I have been captivated by the revivals of Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta ever since LVMH re-launched both independent houses in 2023. Ever since the group acquired their parent company, Bulgari, both names have served as showcases of LVMH’s vast and elite haute horlogerie expertise. The novelties unveiled across key industry stages, from recent editions of LVMH Watch Week and Watches and Wonders, up to Geneva Watch Days 2026, have consistently exceeded expectations.
The 35.5mm Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt has a solid gold dial that has been intricately electroplated to achieve a deep black finish, while the 40mm Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian pairs hand-sculpted gongs with a yellow gold case and golden obsidian dial.
The Rise of Geneva Watch Days
Conceived in 2020 by Bulgari and its then-CEO Jean-Christophe Babin as a panacea for pandemic-era cancellations, Geneva Watch Days has grown into one of the year’s premier gatherings for the LVMH Watch Division, and a crucial fixture on the industry’s broader calendar. Alongside LVMH Watch Week each January, this September festival gives the group a second global stage to debut new creations just ahead of holiday season shopping.
Babin, now CEO of LVMH Watches as well as President of Geneva Watch Days, has suggested that the independent brands gathered here could eventually eclipse many of today’s traditional industry giants. It is an intriguing prediction, and one that feels particularly apt at a fair whose charm lies in its eclectic mix of historic maisons and fiercely independent watchmakers.
Among LVMH’s own contingent, Bulgari, Hublot, Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Tiffany & Co., and Zenith presented an engaging array of complications and fresh takes on established classics. Yet, the quietest arrivals made the most arresting impression: Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta returned to the spotlight with restrained silhouettes concealing extraordinarily elaborate dials—miniature canvases of rare materials and even rarer savoir-faire.
Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt
Alongside Louis Vuitton’s intricate pocket watches, Daniel Roth’s métiers d’art creations are how LVMH drops the proverbial mic. Following a streak of celebrated releases—including the Tourbillon Souscription (March 2023), Tourbillon Rose Gold (September 2024), Extra Plat Souscription (January 2025), Daniel Roth Extra Plat Rose Gold (May 2025), Tourbillon Platinum (November 2025), the Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton (January 2026), and Daniel Roth Extra Plat Platinum (May 2026)—the new Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt continues an emphatic revival praised by the founder himself.
While maintaining Daniel Roth’s exacting finishing standards, the debutant revisits a lesser-known tradition: gilting. The technique begins with a solid gold plate that a craftsman spends several days engine-turning by hand. The brand logo, numerals, and indices are varnished by another artisan, before the plate undergoes precise electroplating cycles controlled within micrometer tolerances. Once the gold reaches the ideal depth of darkness, the artisan demasks the underlying elements. The gold details appear to sink into the dark backdrop, mirrored by matching gold hands, a pin buckle, and a 35.5mm case in the house’s signature double-ellipse style.
Visible through the back is the manual-winding DR002 movement, which reveals exceptional inner anglage and mirror polishing alongside a 65-hour power reserve. Developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton—the renowned complications specialist consolidated under LVMH around the same time as the Bulgari acquisition—the DR002 measures just 3.1mm thick. This allows the complete timepiece to achieve a slender profile of just 7.7mm. Paired with a black calfskin strap, it is priced at CHF55,000.
Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian
Following January 2026’s duo of Time Only novelties, the latest addition to the Gérald Genta Geneva collection is the 40mm Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian.
Unlike new-generation Daniel Roth timepieces that closely replicate vintage rarities hand-built by their founder, the new Gérald Genta watches take a bolder path. Designed by La Fabrique du Temps’ Artistic Director Matthieu Hegi using Genta’s archived sketches, the 3N yellow gold cushion-shaped case pays tribute to Genta’s love for minute repeaters and soft geometric forms. The cardinal points of its case feature central lugs at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions, a golden obsidian cabochon on the 3 o’clock flange, and a minute repeater slide integrated seamlessly into the 9 o’clock side.
The highlight is its obsidian dial—a natural volcanic glass that glimmers gold thanks to trapped microscopic bubbles of iron and gas—accentuated by polished, rounded yellow gold hands and indices. To optimize acoustic performance, the 9.6mm case walls and sapphire crystal were meticulously thinned.
Powering the watch is the caliber GG-002 developed and finished by La Fabrique du Temps, which is the same manual-wind movement with an 80-hour power reserve found in the Black Onyx repeater released in September 2025. Its gongs are individually cut and tuned by hand, the hammers feature black polishing, and an octagonal inertia wheel rests within the openworked caseback—a subtle nod to Genta’s industry-wide impact.
Pricing for the Gérald Genta Geneva Minute Repeater Golden Obsidian is available upon request. If its Black Onyx predecessor is any indicator, it will likely hover around CHF320,000 and be limited to ten pieces or fewer per year.
Timely FAQs
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