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Lot Essay
Handmade in the Isle of Man, Roger Smith’s wristwatches are unquestionably among the most outstanding independently made wristwatches ever produced, and quintessential examples of the very finest handmade traditional watchmaking.
This very impressive third example of the Series 2, Edition 3 is one of only five pieces made in white gold. The original idea for this series of watches was to manufacture various numbered editions of the Series 2 watch in order that they could still be handcrafted, yet could be produced in greater numbers. 30 watches in each edition, in either yellow, pink or white gold, with a standard dial were planned. In fact, only five white gold Series 2, Edition 3 watches were actually made. The edition was produced with a 38 mm. diameter case and following the introduction of 40 mm. cases, manufacture of Edition 3 watches was halted. Today it has become one of the great trophy pieces for collectors of independent watchmaking.
Roger Smith’s wristwatches reward close inspection to admire and enjoy the sheer virtuosity and beauty in even the smallest of details. The spectacular silver dial is hand engine turned, it features Roman numerals and a large brushed chapter ring for the seconds and a power reserve sector. It is completed by the instantly recognizable hands in blued steel and of course the magical signature ‘R.W. SMITH’.
The entirely handmade manual wound movement is in the English style and is visible through the crystal case back. The gilded half-plate calibre with raised barrel bridge is perfectly frosted and bears the hand-engraved signature ‘ROGER W. SMITH, ISLE OF MAN’, the number ‘No. 03’ and ‘EDITION 3’ in Smith’s distinctive font. The finishing of the domed blued steel screws, countersunk and chaton-set jewels and steel components is simply breathtaking, as is the fascinating and beautiful free-sprung co-axial escapement. During impulse the co-axial escapement is virtually without sliding friction and therefore runs without dependence on lubrication.
The 18k white gold case is of course finished to the very highest standard and absolutely timeless in style, the sapphire crystal back displays the magnificence of the movement to the owner. Faultlessly punched with hallmarks for London and the date letter ‘I’ for 2010, it also bears the ‘RwS’ maker’s mark for Roger W. Smith.
Roger W. Smith, OBE (b.1970)
The greatest living British watchmaker and one of the most revered and respected independent watchmakers in the world, Roger Smith was born in Bolton near Manchester in 1970. At Manchester School of Horology he passed as the best student in his class, winning the British Horological Institute’s Bronze medal. During his time at the Institute, George Daniels visited as a guest speaker. It was to be a life-changing moment for Roger and from that day, inspired by George Daniels, he resolved to make watches by hand. Using Daniels' book ‘Watchmaking’, Roger Smith began making his first pocket watch in his spare time. In 1990, Roger then aged 22, took thefinished watch to Daniels, who, in his characteristically forthright manner, told him to go back and start again because it looked ‘handmade’, not ‘created’. Undeterred, Smith returned to his workshop, and spent the next five years making and remaking his second pocket watch, until he had perfected all the thirty-two skills required to design and make a watch, known as the ‘The Daniels Method’. Upon completion of a second watch, he took the watch back to Daniels, and this time obtained his approval. This now historic watch was sold in 2023 at auction in New York, selling for $ 4.9 million dollars.
Although George Daniels had always eschewed the idea of training apprentices, he was so impressed by Roger Smith that he invited him to move to the Isle of Man and work with him on the Daniels ‘Millennium’ series of wristwatches. Three years later, Roger Smith set up his own studio on the Isle of Man. He produced his ‘Series 1’, a series of 9 rectangular cased watches fitted with a retrograde calendar complication built over a period of three years. His Series 2 was launched in February 2006.
In 2010, Smith formed what would become his final collaboration with George Daniels, to produce a series of 35 wristwatches to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Daniels’ invention of the co-axial escapement, for which Daniels was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his services to horology. In 2011, Roger Smith was awarded the Barrett Silver Medal of the British Horological Institute which is awarded for outstanding development or achievement in any field of horology. He was awarded the medal for ‘Dedication to and successfully continuing the finest traditions of English and British watchmaking’. In 2018 Roger Smith was awarded an OBE.
Upon his death in 2011, George Daniels bequeathed his entire workshop to Smith, and he noted "George’s whole studio was geared towards the singular goal of one man being able to design and make a watch from start to finish”. Incorporated within the studio are Daniels’ Schaublin Lathes and Hauser Jig Borer, used to make vital high-precision parts for the watches, which combine with the hand engine-turning equipment, dating back to the 1820s.
