Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/06/14/behind-the-lens-roger-smith-series-2-2/
Roger Smith holds a special place in the pantheon of independent watchmaking, both on his own merits and as the man who worked most closely with the legendary George Daniels.
From his workshop on the Isle of Man, Roger turns out a very small number of distinctive pieces each year; I’m fortunate to count among my close friends two fellows who own variants of the Roger Smith Series 2, the subject of this edition of Behind the Lens.
Roger Smith Series 2: front and back
While any Smith watch is rare, the particular Series 2 that you see in the photo above is in fact unique: it’s the only such watch in stainless steel that Smith has yet produced.
My friend has made a practice over the past several years of acquiring a variety of top-end independent watches in steel, which comes close to the visual whiteness of platinum without the attendant weight.
While from a casual glance the dial side of the Series 2, with its varied guilloche finishes, prominent power reserve, and asymmetric layout, might be mistaken for a Breguet, upon closer inspection its origin becomes rapidly apparent. In particular, the sculpted hands and especially their three-dimensional arrows that indicate hours and minutes, are a dead giveaway.
And in everything from the prominently raised chapter rings, power reserve scale, and name plaque to the deeply carved and lacquer-filled numerals, the clear message here is one of hand-made construction and assertive dimensionality.
When we flip the watch over, any comparisons to the style of Breguet come to a screeching halt. As you can see in the photo above, the movement design is quite elemental, and the finishing is in a traditional English style with frosted plates and simple edge shapes and bevels in stark contrast to the more florid Swiss style.
I got in a bit of trouble with some folks in a prior article here by referring to this style as “rustic”; perhaps the term was a bit harsh, but I hope that you can see what I meant!
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Credits: Article and images by @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/06/14/behind-the-lens-roger-smith-series-2-2/