“We put our life and soul into the creation of these watches.”

From early in his career, British independent watchmaker Roger W. Smith (born 1970) has sought to bring the production of his watches fully in-house. All “but the most specialised components, such as sapphire crystals and jewels, are made in-house from raw materials.” Over the last 36 years, around 200 of his creations have left his workshop, and the former apprentice of the celebrated George Daniels is now working with a small team. WatchTime met the most important and influential ambassador for English and British watchmaking during Dubai Watch Week to talk about, among many other things, how he allocates pieces, and how his role has changed since having moved to the Isle of Man.

- Questions by Roger Ruegger

WatchTime: Has your role changed?

Roger W. Smith: It has changed, no doubt. In the early days, I was doing everything, and speaking to clients, designing watches, making watches, everything. But yes, over the years it has. Today we've got 15 people in the workshop. My days at the bench are now [fewer]. I mean, one project I’ve got on is Daniels’ unfinished project. That was a pocket watch that he started when I was working with him in 1998, but never got around to finish it. So I’m back at the bench doing that, and that’s a wonderful experience. Day-to-day production I’m not doing, but I am overseeing.

WT: Are you missing working on the watches yourself?

RWS: Am I’m missing it? [laughs] I wouldn't say I miss it, no. Because what I've always loved is the development, the building and so on. And when I say building, I mean in the early days is that fight to try and build a sustainable business. That was the challenge. And nowadays, today, it’s developing new watches. I’m happier now when it's the research and development, the improvements, the designing and prototyping of new mechanisms. The coaxial [escapement] that I first fitted into a watch in 2006 in the Series Two—over the last 20 years that’s been hugely developed, and I enjoy that process. And now it’s a super-efficient watch. And for the first time now we can put a set of principles to the coaxial escapement. And that’s where I’m happiest, that sort of developmental work and creating of new watches.

WT: But from a business perspective, your production will always be extremely limited.