This very impressive third example of the Series 2, Edition 3 is one of only five pieces made in white gold. The original idea for this series of watches was to manufacture various numbered editions of the Series 2 watch in order that they could still be handcrafted, yet could be produced in greater numbers. 30 watches in each edition, in either yellow, pink or white gold, with a standard dial were planned. In fact, only five white gold Series 2, Edition 3 watches were actually made. The edition was produced with a 38 mm. diameter case and following the introduction of 40 mm. cases, manufacture of Edition 3 watches was halted. Today it has become one of the great trophy pieces for collectors of independent watchmaking.
Roger Smith’s wristwatches reward close inspection to admire and enjoy the sheer virtuosity and beauty in even the smallest of details. The spectacular silver dial is hand engine turned, it features Roman numerals and a large brushed chapter ring for the seconds and a power reserve sector. It is completed by the instantly recognizable hands in blued steel and of course the magical signature ‘R.W. SMITH’.
The entirely handmade manual wound movement is in the English style and is visible through the crystal case back. The gilded half-plate calibre with raised barrel bridge is perfectly frosted and bears the hand-engraved signature ‘ROGER W. SMITH, ISLE OF MAN’, the number ‘No. 03’ and ‘EDITION 3’ in Smith’s distinctive font. The finishing of the domed blued steel screws, countersunk and chaton-set jewels and steel components is simply breathtaking, as is the fascinating and beautiful free-sprung co-axial escapement. During impulse the co-axial escapement is virtually without sliding friction and therefore runs without dependence on lubrication.
The 18k white gold case is of course finished to the very highest standard and absolutely timeless in style, the sapphire crystal back displays the magnificence of the movement to the owner. Faultlessly punched with hallmarks for London and the date letter ‘I’ for 2010, it also bears the ‘RwS’ maker’s mark for Roger W. Smith.
Roger W. Smith, OBE (b.1970)
The greatest living British watchmaker and one of the most revered and respected independent watchmakers in the world, Roger Smith was born in Bolton near Manchester in 1970. At Manchester School of Horology he passed as the best student in his class, winning the British Horological Institute’s Bronze medal. During his time at the Institute, George Daniels visited as a guest speaker. It was to be a life-changing moment for Roger and from that day, inspired by George Daniels, he resolved to make watches by hand. Using Daniels' book ‘Watchmaking’, Roger Smith began making his first pocket watch in his spare time. In 1990, Roger then aged 22, took thefinished watch to Daniels, who, in his characteristically forthright manner, told him to go back and start again because it looked ‘handmade’, not ‘created’. Undeterred, Smith returned to his workshop, and spent the next five years making and remaking his second pocket watch, until he had perfected all the thirty-two skills required to design and make a watch, known as the ‘The Daniels Method’. Upon completion of a second watch, he took the watch back to Daniels, and this time obtained his approval. This now historic watch was sold in 2023 at auction in New York, selling for $ 4.9 million dollars.
Although George Daniels had always eschewed the idea of training apprentices, he was so impressed by Roger Smith that he invited him to move to the Isle of Man and work with him on the Daniels ‘Millennium’ series of wristwatches. Three years later, Roger Smith set up his own studio on the Isle of Man. He produced his ‘Series 1’, a series of 9 rectangular cased watches fitted with a retrograde calendar complication built over a period of three years. His Series 2 was launched in February 2006.
In 2010, Smith formed what would become his final collaboration with George Daniels, to produce a series of 35 wristwatches to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Daniels’ invention of the co-axial escapement, for which Daniels was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of his services to horology. In 2011, Roger Smith was awarded the Barrett Silver Medal of the British Horological Institute which is awarded for outstanding development or achievement in any field of horology. He was awarded the medal for ‘Dedication to and successfully continuing the finest traditions of English and British watchmaking’. In 2018 Roger Smith was awarded an OBE.
Upon his death in 2011, George Daniels bequeathed his entire workshop to Smith, and he noted "George’s whole studio was geared towards the singular goal of one man being able to design and make a watch from start to finish”. Incorporated within the studio are Daniels’ Schaublin Lathes and Hauser Jig Borer, used to make vital high-precision parts for the watches, which combine with the hand engine-turning equipment, dating back to the 1820s.