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Creating INNOVATION creating INNOVATION George Daniels, the major watchmaker in the world for the 20th century in a very rare and revealing interview, in December 2009… Constantin Stikas: If one looks back, one can see that most better way, in pulsing balanced mechanism. The conclusion important innovations were made centuries ago, by Abraham- of that was the co-axial escapement. Louis Breguet and few other major watchmakers in the 18th century. How difficult is it to innovate today in watchmaking? You worked with Omega from the beginning or was it your George Daniels: How to innovate in watchmaking? Well, own research on escapements? there are still several things in watchmaking that need at- I was twenty years old when I came out of the army, I wanted tention, development to improve them, and of course the to be a watchmaker and so I set myself up in business as most obvious is the escapement. I devoted my life some years a trade repairer, and I managed to secure a contract with ago, to perfecting the escapement for mechanical watches. Omega. So it was I began to be associated with Omega, but The lever escapement, which is the most commonly used, is I’ve never worked for Omega – I only worked with them. now beginning to decline, while the escapements are better because they work without lubrication. If there is no lubri- Was there another brand interested in the co-axial before cation, there’s no change of consistency of the oil, and the Omega? watches therefore produce more exact time-keeping. The first escapement was made in 1970, the 1970s. It was the first Daniels’ escapement, and it was the first escapement How did you begin working on the co-axial? without the necessity for lubrication. The difficulty was I invented the co-axial in 1970, because no new and better that my new escapement was rather large and we needed a click to escapements had been made in the industry after the intro- smaller escapement for smaller watches, and so that turned listen duction of the lever escapement. The lever escapement is not me towards experimenting and to produce what eventually a very satisfactory one, and I set myself the task of finding a became the co-axial escapement. The Co-Axial escapement veryimportantwatches.com george daniels George Daniels at work veryimportantwatches.com Before you made the co-axial with Omega, you had spoken But they don’t choose to use it. Why? Is it expensive to make to Patek Philippe and Rolex? the tooling? I wasn’t with them, I made prototypes of their watches. They It needs to be made very accurately. Apart from that, didn’t know I was doing that. there’s no difficulty. And I made all the first co-axials my- self, with my own hands – hand tools, no machinery. So But you hadn’t spoken to them? They didn’t know of the co- it’s only for mass production that one needs to develop an axial at that time? escapement. At that time, no, they didn’t like it. Do you remember the year you went to Rolex and Patek They didn’t like it? So you had shown it to them? Philippe? I would make a prototype, and then go to Switzerland. Show It was around… Just give me a moment to think. I made my click to it to the factories. But they didn’t understand it, or care first oil-less watch in 1974… So the interviews with the facto- listen about it. They didn’t show any serious interest. ries would be about ’72 to ’76. Which brand was that? With Omega, you worked 25 years later… With the co-axial, That was Patek, and Rolex, and who else was it? Well, I can’t I mean. recall their names now. We developed it, I don’t now how long it was later. I think it was about 20 years. When you introduced the co-axial to Omega, you had worked with someone from Omega, or was it something you Omega brought out the co-axial to the public 10 years ago. did yourself and they just bought it? So it was ’99. No, it was all made by me. Yes, it was on sale to the public in ’99. That we know. But I mean you worked with the Omega team Twenty five years after you made it!... on this, or was it something they bought and put inside their It nearly took 20 years to persuade the Swiss industry to click to watches? open its eyes and see the merit of the escapement. listen Yes. We had a cooperation between some Omega techni- cians and myself in order to develop the tools for quantity Is the co-axial only an escapement for everyday watches, or production. can it be used in Haute Horlogerie pieces? The co-axial will fit into any watch. All could use co-axial. I click And to put this inside the movement? Or did you do this have several watches here made by Longines, Rolex, Omega, to listen yourself before? Patek Philippe – they all have co-axial escapements, which Yes. I made the whole of the watch before Omega took an I put in myself. interest in it. These are for your personal use? Who was President of Omega at that time? They are prototypes for examination of the results. I don’t know. I didn’t have anything to do with Omega, ex- cepting with the chief technician who was Mr. Kilian Ei- And you put the co-axial escapement inside the movements senegger. Mr. Kilian Eisenegger was the chief technician, of this watches to test it? and together he and I worked out the system for the tooling I do it to find out the best way to make it. What is the best and the making of the quantity produced watches. design for it. But Omega has exclusivity for the co-axial? And what is the result? No. They are the only people making it. They don’t have ex- Well, the escapement is so successful, it’s now been taken clusivity. up by Omega, who use it in every calibre of their manu- facture, and another manufacturer in Sussex in England, Anyone can use it? the brand Frodsham, which is making another Daniels es- click Anyone can use it, yes. I have several inventions in the world, capement. It has completed all its prototype tests, and the to listen which anyone can use. results in time keeping are brilliant, and so we are now manufacturing it. It will be even more accurate than the They don’t have a contract with you that only they can use co-axial. the name co-axial and your name? No, anyone can use the name co-axial, or use their own co- It is the same with the co-axial? axial, or make their own co-axial. Anyone can do it. They have the new independent double wheel escapement. veryimportantwatches.com george daniels Α Β — A + Β — The back and the front face of a beautiful, George Daniels’ 1-minute tourbillon pocket watch with detent C escapement and D retrograde hour indication — C + D — The front and the back face of a tourbillon watch with co-axial escapement, entirely handmade by George Daniels in two pieces in 2004 — E — All the movements in Roger W. Smith’s Series 2 watches, include the Co-axial escapement — F — Roger W. Smith’s Series 2 / Edition 2 is priced at £50,000, E F and there is a two- year waiting list as everything on it is handmade veryimportantwatches.com Today there is a lot of companies making grand complications are more robust, stronger, better use for sporting events like watches. What do you think of the many complications golf or tennis, but the watch is subjected to a great deal of included in one watch? Are they important, or it Is only a agitation and movement. It just depends on what you want marketing strategie? the watch for. The public like complicated watches. The public are the mas- click to ters. They decide what they’re going to buy, and they like Are you planning something now? A new movement? listen complicated watches. I sometimes make them myself. With Yes, I am making a watch at the moment which won’t be tourbillon, chronograph, mainspring reserve, equation of completed for another year or so. I only make one watch time, all those mechanisms, can get into different watches each year, so I’m very careful what I make. I have no more and I’ve used all of them at some time or other. Do you know time to spare. Exactly for one more each year. my book, “All in Good Time”? What kind of watch are you creating now? I have to say I don’t have it yet. The watches are all different. I never make two watches the click to listen click You need it, because it will tell you everything that I make. same. That is what the customer looks for. to listen It’s all in that book. Your watches are top quality, but, at the same time they are I have your book about the techniques of watchmaking. also very beautiful. Their dials are magnificent!... There is another one. Philosophical. I’m glad you like them. What do you think of English watchmaking? You want All people like them… to speak a bit about it? Everyone knows about Swiss I like a watch to be very simple in appearance.
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