Push come to shove, if watch enthusiasts were to name three of the most influential watchmakers of the modern era, I guarantee to you upwards of half would utter the name “Roger Smith.” In the vanguard of true indie watchmaking, Smith is (famously) the only disciple of Mr George Daniels – widely revered as the greatest watchmaker of the 20th century and inventor of the co-axial escapement (a technical innovation now mainstreamed by Omega).
Cloistered away on the Isle of Man, Smith’s work bears more in common with that of an ecclesiastic painter; and his clientele – unanimously consisting of individuals who regard traditional English watchmaking as an art rather than mere luxury – is equally ruminative. With a four-year waitlist for existing orders (and a moratorium on any new clients), you’d certainly have to be.
The good news however is that starting November 11, aficionados with deep pockets will get the chance to put their mitts on one of Smith’s excruciatingly rare watches – a Series 1 in white gold, made brand new no less, for the London-based horology platform A Collected Man.
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The culmination of five years of work, Smith’s decision to release this unique Series 1 in exclusive partnership with A Collected Man speaks volumes about the mutual working relationship between the two forces.
“The goal was to marry our design philosophy, that favours less over more, with Roger’s refined aesthetic,” said Silas Walton, Founder of A Collected Man.
“The simplicity of the 38mm white metal, time-only Series 1 perfectly expresses what we at ACM love best about [his] work.”
By way of background, only 18 examples of the Series 1 watch have ever left Smith’s workshop. Of those, a single model has previously surfaced for public sale: at a Phillips auction in 2021, where it promptly went on to net (ex. buyer’s premium) US$730,800 (AU$1,147,429).
To casual observers, it’s incredulous that a three-handed watch with such a grandfatherly aesthetic could command these prices, but the Series 1’s allure rests precisely in the fact that it embodies only the most essential parts of classic British watchmaking.
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To that end, Smith has preserved the 38mm case diameter his clients have long preferred; the classic Series 1 dial layout (i.e. combining two styles of guilloche); and a co-axial movement that incorporates his own single-wheel evolution of the pioneering Daniels co-axial escapement. The winning bidder will be given the option to customise the movement’s plates with cartouche which bears their own name or initials.
The watch will be offered exclusively via online auction, hosted on A Collected Man’s website from 11-25 November. Bids close at 2 PM GMT, with 20% of the profits of the Series 1’s sale earmarked for donation to the Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers – an organisation Smith helped to co-found in 2020, which offers vocational training and career support to students of horology.
