Today, I would like to talk to you about one of the great figures of horology who shapes our 21st century. It is Roger W Smith, an eminent watchmaker from the United Kingdom. Before presenting to you a unique timepiece that he created for Hamdan Al Hudaidi, avid watch collector and founder of Perpétuel Gallery, allow me to present the career of this man who honed his skills alongside George Daniels, renowned for his unique pocket watches and for inventing the coaxial escapement developed in 1974 and industrialised by Omega from 1999.
Roger W Smith was born in Manchester, England, in 1970. At the age of six, his family moved to Bolton, a large town in the north of England. His fascination with watches began at a very young age due to his father, who repaired clocks. Later, his father steered him in this direction upon realising that he was not meant for lengthy academic studies. In 1987, at the age of 17, he entered the Manchester School of Horology. One summer day in 1987, this shy teenager participated in a class that would change the rest of his life. Indeed, this session was conducted by George Daniels, widely regarded as the greatest watchmaker of the twentieth century. That day, Roger W Smith asked George Daniels what was at the end of his chain. It was upon seeing the “Space Traveller”, a pocket chronograph watch with indicators for mean solar time and sidereal time, age, lunar phase and equation of time, that Roger W Smith realised it was possible to create a watch of exceptional quality entirely by hand and set himself the goal of doing the same. From that moment on, Roger W Smith stated that he knew the only watches worth making were those crafted by hand.
Roger W Smith’s apprenticeship under George Daniels, which began in 1998, was a pivotal phase that profoundly influenced his craftsmanship, though it was not without its pitfalls. Presenting a first pocket watch to George Daniels at the age of 19, it was, although functional, not up to his standards. After seven years, two prototypes and a brief stint at TAG Heuer, he was informed that he was now ready to work for him and was ultimately invited to join his workshop on the Isle of Man. After mastering 32 skills necessary for the creation of a watch using the George Daniels method, Roger W Smith acquired the ability to manufacture a wristwatch featuring Daniels’ coaxial escapement. He notably assisted in the production of a series of “Millennium” watches powered by Omega’s Co-Axial movements, a three-year project that concluded in 2001, as well as a small number of tourbillon wristwatches. That same year, after completing this first project, Roger W Smith established his own workshop, Roger W Smith Ltd, in the north of the Isle of Man to focus on personal projects, beginning with the Series 1, his first commercial watch, a retrograde calendar.
Over the years, Roger W Smith has expanded his operations to establish a fully equipped workshop specifically designed for this purpose – complete with a space dedicated to the memory of George Daniels, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 85 after bequeathing the contents of his remarkable workshop to Roger W Smith. His goal is simply to produce watches entirely handcrafted with care in the English style and to create modern interpretations of the reliable and robust timepieces that were the defining characteristics of English horology at its peak. Now, let us move on to the presentation of the Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial.
Table of Contents – Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial
What are the features of the Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial?
Case
The Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial features a platinum case, entirely crafted and polished in-house with a finish of exceptional quality. With a diameter of 38 mm and a thickness of 14.5 mm, this timepiece sits perfectly on the wrist.
Dial
The Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial does not feature a conventional dial. In fact, it reveals the 3D architecture of the movement. The open dial displays the hours, minutes, seconds and the high/low indicator. It includes Indo-Arabic indices as well as gold hands topped with arrowhead shapes emblematic of Roger W Smith. These hands are distinguished by their brown-violet hue, which requires a shorter and more controlled heat treatment than blueing steel. The dial exhibits English-style flourishes, with frosted and gilded plates, gold chatons and flame-coloured screws. A relief cartouche at the twelve o’clock position bears the inscription “R. W. SMITH” in black engraving. The combined result of all these elements is breathtaking.
Movement
The Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial houses a mechanically hand-wound movement treated in yellow gold, meticulously finished by hand, featuring the latest single-wheel iteration of Daniels’ coaxial escapement and a free-sprung Quadrajust balance wheel, operating at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour. To explain further, in Roger W Smith’s version, the upper and lower wheels are combined into one by adding raised “teeth” on the lower wheel. This allows the escape wheel to be manufactured in a single operation, eliminating a potential source of error. He literally fabricates and finishes all the components by hand in his workshop, with the exception of elements such as the hairsprings, rubies and bracelets.
For the back of the movement on the three-quarter plate, the gear bridge and the balance cock, it features a “palm tree” engraving executed by Peter Cussack. This palm tree serves as a symbol of this arid region, replacing the typically English floral motif.
Strap
The Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial is supplied with a blue alligator strap of exquisite craftsmanship, which provides a striking contrast to the rest of the piece. To secure this masterpiece on the wrist, the watch is fastened with a platinum tang buckle bearing the inscription Roger. W. Smith.
What is the price of the Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial?
The Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial is priced variably, exceeding six figures, depending on the configuration and customisation of its various elements.
Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial: a watch that reveals its secrets
The Roger W Smith Series 5 Open Dial is a watch that transcends not only generations but also expectations. This superb timepiece is a symphony of art and precision, where craftsmanship meets innovation. It unveils a hidden world beneath the dial, a realm of meticulous artistry and complex details that captivate the soul. Beyond creating new watches, Roger W Smith has restored several historically significant timepieces, thereby consolidating his reputation as a guardian of horological heritage.
Year after year, he strives to create a corpus of quality, enduring works that, in theory, can always be produced. Each year, only around twenty entirely handcrafted watches leave Roger W Smith’s workshop. Yes, the owner of one of these pieces must be very patient, but this is also what makes artisanal watchmaking so appealing.
What I love about this man is that he has become the standard-bearer of English watchmaking, building upon the work of his mentor as well as that of those who preceded him over the centuries, such as Tompion, Graham and Arnold. In 2013, he was appointed Ambassador of the GREAT Britain campaign, launched in 2012 for the London Olympic Games, to promote British excellence. He was also awarded the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in June 2018 for his exceptional services to watchmaking. He has recently co-founded the Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers alongside his compatriot Mike France of Christopher Ward. With now forty member brands, this alliance hopes to attract further attention to the work carried out in the United Kingdom across all horological trades. Although there are hundreds of watchmaking companies spread across the British Isles, the aim of this new alliance is to unite forces, to highlight what the British can achieve and, we hope, to persuade more people to join the sector on a national level.
I would like to thank my friend Hamdan Al Hudaidi for giving me the opportunity to discover this watch, and I hope that my article has done him justice. Also, if you are in Dubai, do not hesitate to visit Perpétuel Gallery at DIFC, which is a perfect blend of a gallery, a consultancy and a watch boutique.
Roger Smith Series 5 Open Dial – Watch Specifications
- Brand: Roger Smith
- Model: Series 5 Open Dial
- Case : Platinum
- Dial: Openworked
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Up/Down Indicator
- Movement: In-House, 18’000vph frequency (2,5Hz)
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Caseback: Sapphire
- Case Dimension: 38 mm (Diameter) 14.5 mm (Thickness)
- Strap: Blue Alligator Leather with Platinum Pin Buckle
- Availability : Unique Piece for Hamdan Al Hudaidi
Roger W Smith, are you moved by his art? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
For more information about Roger Smith, click here.
