$900,000 Watch Unboxing: Roger W Smith Series 4 Triple Calendar Moonphase

[@DE-gb3wq]

I can’t believe you handled the document like you did at 10:08 mark.

[@petewatchcollector]

Amazing presentation and it's obvious your reverence for the piece and the creator. Very special indeed! Well done as always Tim~!

[@davidobrien9362]

For some reason,it really does look hand made ,in a good way .very nice and traditional,with that modern Co axiel movement,you present these watches so well Tim .

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

The engraving is interesting in that it looks like the engraving applied by a watchmaker. There are specialists who only engrave and do it all day, and those specialists tend to be surgically precise. This Smith appears to have been engraved by the same person who built it. There's a slight imperfection to the engraving that's generally a telltale of a watch built by a person who is expected to master every part of the watch's construction, and I love that. In other words, this looks like it was cut by a watchmaker-engraver rather than an assembly line of task specialists. Best, Tim

[@Doggo-frencton]

I have a 2010 example of a Minerva 16.29 movement and the extent of hand-finishing is truly mind-blowing. There are dozens of exterior and interior mirrored bevels, even hidden underneath bridges. Truly artisanal watchmaking with parts largely made by the same machines as 100 years ago. I see this and while I appreciate what it represents, I see crazy secondary market value only because of its rarity and proximity to Daniels.

[@Nefville]

That might be the most charming watch I've seen on this channel. Its not exactly my type of dress watch, I'd prefer a Simplicity, but it is very stunning, in its own unique way.

[@jimmillett9224]

There are Grails, Holy Grails....and then there are Roger W Smith's. Incredible watch and review! Also love the fact that he has given the game away about servicing.

[@georgefraley6628]

I love unboxing videos, especially for watches I could never afford to own.

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

They're my favorite to present. I rarely dig deeply into the extended accessories and the owner-like experience that comes with exploring the full package. In general, I try to pick my moments and unbox only highly unusual or relevant models. Best, Tim

[@stevesmith7997]

Stunning! thanks Tim !

[@cesarocon3401]

the best watch presented on the channel in 2024

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

It's definitely one of the most interesting to me. Best, Tim

[@alexmood6407]

Meh

[@petersampson5202]

DEAR MR. MOSSO & MR. GOVBERG, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. GOD BLESS YOU MY FRIENDS. I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH MR. MOSSO. I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH MR. GOVBERG. I LOVE MR. ESPARZA AND ALL OF MY BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS SO VERY MUCH. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN A MIRACLE AND A MIRACLE AND A MIRACLE AND A MIRACLE AND FAR BEYOND ANYTHING THAT I HAVE EVER IMAGINED. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! EVERYTHING HAS BEEN SUCH A PROFOUND BLESSING AND AN ABSOLUTE MIRACLE. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! SINCERELY PETER

[@vdbdg]

Good to see it’s as thick as Omega’s co-axial. Quite a few watchmakers will roll their eyes at the price

[@jamesstanley7263]

The pinnacle

[@kevinxu8454]

Tim you are as always the best!

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

Thank you, Kevin. It's always my pleasure to share watches as exciting as this one. Best, Tim

[@MegaThucydides]

His form factor works better as a pocket watch

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

Probably because he's modeling if after a bunch of pocket watches. The Daniels wristwatches all looked like the Daniels pocket watches, and Smith derives his design from those. It's no coincidence. Best, Tim

[@davidobrien9362]

The lack of bevelled edges is really noticeable.

[@stanislavshiner6512]

British watchmaking architecture tends to put less emphasis on bevelling. You can see similar design choices in Daniels or Garrick watches. This isn't out of laziness, it's just the stylistic choice of the brand

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

It's not a flaw or an oversight. Smith made a clear decision to follow Daniels and (mostly) 18th-century British practices. There's extreme beveling on the co-axial bridge and the stud holder, so don't underestimate this brand's ability to bevel when desired. Best, Tim

[@GoughMichael]

I absolutely love watches, the high end watch brands are out of my budget but the MAMACOO has literally an almost duplicate of every single watch on the market . Always a great but no matter your budget.

[@ruffifuffler8711]

So content now that I found the 3rd calendar in plain view, but only after thinking that one was only buying the tool, and getting the 'chronograph for free, but then realizing only chronographs are made by hand, and the other copies remaining in pretension.

[@shuycg]

Can't see the difference between a Breguet and this. Thanks God, cause a Breguet I could potentially get, but this... Are they a good investment?

[@xtr1092]

thats just pissed off all the other brands lol 10-20 yrs

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

I know, right? While I suspect that the low/no lubrication requirements of the co-axial escapement have a role in that massive grace period, the entirety of the remaining movement still works conventionally and is lubricated as such. I think Roger may have given the most honest assessment of modern-date service requirements of any brand ever. Best, Tim

[@mercuriall2810]

⁠​⁠@@the1916companywatchreviewsHi Tim, I’ve heard Roger talk at length regarding the extraordinary service interval of his watches. The low/no lubrication of his implementation of the co-axial escapement is a key factor, but his (and Daniels’) earlier co-axial movements have shorter service intervals. The co-axial escapement is a lot more efficient than the Swiss lever escapement. In recent years Roger has taken advantage of this efficiency, by lowering the power of the mainsprings he uses. He was able to reduce the mainspring power dramatically. A watch that is driven by a much weaker spring is exerting much less force upon all acting surfaces in the movement - pivots, pinions, wheel teeth etc. Roger says that this reduction in force, and the consequent reduction in wear and tear, contributes greatly to the recommended service intervals of his newer watches. I really enjoyed this video, thank you!

[@vectorgen]

This is the third RWS you've presented. Who is liquidating their Roger Smith collection???

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

I think you might have seen the same watch two times. We've have two RWS watches this year - one Series 1 and this Series 4. Best, Tim

[@samclanon9333]

Still notable given that, as of a year ago, fewer than ten had ever sold

[@the1916companywatchreviews]

@@samclanon9333 That's true, but I'm up to two of these after ten years in the business, so RWS remains one of the rarest manufactures I've seen. I've had more Philippe Dufours. These didn't come from the same client, either. Best, Tim

[@meltdown6165]

Coaxial escapement needs less frequent maintenance because there is radial friction instead of sliding friction. I don't think a swiss Lever can make it 20 years without new lube.

[@adadadatt]

This is just where I'm lost. I love watches and high horology, but I don't see it here. There's great technique in this, but nothing better than Lange, Breguet, Journe, Grönefeld, etc... This is getting into modern art territory, where the value seems based on abstract ideas, exclusivity, etc, rather than the craftsmanship. Nine hundred thousand dollars is just not in the watch itself.

[@alexmood6407]

I just don’t see it.

[@BVIAS]

“Bespoke experience” = “Total ripoff” 😂

[@kennyfrancis6882]

Never even heard of this brand...lol

[@danyfarhat55]

Looks like it takes quite some time to come up with such a watch - shame that it looks so horrible, what a waste of time:(

[@highnrising]

I figure that you need to get your watch serviced when it's timekeeping accuracy is no longer up to where it should be. I have three watchs. I doubt that many wach "collectors"-- who own 8, 9 or more watches--send each one in for servicing every 3 or 4 years, even if they're running fine.

[@gasparini76]

900.000 watch and tool is left free in the box? Focus is how the box smells? Easy catch cow