Independents

Based on the Isle of Man and the sole apprentice to the late and great George Daniels , Roger W. Smith is a not so well-known master watchmaker . So, let's have a look at some of his watches, especially his Series 1 to 6 . If you want more detail and info...  

Here's my Series 5. ...  

Best, Emmanuel

Best, Emmanuel

The square Theo Fennel is absolutely stunning - could well imagine that one in the next life 😊👍🏻🤞🏻

By all these watches.

Best, Emmanuel

...  

Best, Emmanuel

NT

Roman numerals are not my thing so naturally my favorite is the platinum case with eastern Arabic numerals and leafy motif. Thanks again for sharing.

The Toric Quaestor Pegase The Tecnica XXVII Panier De Fruits The Toric Quaestor Ripple Best, Emmanuel ...  

Love especially the big small second that is placed so perfectly! So many times you see it too close to the center of the dial with big gaps between the verge of the small second dial and the 6 o‘clock position of the dial! Not to mention everything else!... 

Which conveys a hand-made feel which isn’t always as palpable among other independents (just my impression of course). Best, Emmanuel

by a Roman twelve or a double marker.

a guillocheur. Look at his GB dial it's a masterclass. ...  

Thanks for sharing. Best, Emmanuel

Many of their watches have objectively sloppy mistakes and they aren’t completely hand made. There’s no excuse for it given haldimann is handmade and not sloppy. Very confusing to me.

What objective sloppy mistake do you have in mind? And what do you mean by not completely hand-made? As we know that a completely hand-made watch is very, very rare and extremely expensive. Best, Emmanuel

quillandpad.com IMO, these are not acceptable flaws on a 6 figure watch. Like I said, Haldimann is similarly priced but pieces like his tourbillion are much more complicated and free of defects. Plus he is handmade! Same with Greubel of course.

to read this article. The only thing that I don’t understand is this idea of “entirely handmade”: among Greubel’s watches, only the Hand Made 1 and 2 are entirely made by hand. Ferdinand Berthoud has recently released the Naissance d’une montre 3, which i... 

Should have typed it out more. -Yes the Greubel Handmade 1 + 2 is what I was referencing. They are flawless under macro VS RW. -Haldimann is less than RW but still well into 6 figures. But they are flawless. -I don't really care if the flaws come from bei... 

Much appreciated.

This is a sentiment that is being shared more frequently among collector circles, albeit privately.

I have myself never seen a RWS watch in person and wasn’t expecting such a severe judgement. But having such a discussion is interesting. Best, Emmanuel

especially his open work series 2 (or series 5, as it is called now). They are visually very appealing watches. But they are not handmade, not in the least, as many falsely assume. And there are many finishing flaws that can only be chalked up to either l... 

Very interesting for me, as I was completely ignorant of everything you say. I fully understand your disappointment. Have a great weekend. Best, Emmanuel

...to this day maybe the most impactful watch I've ever seen. I love his OLD stuff. The newer ones are not appealing to me...too well-finished...they don't look handmade...

Best, Emmanuel

For instance, they start their case making process with a nicely shaped and rounded metal that already looks like a case, vs a piece of raw and straight metal rod by Roger Smith. Besides, the HMs are double the price of RS despite a different handmade sta... 

Here’s one from the first listing I pulled up. Look at the text on the right. ...  

from any brand under magnification, even those made completely with CNC which is supposed to be perfect.

for balancing the discussion with the point of view of actual RWS watch owners. I’ve personally never seen one of these watches in person and I wasn’t expecting at all such a controversy. Having such a discussion is very interesting and even more so if al... 

Roger has been making watches for a long time and watch collectors know him and his watches. He handmade his watches and utilizes CNC for precise punching of holes for fitting of gasket to minimize risk of moisture entering the watch. He is very public ab... 

for providing all these details which help to clarify the situation. Best, Emmanuel

I would suggest a possible reason is because Rolex (using your example) is a very large scale, industrially produced product numbering in (allegedly) the low million mark, while Roger makes very few watches a year. So when you make so few watches and char... 

but the Roger Smith that the hater posted has been sold like 10-20 years ago. Have we not seen oxidation/degradation on a watch's dial over time?

his dedication to horology, his willingness to work hard, his willingness to work with George Daniels. Personally I find him to be more humble and sincere than some make him out to be. I do wish his watches were thinner - the watches seem thicker than the... 

Having never seen one in person, it’s hard for me to tell how much I loved them. And I wasn’t expecting at all the controversy regarding the flaws and poor quantity of hand made. Best, Emmanuel

Thank you for this lovely write-up and great selection of photos. Series 2 is on my dream list. Hopefully will get the opportunity!

I still have to see one of these watches in person someday. And I wish the best for the acquisition of a Series 2! Best, Emmanuel

Thanks Emmanuel for sharing this amazing post. Best, Alex

I’m glad you like this kind of watchmaking and these watches. Best, Emmanuel

Have a great weekend. Best, Emmanuel

Thank you Emmanuel for the great effort to collate these.

Have a great weekend. Best, Emmanuel

The older watches definitely had a hand made feel with finishing flaws totally visible to the naked eye. I was actually surprised when I saw my first IRL, figured most of the issues seen in photos would be too small to see without a loupe but that wasn't ... 

Thank you so much, Fasting for taking the time to detail your knowledge and ideas. I'm learning a lot from this discussion. Best, Emmanuel

I just think it's funny how much praise he receives while guys like Haldimann are largely ignored but put out objectively amazing watches...

I think were it gets problematic is confusing old RWS and new RWS both product and pricing. We know FPJ isn't making any watches today, we know PD (or his daughter) is finishing every watch today, with RWS I think there's some murkiness around what is yes... 

Reminds me of the soup guy from Seinfeld

But I was simply unaware of the dramatic production and pricing changes you are pointing out. So, thank you for doing so! Best, Emmanuel

His workshop is opened to anyone interested to see, and anyone could see his team of watchmakers making watches in the traditional George Daniels methods. He is always inviting people to his workshop. He can also show you the purposes he uses CNC for in h... 

I will personally wait until I have the opportunity to meet Roger W. Smith and see his watches to get a good and unbiased sense of his work. Best, Emmanuel

this post. Not sure what you are about really, this "new" and "old" Roger Smith.

I recall a contributor here once attributing Haldimann's lack of attention/adoration/worship to his size. Kind regards, kkwn98