Roger W. Smith OBE is an acclaimed independent British watchmaker and the sole protégé of legendary horologist George Daniels. Operating from his workshop on the Isle of Man, Smith creates extremely rare bespoke handmade watches using the Daniels Method—designing and building every component from scratch entirely by hand. His workshop produces only 15-20 watches per year, with some pieces taking over two years to complete. Smith is the only watchmaker in the world practicing this complete one-man manufacture approach.
Born in Bolton, Manchester in 1970, Roger Smith showed little interest in academics but possessed exceptional practical talent. At 16, he enrolled at the Manchester School of Horology, graduating top of his class and winning the British Horological Institute's Bronze Medal. After hearing George Daniels speak, Smith became determined to make watches by hand. Using Daniels' book 'Watchmaking,' he spent five years perfecting his craft, creating a pocket watch that finally earned Daniels' approval in 1997. In 1998, Daniels invited Smith to the Isle of Man to collaborate on the 'Daniels Millennium' series. Upon completion in 2001, Smith established his own studio. He produced 'Series 1'—nine rectangular-cased watches with retrograde calendar complications over three years. Series 2 launched in February 2006, establishing his signature round watch design. In 2010, Smith collaborated with Daniels on 35 wristwatches commemorating the 35th anniversary of the co-axial escapement. When Daniels passed in 2011, he bequeathed his entire workshop to Smith, including historic Schaublin lathes, Hauser jig borers, and hand engine-turning equipment dating to the 1820s. Smith received the Barrett Silver Medal in 2011 and was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to horology.
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