Roger W. Smith

Born in Bolton in 1970, Roger Smith graduated top of his class from the Manchester School of Horology in 1990. After five years of self-study using George Daniels' book, Smith earned Daniels' approval in 1997 and was invited to collaborate on the Daniels Millennium series in 1998. In 2001, Smith established his own studio on the Isle of Man. He produced Series 1 (nine rectangular-cased watches) over three years, then launched Series 2 in 2006, establishing his signature round watch design. In 2010, Smith collaborated with Daniels on 35 wristwatches commemorating the co-axial escapement anniversary. When Daniels passed in 2011, he bequeathed his entire workshop to Smith, including historic machinery dating to the 1820s. Smith received the Barrett Silver Medal in 2011 and was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to horology.