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Roger W. Smith

Driving the resurgence of British watchmaking from the Isle of Man

Roger Smith is one of the world’s most celebrated watchmakers. From his studio in the Isle of Man, he creates some of the most exclusive and sought-after timepieces in the world, with his Pocket Watch Number Two recently fetching at auction the highest ever sum by a British pocket watch at £3.86 million.

To date, only 185 watches have been commissioned across just six series, making his body of work one of the rarest in contemporary watchmaking.

Now 40 years into his watchmaking journey, and celebrating the 25th anniversary of Roger W Smith Limited, he tells Locate Isle of Man about his work-life balance in the Isle of Man.

25 years in pursuit of perfection


My career began under the mentorship of George Daniels, widely regarded as the most important watchmaker of the 20th century. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when in 1998, George invited me to the Isle of Man to become his sole apprentice, where we worked together on the now-iconic Daniels Millenium series.

As my work with George drew to a close in 2001, wanting to carry on under my own name, I set out to establish my first independent workshop. It was the natural next step – a way to channel the experience I’d gained into my long-term vision of restoring British watchmaking. Over time, the team in that workshop has grown significantly, and we now produce between 15 and 20 watches a year. My team is comprised of local engineers and a small team of watchmakers who have relocated to the Island.

My workshop is one of the only places in the world where watches are crafted almost entirely by hand and in house. After George passed away in 2011, I inherited his entire workshop collection. Today, his original tools sit right alongside my latest tech – it’s a wonderful mix of traditional craftsmanship and modern innovation.

Today all my watches are designed, manufactured and built within the workshop. With the exception of just six specialised components, such as sapphire crystals and jewels, every one of the 250 to 400-plus parts in our watches is crafted in-house from raw materials and hand-finished and assembled by an individual watchmaker.

This rare approach, where raw materials enter one end of the workshop and a completed watch leaves two years later at the other end, is almost unheard of in modern watchmaking and allows us to continually improve our mechanisms and timepieces.

Every watch comprises 250 to 400-plus components, assembled by hand by individual watchmakers

A better work-life balance in the Isle of Man


I have found the Isle of Man to be an excellent place to base my business. Both the Island’s supportive business environment and the enviable work-life balance people enjoy here have been instrumental in our growth.

This work-life balance also benefits every member of my team, as they all live within 30 minutes of the workshop, affording them more time to pursue their personal passions, family, and the Island’s beautiful scenery. It isn’t something that we take for granted, as we know this isn’t the case for many other locations - we are incredibly fortunate.

The Island also feels very accessible, being a short 60-minute hop to London when I need to meet clients, and my clients also enjoy coming over to the Island of Man to visit the workshop and to explore the island during their visit.

Creating a new legacy for British watchmaking

Continuing the Daniels method of watchmaking and advancing George’s philosophy remains deeply important to me. However, as I reflect on the last 40 years of my career I have come to realise that I am now creating a new legacy. Through my relentless development of the co-axial escapement and focus on designing robust mechanisms for generational longevity, my aim is to keep British watchmaking at the forefront of international innovation.

This commitment is why I co-founded the Alliance of British Watch and Clock makers, our industry’s official trade body working to promote British horology and expand access to training and education. It is an honor to help lead this resurgence and support the incredible talent now emerging across the British Isles.

On a more personal level, by acting as a mentor to the apprentices in my workshop in the same way that George was a mentor to me, I hope we can work together to secure a future for British watchmaking inspired by the relentless pursuit of excellence while staying true to our traditional horology.

Describing the Isle of Man in just three words, Roger quoted Picturesque, Community and Agile.

Evolution


· In 2025, the last Daniels Anniversary wristwatch was completed, marking sixteen years since George and Roger began the project. This was a significant moment for Roger, as the Daniels Anniversary was the final watch to have been designed and created during George’s lifetime.

· At a Phillips auction in New York, Roger’s cornerstone Pocket Watch No. 2 achieved a record $4.9 million, setting an outright record for any British watch.

· Awarded the 2025 Gaia Prize - Roger was honoured with the prize in the Craftsmanship-Creation category. The Musee International d’Horlogerie chose Roger for his unwavering commitment to craftsmanship in watchmaking and for his role as an ambassador for the independent British watchmaking tradition.

· This prestigious award, often called ‘The Nobel Prize of watchmaking’, recognises a lifelong devotion to the art and tradition of watchmaking.

 

Find out more about the evolution of Roger W Smith and his watchmaking story, here: https://rwsmithwatches.com/evolution

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