One of my favourite watches of all time has made a return! This time around, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon has encased itself in precious platinum over gold.
Daniel Roth is one of the most quietly influential watch brands of all time. Even for seasoned watch enthusiasts, it sits far down the horology iceberg, yet almost every piece they produce is as remarkable as the last. Founded in 1988 by the eponymous master watchmaker, the brand quickly became known for its creativity, with Roth cutting his teeth at Breguet before eventually striking out on his own.
Since its founding, the Daniel Roth brand – much like the man himself – has been one of the few that could be described as your favourite watchmaker’s favourite watchmaker. Although production was slow and reference runs were small, Daniel Roth’s abstract approach to traditional timekeeping resonated across the watch industry. You could even say it helped shape what haute horlogerie looks like today.
These days, Daniel Roth has moved on to different pastures. He founded a new brand, Jean Daniel Nicolas, in 2000, where he continues to do what he loves. The Daniel Roth brand eventually moved into the hands of Bvlgari and later to LVMH, which revived it just two years ago.
Since then, they’ve remastered many of Roth’s original designs with his consent, with him taking on a consultancy role for the revival. One of those recent references was the Extra Plat, which was nominated at this year’s edition of the GPHG Awards. The other is the one we’re talking about today: the Daniel Roth Tourbillon.
Measuring 35.5mm across, 35.5mm long, and 9.2mm thick, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon is a spiritual successor to the original C187 line that first put Daniel Roth on the map. The 2023 edition was released in yellow gold, followed by a rose gold version in 2024. But enthusiasts like me still wondered whether a white gold model would ever appear. At Dubai Watch Week 2025, we finally got our answer: No – or at least, not yet.
The new watch is instead encased in 950 platinum. While a white gold model would have been welcome, I think platinum is a far better choice. It’s shinier, more luxurious, and considerably denser, giving the watch’s modest on-paper dimensions real presence on the wrist. Chamath, our founder, can attest to that; he managed to wear one of the pieces at the event, as you can see above.
In any case, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Platinum maintains the distinctive double-ellipse case silhouette that has defined the brand since 1988. LVMH’s contemporary reinterpretation ensures refined ergonomics and comfortable wearability. The double-ellipse shape naturally contours to the wrist, allowing the weight of the platinum case to feel balanced rather than cumbersome, reinforcing the brand’s view that looking good and feeling good should go hand in hand.
From the dial side, the Daniel Roth Tourbillon Platinum stays true to the layout that made the original C187 so famous. Guilloché textures continue to anchor the aesthetic, with this model using a pinstripe pattern similar to the rose gold version. The hours and minutes disc, complete with black Roman numerals, is crafted from sterling silver, as is the triple-seconds scale marked in 20-second intervals. The ribbons containing the brand name and production number flank both the scale and the time disc.
But if you’re going to revive the beloved C187, the movement has to be an exquisite one. While Daniel Roth is no longer hands-on with the brand, the master watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton are more than up to the task. Led by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, LFTLV have constructed the DR001 movement exclusively for the revival references.
Seen from the front, the DR001 features the iconic tourbillon complication, with three spokes of differing lengths that track each 20-second interval as they sweep toward the time disc. With a steady beat rate of 3Hz (21,600VpH) and a reliable 80-hour power reserve, the DR001 also differs from the original C187 by including a sapphire caseback. While earlier references either added extra complications or used a solid back, the finishing on the new Daniel Roth Tourbillon Platinum is now on full display for your viewing pleasure.
My Thoughts
The Daniel Roth Tourbillon is, in my opinion, a perfect watch. Sure, it won’t help you tell the time in a second time zone, nor will it dive 50 metres under the ocean with you, but everything about it just comes together so well. It’s not overtly flashy, yet it feels extravagant — striking a perfect balance between unconventionality and tradition that I can’t help but fall in love with.
I’ve said before that, should I ever own a Daniel Roth C187, I would never buy another watch again. And while that sentiment may still hold — even in the face of a modern, spiritual successor — this is about as close as you can get to making me say the same about any other watch.
That said, you really have to hand it to the team at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. While I’m sure Roth’s own consultancy played a role, they’ve still managed to capture the essence of his designs while making subtle improvements for the modern watch world. It’s the little things that matter, and almost every little thing has been addressed here.
While I don’t expect to see this in person any time soon, I’m glad to know the new Daniel Roth Tourbillon Platinum exists. It demonstrates a continued commitment to one of the greatest watches, watch brands, and watchmakers of all time, and is sure to get more nerds like me absolutely hyped.
References: N/A (Daniel Roth Tourbillon in Platinum)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 35.5mm case diameter x 38.6mm lug-to-lug x 9.2mm thickness
- Case Material: 950 Platinum
- Dial: Semi-openworked, 18k white gold and sterling silver with Pinstripes guilloché & anthracite grey base
- Movement: Manual wind Cal. DR001 with tourbillon complication
- Power Reserve: 80h
- Beat Rate: 3Hz (21,600VpH)
- Water Resistance: 30m (3bar)
- Strap: Beige calfskin leather strap with platinum pin buckle