Here is a one-of-a-kind Series 1, a rare watch of which only 18 examples exist, with a closed waiting list. The watch features a dial with customisations proposed by A Collected Man, with a view to creating a minimal interpretation of Smith’s immediately recognisable aesthetic. The 38mm case is crafted from white gold and is paired with a silver dial. The Roman numeral hour markers typically found on all Roger W. Smith watches have been replaced by simple baton markers. Twenty per cent of the profits from this sale will be donated to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers.

The new Series 1 was created in 2013, the result of popular client enthusiasm for a time-only watch, much like the Roger W. Smith GREAT Britain unique piece, a travelling exhibition watch crafted to showcase the best of British watchmaking around the world. To date, only 18 examples of the Series 1 have been produced.

On this particular example, the round, white gold case measures 38mm across, excluding the fluted crown. It marks a return to a more classical case size, after the 40mm size Roger W. Smith watches have been offered in over the last few years. It wears sapphire crystal on the front and back and the rear of the case bears the engraved hallmarks of the precious metal the case is forged from. The lugs are straight, and the watch comes on a black Saffiano leather strap, supplied by Roger W. Smith. It features a signed tang buckle.

The silver, round dial, is recognisably one of Smith’s, but with customisations by A Collected Man. The outer chapter has engraved black minute markers. A fluted trench separates it from a second chapter of brushed silver with engraved hour markers. Those familiar with Roger W. Smith will note that the Roman numerals typical of the watchmaker’s dials have been replaced by batons, A Collected Man’s pared back interpretation of the watchmaker’s aesthetic. 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.

The movement, seen through the sapphire caseback, is very much of the British school, visually centred around the three-quarter main plate. The finishing, inspired by pocket watches of Tompion, Graham and Arnold, shows why Roger W. Smith is widely regarded as the flag-bearer of British haute horology. It is understated, finished with English frosting in a warm, golden tone, with heat-blued screws and the red of the rubies offering visual contrast. A raised barrel bridge adds a level of depth to the movement. Cartouches with the Roger W. Smith mark, the serial number as well as the triskelion motif of the Isle of Man are on the main plate. Another cartouche bears the numbers 2021, the year the watch was created. The owner of the watch will have the option of replacing this with a cartouche with an engraving of their name or initials.

Smith says, “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.” Silas Walton, the founder of A Collected Man, added, “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 R.W. Smith”.

While A Collected Man is the exclusively approved seller of pre-owned Roger W. Smith watches, this one-of-a-kind watch is the culmination of a close relationship with the watchmaker. “The watch is a result of our friendship that has developed over many years. A Collected Man has always been very interested in independent watchmaking and has in part been responsible for the light that has been shone on it today,” says Smith.

If sold within the United Kingdom, this Roger W. Smith Series 1 One-of-a-kind Piece For A Collected Man will be subject to 20% VAT.

Closer look

This new, one-of-a-kind Roger W. Smith Series 1, with a dial design customised by A Collected Man, comes as a full set with its box and all requisite paperwork and materials. This watch is covered by the full manufacturer’s warranty. Twenty per cent of the profits from this sale will be donated to the Alliance of British Watch and Clock Makers and earmarked for its vocational support programmes for horology students.