Roger Smith - The Geneva Watch Auction: XIII Geneva Saturday, May 8, 2021 | Phillips

The Geneva Watch Auction: XIII

Geneva Auction 8 - 9 May 2021

  • Manufacturer: Roger Smith
    Year: Circa 2005
    Model Name: Series 1 "Onely Theo Fennell"
    Material: 18k white gold
    Calibre: Manual, rectangular , jeweled
    Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
    Clasp/Buckle: 18k white gold pin buckle signed Theo Fennell
    Dimensions: 35.5mm Length excluding lugs and 38.5mm Width
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed

    • Manufacturer: Roger Smith
      Year: Circa 2005
      Model Name: Series 1 "Onely Theo Fennell"
      Material: 18k white gold
      Calibre: Manual, rectangular , jeweled
      Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
      Clasp/Buckle: 18k white gold pin buckle signed Theo Fennell
      Dimensions: 35.5mm Length excluding lugs and 28.5mm Width
      Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed

    • Catalogue Essay

      Roger Smith is more than just George Daniels’ sole apprentice. He is even more than a master watchmaker. He is a man of resilience, focus and drive.

      At the age of 16, upon realizing that the young Roger was not fit for academic studies, Smith's parents sent him to watchmaking school in Manchester (UK) where he graduated in 1989 and won the British Horological Institute’s Bronze medal for the most outstanding student in his final year.

      It was at that time that he met George Daniels, an encounter that would shape his life as a watchmaker.

      After graduation, Smith joined TAG Heuer in the repairs department and contacted Daniels, offering his apprenticeship. A dry refusal led Smith to create his first entirely hand made pocket watch. He set up his workshop in his parents' garage (the term garage brand has never been so appropriate – pun intended), quit his job at TAG Heuer and set out to create a tourbillon pocket watch with detent escapement.

      The watch took a year to finish but Daniels did not find it to be good enough. Smith went back to his workbench and spent another 5 years working on a tourbillon pocketwatch with a perpetual calendar. Upon completion he went to see Daniels, who asked Smith where the case, dial, movement etc. were made. When Smith replied that he had, Daniels turned to him with these resounding words “congratulations, you are now a watchmaker”.

      In the late 1990, Smith joined Daniels as an apprentice to work on the Millennium wristwatches Daniels was to make. In the early 2001 Smith decided to set out on his own and create his own wristwatch. Impressed by the Arkade presented by the newly revived A. Lange & Söhne that housed a rectangular movement Smith decided to create a rectangular case housing a rectangular movement.

      The Series 1 was born, heavily inspired by Daniels' work. It displays an intricate guilloché dial, retrograde date and a rectangular movement with typical English finish, with frosted and gilded plates, gold chatons and heat colored screws.

      Of the nine rectangular Series 1s that were made, three of them were part of the “ONELY” series commissioned by celebrated London jeweler Theo Fennell. The Fennell logo is placed at 12 and had his name engraved on the main plate. The present watch is the only Series 1 in white gold made, making it truly unique.

      To the best of our research this is the first time a Roger Smith Series 1 “Theo Fennel” is being offered in an international auction room making it a unique opportunity not to be missed

145

Roger Smith

An incredibly rare and attractive rectangular white gold wristwatch with retrograde date

Circa 2005
35.5mm Length excluding lugs and 28.5mm Width
Case, dial, movement and clasp signed

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
CHF40,000 - 80,000 
€36,500-72,900
$43,800-87,600

Sold for CHF541,800

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

 

 

The Geneva Watch Auction: XIII

Geneva Auction 8 - 9 May 2021