Metropolitan Dual Time
A reliable companion all over our global village
Endowed with a name eloquently expressing its planetary and travel-oriented vocation, the Metropolitan Dual Time links the cities of the world – and the zones that lie between them – in a fascinating dual-time display that keeps its wearer constantly in touch with other times and other places.
Travellers tend to be curious by nature. Which is why our hero, a high-flying businessman always hopping from one continent to another and who also happens to have a decided taste for mechanical watchmaking, has stepped through the doors of a specialised watchmaker's to get a closer look at this new model he noticed at Baselworld 2006. Aware of Daniel Roth's reputation for superior quality and sophisticated mechanisms, he has a string of questions which the sales assistant is delighted to answer…
How is it powered?
Driving this globetrotting wizard is DR Calibre 116, based on a self-winding and elegantly thin GP 3100 movement specially customized for Daniel Roth and enhanced by a special touch of magic in the shape of an additional Daniel Roth plate, DR M022. Equipped with a Swiss lever escapement, flat balance-spring and a balance oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, it offers a 45-hour power reserve. The bridges of the rhodium-plated 26 -jewel base movement itself are decorated with Côtes de Genève finishing, the mainplate is adorned with concentric circular-graining and diamond-polished bevel. Other high-end finishing details include countersunk and polished jewel and screw holes with hand-bevelling and smoothing, as well as satin-brushed surfaces drawn out with a file. The 3-arm cuproberyllium balance is polished on both sides, the 3N18 gold oscillating weight is hand decorated and engraved; and, as befits a movement of this quality, the adjustments are made in five positions.
What added value has Daniel Roth brought to the movement?
Enriching the performances of this base movement, the additional Daniel Roth 8-jewel plate ensures the smooth running of a series of functions: hour and centre minute hands, reference time-zone hand, reference time-zone indication, AM/PM display, city displays for each time zone, day/night indication linked to the reference time, and summer/winter time indication. And since Daniel Roth is dedicated to the beauty and perfection of all components, even those not visible, the many parts of this additional plate are naturally also treated to the brand's traditional superlative approach to finishing, including hand-bevelled and smoothed flanks, satin-brushed surfaces drawn out with a file, fine brouillage or circular-graining on the under side…
Does the exterior live up to the interior?
The elegant and distinctive Daniel Roth ellipsocurvex case with its distinctive individually soldered lugs and new Daniel Roth crown comes in a choice of polished red gold, white gold or platinum and is water-resistant to a depth of 30 meters, equivalent to a pressure of 3 atmospheres. The easy time-zone change push-button at 4 o'clock and the DST device make the Metropolitan Dual Time a model of user-friendliness. The transparent case back is secured with 6 pentagonal screws, and the sapphire crystals on either side are glareproofed (on both sides for the one above and on the inside for the one below). And for those who wish to highlight the precious nature of time, the case may also be set with two rows of TW VS to VVS diamonds, making 158 in all and totalling 1.42 carats.
What are the most special features of this handsome watch face?
Clarity is the most immediately striking feature of a dial that sets out to provide as much information as possible at a glance and in a highly legible manner. Moreover, despite its functional, practical and technical aspects, elegance is not neglected – as indeed one has come to expect from Daniel Roth. The finely crafted “clous de Paris” guilloché decorative motif framing a flinqué centre carrying many of the crucial indications add to its intriguing visual appeal and also contribute to highlighting the displays. The gold- or rhodium-plated hands glide gracefully around the generous Roman numerals, with the arrows of the hours & minutes of the second time-zone hands coated with superluminova for night-time visibility.
What purpose will it actually serve me in my travels and my daily business?
Apart from the obvious fact of representing a mark of good taste, distinction and “insider knowledge” of mechanical watchmaking, it offers a remarkable set of useful functions. In addition to the classic hour and minute hands, a dedicated hand points to the hour in the reference time zone, . The 24 cities representing the 24 time zones are displayed on request in symmetrical windows at 12 and 6 o'clock, the former sitting just on top of the middle dial ring and the latter just inside: black or blue lettering on a silvered background above, and white letters on a black or blue background below. So wherever you are around the globe, you can always keep track of what time it is both at home and abroad. For exemple, if you need to call someone on the other side of the globe, to make sure you don't mix up day and night hours , the ever useful AM and PM indication linked with the 2nd time zone appears through apertures at 12 o'clock on the central dial zone.
Isn't there something unusual about the left and right displays on the dial centre?
Yes indeed. You will notice it shows either an S or a W – which are definitely not cardinal points in this case! You know how hard it is to remember sometimes whether such and such a country switches to Daylight Saving Time (DST), often referred to as “summer” time? At 9 o'clock on this resolutely practical and informative model, a patented Daniel Roth DST or S ummer/W inter indicator will solve that problem once and for all for any time zone you wish. And finally, just opposite at 3 o'clock, completing the appealing symmetry of the inner dial and indeed the watch as a whole, a day/night indication linked to the reference time zone appears through a distinctive aperture as a visual reminder of whether you are likely to wake someone up or not when you call home…
How can I be sure of forming a lasting ‘attachment'?
Apart from its many aesthetic and technical qualities that we have just reviewed and which will mean you probably won't ever wish to be separated from it, this fascinating timepiece is quite literally secured to the wrist is a distinguished black , cognac or night blue coloured alligator leather strap, complete with polished gold folding clasp matching the case and stamped with the Daniel Roth logo.
Is it really up to its multi-tasking job?
Thanks to its rigorous standards and stringent testing at each stage of production, Daniel Roth is proud to boast one of the lowest rates of returns to its after-sales service on the market, and has every intention of keeping things that way. As visible proof of this confidence, each of these watches comes with an individual Functional Technical Testing Certificate, guaranteeing the smooth running of its multiple displays. And that just about sums it up!
Masters Complications Metropolitan Dual Time in a nutshell:
Exclusive Daniel Roth model equipped with self-winding DR Calibre 116, beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and composed of a GP 3100 based movement customized for Daniel Roth and enriched with an additional Daniel Roth plate, DR M022. Red gold, white gold or platinum case with open case back. Dial adorned with guilloché “clous de Paris” motif and flinqué centre. Central hour, minute and second time-zone hands. 24 cities displayed at 12 and 6 o'clock; central zone with AM/PM linked with second time zone , patented DST (summer/winter time) and day/night displays linked with reference time zone. Black, cognac or night blue alligator leather strap with 18K gold folding clasp.
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