouraging to see Louis Vuitton reconnecting with formative models from the era when Roth truly called the shots.

This is the right move to set the tone and establish the new company’s stewardship of a grand heritage. In the future, LFdT’s star founders Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini – already involved – may have a chance to emerge from Roth’s shadow and shape the brand more openly.

If that is the case, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription will be more than a revival; it will be a bridge between masters of the past and present.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription on the wrist

For more information, please visit www.danielroth.com/

Quick Facts: Daniel Roth Tourbillon Souscription
Reference Code: DAAE01A1
Edition: 20 pieces 2023-2024; re-creation of 1988 Daniel Roth model C187
Case: Yellow gold; 35.5mm wide; 9.5mm thick; 41.7 lug-to-lug; 20mm lug spacing; push down crown; welded lugs, Daniel Roth “double ellipse” (ellipsocurvex) form, 30 meters of water resistance; solid caseback
Strap: Beige calf leather strap with pull-tab spring bars
Clasp: Yellow gold pin buckle
Dial: 18k 3N yellow gold base with 925 sterling silver; forms and guilloché by Comblémine SA (Kari Voutilainen)
Movement DR001 manual wind; 80-hour power reserve; 3Hz, free-sprung balance; 1-minute tourbillon; 19 jewels; flat hairspring; 31mm x 28mm; adjusted in six positions; designed and built by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton
Functions: Hours, minutes, 60-second flying tourbillon
2024 New Price: $152,000

* Tim Mosso is the media director and watch specialist at The 1916 Company. You can check out their very comprehensive YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@the1916company.

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