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Roger Smith’s story feels almost mythical now, though it is grounded in hard work, dedication, and an unrelenting pursuit of perfection. Born in 1970 in Bolton, England, he didn’t follow the path many modern watchmakers take, studying briefly and then moving into industrial design or assembly. No — he pursued the art of true horology, enrolling at the Manchester School of Horology, and from a young age, he set himself a near-impossible goal: to make a watch entirely by hand, applying all thirty-four traditional skills as set out by none other than George Daniels, the greatest British horologist of the 20th century.
The first attempt didn’t quite meet Daniels’ exacting standards. So Roger went back to the workbench and spent five painstaking years perfecting a second piece. That second watch earned him what he had dreamed of all along: George Daniels’ mentorship, and eventually, a collaborative working relationship that would change his life forever.
If we’re going to make watches in Britain, then we have to make them from the ground up.
– Roger W. Smith
Smith’s work is often described as a continuation of Daniels’ legacy, but to me, that’s not entirely fair — it’s an evolution. Roger didn’t just copy his mentor; he took the Daniels Method — which means making every component by hand, including the dial, case, hands, escapement, and even the screws — and built on it.
In an era where many “independent” watchmakers still import cases or use third-party components, Smith insists on doing everything in-house. Cases, dials, hands, wheels, pinions, the movement architecture, finishing — you name it, it’s done in his small workshop on the Isle of Man. That alone is almost unimaginable today. There’s no outsourcing, no Swiss-made cases sneakily badged under the Union Jack; it’s honest, pure, British watchmaking.
His series of watches, which include Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, Series 4, the Series 5 Open Dial, the one-off “Great Britain” watch, and of course the Daniels’ Anniversary series, are among the rarest and most sought-after timepieces in the world. We’re not talking about waiting lists of a few months. We’re talking years, if you can even get on the list. Each piece is essentially made for an individual, to an individual specification, and because every element is made by hand, Roger and his small team produce only around ten watches per year. Think about that for a second: ten watches, versus thousands, even from brands we call “independent.”
In terms of movements and complications, Roger Smith has stayed true to the ethos of mechanical purity. His pieces often incorporate George Daniels’ coaxial escapement, the revolutionary mechanism that reduces friction and theoretically extends service intervals and the life of the watch. But Smith didn’t just replicate Daniels’ design — he refined it further, developing a single-wheel version of the coaxial escapement to increase efficiency and simplicity. It’s an innovation within an innovation, and yet another reason his work is respected by collectors, scholars, and fellow watchmakers alike.
The Series 2, probably his best-known production model, features a beautifully restrained dial with a subsidiary seconds hand, often with a power reserve indicator, and a three-quarter plate movement architecture finished in a way that has to be seen under a loupe to be truly appreciated. His Series 4 adds a tourbillon and a retrograde date complication, while his one-off Great Britain watch included a unique three-arm coaxial escapement, showcasing his technical mastery and patriotic spirit at once.
As for the cost, well, if you need to ask, you might already be too late. Pieces start comfortably north of £100,000, and that’s at the very least. More complicated models can easily push towards £300,000 or more. But truthfully, it isn’t about the money. Even if you have the funds, you need the patience and understanding to wait years for a piece to be built for you. And honestly, I believe it’s worth every second and every penny, because you are not just buying a watch — you are acquiring a piece of horological history, a piece of Roger Smith’s soul, and, by extension, a continuation of the ancient craft itself.
Availability is, as you can imagine, almost non-existent for stock models. You won’t find a Roger W. Smith in a shop window. You won’t find one popping up for a steal at an auction, either. When they do appear on the secondary market, they often fetch far more than their original prices, and even then, they tend to be snapped up by serious collectors before the listings get a chance to go public. I’d argue that owning a Roger Smith is like being entrusted with a national treasure, rather than simply being a customer.
Before I wrap up, as always, if anyone reading this has had the incredible fortune to handle or even own a Roger Smith piece, I’d love to hear about it. I know how rare that opportunity is, and I welcome any insights, corrections, or additional thoughts. This is very much a personal appreciation rather than an encyclopaedic review, and as always, I’m more than happy to be educated further.
There are few figures left in watchmaking who can honestly say they keep the traditions alive without compromise. Roger W. Smith is one of them, and in my humble opinion, we are incredibly lucky to be living in a time when he’s still at the bench, creating masterpieces by hand, one at a time.
