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35 Years of the Daniels Co-Axial Escapement Embodied in an Extraordinary Collaboration

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35 Years of the Daniels Co-Axial Escapement Embodied in an Extraordinary Collaboration 35 YEARS OF THE DANIELS CO-AXIAL ESCAPEMENT EMBODIED IN AN EXTRAORDINARY COLLABORATION The response to our initial release was exceptionally positive and we are now pleased to present more details regarding the recently announced collaboration between Dr. George Daniels C.B.E., M.B.E. and Roger Smith for a series of Co-Axial Anniversary wristwatches. As many of you will undoubtedly already know, the Daniels co-axial escapement must be counted as the 20th century’s major innovation in watch escapement development, following on the earlier footsteps of several famed 18th century English horologists including George Graham, Thomas Earnshaw and Thomas Mudge. It is a story unto itself of Dr. Daniels’ efforts to gain recognition for his landmark horological creation within a skeptical industry that took time to understand its inner workings and unique qualities. The key advantage that Daniels’ escapement has over the lever escapement lies in the highly efficient method with which power is delivered from the mainspring to the balance wheel. Simply put, the standard lever escapement achieves this final delivery of power via a long sliding action while the co-axial achieves its delivery of power by a simple pushing action, similar to the motion used to impel a gate or door to swing open. This important difference in the way power is finally delivered means that the co-axial escapement is unaffected by any deterioration in the condition of an applied lubricant, whereas the lever escapement’s proper function is totally reliant upon the quality and type of lubricant used. The limited edition Co-Axial Anniversary wristwatch Throughout Dr. Daniels lifetime he has been responsible for creating a collection of watches which have pushed the boundaries of mechanical timekeeping to levels not seen in the past 250 years of English horology. It was he who was responsible for starting the renaissance of the mechanical wristwatch in England in 1969. For many of us who have spent hours poring over the mouth watering images found in George’s watchmaking manual, aptly titled ‘Watchmaking’, his timepieces, never over embellished, have an elegance that can only be achieved through supreme mastery and complete confidence in one’s own art. Drawing on Daniels’ unique body of work, George and Roger have worked together to create a new English caliber, cased, dialled and finished to Daniels exacting standards and classic style. It will be a manual wound wristwatch with power reserve indicator, calendar mechanism and seconds dial in a style reminiscent of the appearance of the famous tourbillion chronograph pocket watch created by Dr. Daniels in 1994 * This new timepiece will be created in a Co-Axial Anniversary Edition of 35 pieces in 18ct rose gold, with a case diameter of 40mm, individually numbered from 1 to 35. An additional 16 watches, created in 4 sets comprising 4 watches each in 18 carat yellow, red, white gold and platinum with a separate numbering will also be created as a special request item. Specification Case diameter: 40mm Case material: 18 carat rose gold - hallmarked in London with GD makers mark. Dial: Hand engine turned silver dial with inlaid 18 carat rose gold chapters, signed Daniels. Hands: Daniels signature hands in rose gold. Movement: Manually wound, displaying minutes, hours and seconds, fitted with a calendar and up and down mechanism. Daniels co-axial escapement and free sprung balance, signed: Daniels London. Movement finishing: English style, gilded and frosted surfaces, finished to Daniels’ exacting standards. Strap: Supplied with one black and one tan alligator strap. Buckle: 18 carat rose gold buckle - hallmarked in London with GD makers mark. Box: Co-Axial Anniversary presentation box. Lettering and numbering: Hand engraved throughout. * George Daniels Retrospective Exhibition catalogue 18-23 July 2006 Sotheby’s, London. Page 72 - watch 23 The Daniels Wristwatch N.B. Watch not to scale. The specification is intended to accurately portray the concept at present, however it may be subject to change. Pricing and payments The price for each of the individually numbered watches will be a fixed price of £142,000 excluding VAT. The interest in these 35 unique watches has far exceeded availability and we have accordingly allocated temporary reservations that will expire on 10th April 2010. In order to secure your position on the present waiting list, we kindly request you to contact us as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment. Confirmation of your order will be taken upon issue of an invoice and acceptance of the terms and conditions. A deposit of £14,200 will be required, of which £6,500 will be non-refundable. The remaining amount due will be split in two installments; £70,000 on completion of the movement and £57,800 before final delivery. Delivery period We would like to point out that delivery times for these new watches will require patience from clients who desire such an important timepiece. The art of the handmade watch is a time consuming endeavor, and cannot be rushed. The Roger Smith workshop will of course do everything in their power to fulfill orders accordingly; with first deliveries starting towards the end of 2011, while the final deliveries of the series may take several years. More information about delivery times will be made available following production of the pre- series prototype later this year. Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you should have any further questions. Caroline Smith, Roger W. Smith Ltd., PO Box 67, Ramsey IM99 4LN, Isle of Man, British Isles. +44-(0)1624-897-943 [email protected] www.rwsmithwatches.com .
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