Daniel Roth is known for its complications - grande sonneries, tourbillons, perpetual calendars and more. Another trademark DR watch is a Papillon with its unconventional time display. At the other end of the spectrum lie the simple wristwatches, exemplified by the Athys series.

It began with the Athys I in 2005, a time-only, handwound watch sporting a beautifully engraved, vintage IWC pocketwatch movement.

Only 35 of the Athys I were made, and despite the price (retail was approximately $40,000), they sold out.

A year later Daniel Roth follow up with the Athys II. Similar in appearance to its predecessor, the Athys II is in a completely different price range. Priced at approximately $15,000 the Athys II is the entry level Daniel Roth.



The movement of the Athys II is a Frederic Piguet ebauche, exclusive to Daniel Roth.



This brings us to the third watch of the Athys trilogy; maybe the perfect watch for everyday wear. Just launched at Baselworld this year, the Athys III fills a gap in the collection. It is automatic, and offers a big date with power reserve and moonphase displays. The first two functions, autoamtic winding and date, are vital.



Athys III in rose gold

Any industry executive will admit that despite the hype surrounding supercomplications and anglage, the average watch buyer just wants an automatic watch with a date. The Athys III fills a gap in the collection, and offers the perfect watch for everyday use. It is slim and elegant enough to be worn during the day and into the evening, and offers the most useful displays.

When I first laid eyes on the Athys III at Basel, admittedly I was ambivalent about the watch. Was the dial too busy? At first glance there seemed to be a lot going on.

But after spending some time with it, I realised Daniel Roth got the design just right. The displays are neatly positioned and separated, resulting in a symmetrical dial layout. As a result the dial is easy to read, allowing the eyes to focus on what is wanted.



Athys III in white gold
For the more technical minded, the seamless big date is achieved with two discs, one white and the other transparent sapphire. The date, along with the other functions, are part of a module designed by and exclusive to Daniel Roth, which in turn sits on a Girard Perregaux cal. 3100 automatic base.

The Athys III has two qualities that should endear it to anyone - the ellipsocurvex case is distinctive and uncommon, while the movement offers functions perfect for everyday use. 

In my opinion, the Athys III has one drawback, and that is the lack of dial colours. No doubt the white dial offered is attractive, but it would help to offer a few more dial options; this is not the Ford Model T after all. A black dial would be welcome, especially if the subdials and date were in white, giving them more contrast. Perhaps at Baselworld 2008... who knows?

- SJX