One gets the feeling of being at Cape Canaveral, counting down to a gourmet mission to Mars. Chef Michel Roth is one of the living legends of culinary expertise, a Neil Armstrong in this field.
He is a man of challenges, contests, culinary Olympics, a Rachmaninov of the range cookers that the French call a kitchen “piano”, a Roger Federer of the stove: Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF), Bocuse d’Or, 1st prizes from Taittinger and from Escoffier, Médaille Antonin Carême, Michelin-starred, multiple Gault & Millau toques (chef’s hats) with an 18/20 rating… This is just a non-exhaustive list of distinctions garnered by this champion of creative gastronomy engaged in a process of perpetual reinvention.
Time is the inescapable element in your profession, a constant factor that you simply cannot ignore: with this in mind, which timepiece first caught your fancy?
Respect for time is indeed the essential ingredient for chefs and doubtless even more so during major competitions such as the MOFs or the Bocuse d’Or. For these two prizes won in 1991, I treated myself to a Rolex steel Submariner 16610 with a black dial. Accurate, discreet and durable, it is a life companion inseparable from my two greatest successes.
In 2009, you were awarded your second Michelin star at the Ritz Hotel’s L’Espadon restaurant, whose owner Mr. Al Fayed and your entire team gifted you a watch on this occasion…
Yes, I was spoiled with a superb IWC Pilot Chronograph steel model bearing my name engraved on the back. I am always moved when I wear it, as it represents one of the important memories of my life, proof that work well done, respect for one’s teams and perseverance always lead to beautiful things for those who honor these principles.
In 2017, having for almost six years been one of the emblematic figures of Geneva gastronomy at the President Wilson Hotel Bayview restaurant, you were chosen by Baume & Mercier as a friend of the brand. What was your favorite watch?
I was indeed granted this privilege and this opportunity to engage in a wonderful collaboration, more particularly with the CEO Alain Zimmermann, a discerning gourmet. The Capeland Shelby Cobra limited edition always reminds me of the beautiful moments spent on several projects involving this beautiful watch Maison and gastronomy.
Which watch are you wearing today?
The question is particularly relevant, as I’ve now had the pleasure of becoming a friend of the brand Carl F. Bucherer and of wearing a Manero Flyback chronograph which I love because it’s stylish, trendy and radiates timeless elegance. Without wishing to make my wife jealous, it is my new companion for beautiful adventures at sea, in the air and on trains.
*Written by Louis-Olivier Maury
