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Leapfrog the waiting list for a unique Roger Smith Series 1 watch

A Collected Man is auctioning a one-off Roger Smith Series 1 to raise money for supporting British watchmakers.

Roger Smith has released a unique version of his Series 1 watch, which will be auctioned to raise money for a fund to support watchmakers in the UK.

The one-off watch is being auctioned by A Collected Man, with 20% of the proceeds donated to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, which will use the money to create a Careers Hub that aims to connect horology students with career opportunities.

The donation could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, since the last Series 1 to reach the open market was sold at auction by Phillips in December 2021 for $730,000 (£635,000 at today’s exchange rate).

Roger Smith is one of the founders and key supporters of the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers, which aims to raise the profile of the industry in this country, and bring back many of the watchmaking skills lost to other countries over the past century.

“We need to engage with these makers and showcase what is happening in Britain today around the world,” Mr Smith says.

“We launched the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers in 2020 to shine a spotlight on this trade and link in with government and education to further enhance interest in this field by showcasing the diversity of career opportunities available,” he adds.

Only 18 Series 1 watches have ever emerged from the Isle of Man workshop of Roger Smith, and the watchmaker is not currently taking any orders for new pieces.

This makes the auction with A Collected Man an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire one of these ultra-rare watches.

The Series 1 created for the project comes in the smaller 38mm white gold version of the case.

It has a silver dial with some subtle changes to look.

The outer chapter has engraved black minute markers. A fluted trench separates it from a second chapter of brushed silver with engraved hour markers.

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Further in, the dial is adorned with engine-turned, basket-weave guilloche and at 12 o’clock, a cartouche bears the “R. W. SMITH” mark, engraved in black.

At six o’clock is a large, subsidiary-seconds register decorated with diamond guilloche, circled by drilled, black dots marking the seconds. A slim, white gold seconds’ hand, with the signature pronounced counter-balance, traverses the face of the seconds’ register.

The white gold hour and minute hands feature spade tips, scalloped by hand, much like the rest of the dial.

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Roman numerals, usually found on the watchmaker’s dials, have been replaced by batons.

Some of the design changes were proposed by A Collected Man.

“A Collected Man was looking to do something different. The idea was a very simplistic, stripped back dial. I was a bit doubtful initially. However, as soon as the designs came through, I was very impressed, and I thought it was a good fit with my work,” Mr Smith describes.

Silas Walton, the founder of A Collected Man, adds, “The goal was to marry our design philosophy, that favours less over more, with Roger’s refined aesthetic. The minimal dial, together with the simplicity of the 38mm white metal, time-only Series 1, perfectly expresses what we at ACM love best about Roger’s work”.

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From the underside, a sapphire crystal case back exposes Roger Smith’s single wheel version of Dr George Daniels’ co-axial escapement movement, which drives hours, minutes and sub-seconds.

The movement can be personalised with the new owner’s nameplate added.

Silas Walton, founder of A Collected Man, is chairing a special panel discussion about watch design at this month’s WATCHPRO Salon.

WATCHPRO Salon 2022 exhibitors and partners

Watchpro salon 2022WATCHPRO Salon is a showcase of prestige watchmakers where collectors, brands, retailers and press meet in 5-star luxury.

Back for a second time after a sensational debut in 2021, the two-day event takes place from November 11 to 12 at The Londoner, one of the capital’s most spectacular 5-star hotels on London’s Leicester Square.

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