Roger W. Smith, Founder, Roger W. Smith Ltd., Isle of Man, British Isles
If you hold a mechanical watch to your ear you can hear the escapement doing its job, ticking many times per second and keeping you on time. The escapement is one of the most important inventions in history, yet we don't know exactly who invented it and when. Instead, the development of the escapement was contributed to over centuries by watch and clock makers around the world. This work has advanced the escapement to a level that is refined, accurate, and practical. Understanding the history of the escapement leads to a deeper understanding of timekeepers in general, and a greater appreciation of the escapement development that continues today.
At the December 2017 meeting of the Horological Society of New York, Roger W. Smith will present an in-depth look at the development of a practical watch escapement. This lecture is a unique opportunity to hear from one of the world's leading watchmakers on a topic that he is extraordinarily qualified to speak on. Smith's continued development of the Daniels co-axial escapement is pushing the practical watch escapement to new levels of efficiency and reliability. Smith's lecture will serve as a continuation of George Daniels' famous lecture on escapements, which inspired him to begin his career in watchmaking. The American Watchmaker-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) recently digitized and published a video of Daniels giving this lecture at an AWCI National Convention in 1990, which Smith recommends that all attendees watch prior to his upcoming lecture.
Roger W. Smith standing in front of George Daniels' watchmaking bench.
A Unique Horological Education Class With Roger W. Smith
Brooklyn, New York - Sunday, December 3, 2017
Smith is passionate about horological education, as demonstrated by his extensive video series on YouTube. The Sunday before December's HSNY meeting, Smith will guest instruct a very special horological education class in Brooklyn. With only 6 tickets available, this unique class will serve as a fundraising event for HSNY. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from one of the most accomplished watchmakers in the world, and help raise money for a good cause. (HSNY is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.) Tickets for Sunday's class are available now.
Roger W. Smith
About Roger W. Smith
Roger W. Smith’s horological career began when he enrolled at the Manchester School of Horology, aged 16. Smith graduated at the top of his class, and won the British Horological Institute’s Bronze medal. During the course, Dr. George Daniels (1926 - 2011), was a visiting speaker and inspired the first steps of Smith's now famous journey - to make a watch according to the Daniels Method. After working alongside his mentor in the creation of the Millennium Series of watches, Smith established his own studio on the Isle of Man in 2001 and debuted his Series 1 watch. Five years later in 2006, Smith introduced his seminal Series 2 watch. In 2013 Roger was invited by the UK Prime Minister’s office to become an Ambassador for the GREAT Britain campaign, creating the now iconic GREAT Britain watch. In 2015, Roger Smith announced the first range of authentic British watches in decades, comprising the reimagined Series 1 and 2 alongside newly developed Series 3 and 4 watches, all featuring the latest evolution of the Smith single-wheel co-axial escapement.