Hodinkee
Essays: Georges Daniels At 100 And A Personal Reflection By Roger W. Smith OBE
On the 100th anniversary of the birth of the legendary horologist and watchmaker Dr. George Daniels CBE, Hodinkee is honored to publish an essay from Daniels protege and friend, Roger W. Smith OBE, who has taken up the mantle of continuing the legacy of Daniels and his method of watchmaking. The bond between the two of them, though decades apart in age, has revitalized the rich legacy of British watchmaking. After the article, we'll share excerpts from an interview with Smith about his relationship with Daniels. — Hodinkee George Daniels at 100, A Personal Reflection by Roger W. Smith OBE On 19 August 2026, Dr. George Daniels CBE would have celebrated his 100th birthday. For most people, a centenary is an opportunity to look back. For those of us fortunate enough to have known him, it is also an opportunity to reflect on ideas that remain remarkably relevant today. The George Daniels Grand Complication from 1987. Throughout his lifetime, George made just twenty-four pocket watches and two wristwatches. I remember chatting with him on the opening night of his 'Retrospective Exhibition' at Sotheby's in 2006. Before the exhibition cases had been filled, he told me he had been sitting beside the assembled collection of his life's work. It fitted into just two A4-sized foam-lined metal trays. Yet those twenty-six watches contained ideas that fundamentally changed modern mechanical timekeeping. Few, if any, watchmakers have produced so little, yet influenced so much. "The Blue...
