Independents

Beauty as they say is in the eyes of the beholder. I have been blessed with quite a number of beautiful watches over the years and decided to reward myself with a retirement gift when I placed an order for a RW Smith Series 2 in rose gold in November 2016...  

Very excited for you.

Great retirement gift to yourself and well deserved. I have the series 2 at 40mm and it fits perfectly, the height is not any concern at 40mm and I don’t think it will make any difference in the 38mm version. I just ordered my second RWS about a month ago...  

I love the hands of your Series 2 - very much like the Great Britain watch! And wow, a Series 4? That watch is beyond grail!!

I am overwhelmed actually by the positive response received so far from my fellow purists.

Good choice with the last minute change, I think rose or yellow gold is definitely the way to go on a watch like this. The one in this photo looks perfect!

I know the wait has been long but for me, it has been worth it!

I have never owned anything as special as this watch so I hope I will not be too nervous wearing it!

Any watch from Roger is a monumental piece. I'm so happy for you!!!

The results should be exactly the same as the watch in the photo!!

...I only wish I had more money when he first started : (

I have had to sell quite a number of pieces to be able to afford this gem but I guess it helps reduce the size of my collection and also it enables me to own this special piece.

But I think watches from most high end brands have at least doubled in the last ten to 12 years. Some of course have even tripled! The question then would be has our wealth in the same period doubled or tripled?!!

Wow, 20 years ago I had not even heard of Roger Smith. I think I was wearing an Alain Silberstein then Do take a look at Christian Lass. He could be the next big thing! The CP30 in 38mm Sublime movement ...  

I think I am almost as excited as you are. You have only superb pieces but obviously this one will be a very special one in your collection. I very much look forward to seeing this incredible one and hope you come to Paris with it by the end of the year 🤞... 

I think I will need to make two trips to Paris. One by the end of this year with the Moritz Grossmann that you would like to take photos of and again in 2022 with the RW Smith! And you please take care too Mike! ...  

It has been a while and I also need to deliver two watches to Paris by hand (all proceeds to go to the Series 1 fund! )

I have to admit that I am not usually a fan of RWSmiths designs but this RG one pictured is stunning! Looking forward to your updates

I actually retired in June 2017 so this is a long awaited gift to myself. Retirement really does suit me - the only thing I miss is the monthly paycheck!

Looking forward to that day myself 🤗

I have never looked forward to receiving a watch as much as I am with this!

Congratulations on your wonderful retirement gift! Less is more with his watches.

I guess I like simple watches anyway so any two or three handed watch tends to sway it for me. I believe Roger does arguably one of the most refined and best made three handed watch in the market today. Yes it is an English finish rather than a Swiss and ... 

I would guess Dufour's watches are so hard to get new that Roger Smith's probably seem like mass produced items by comparison. I've thought about ordering one myself but have never explored the process (or price).

and it was too large at 42mm but it was a sublime watch and almost like a bargain RW Smith! I too subscribed for the new Simplicity like ten thousand others so yes, the Smith is definitely 'mass produced' by comparison. You should really explore the possi... 

Roger Smith had just completed his 100th watch in his watchmaking career recently, compared to 230 or so plus the new series of Simplicity Dufour's made/making. I'd argue it's not Roger's watches that's the mass produced item between these two

But I am not sure how accurate that figure is. I mean Roger produces 10 watches a year and I believe it has increased to 13 or 14 watches a year of late. And as Roger has been making his own watches in excess of 15 years, I would have thought that the num... 

I have just received a personal email from Roger Smith who confirms your figure of 100 watches and I had totally forgotten that apart from his own watches, Roger had been busy making the Daniels Anniversary watches. It was a nice touch for Roger to write ... 

that Roger Smith has made fewer watches than Philip Dufour by more than half! I have received direct confirmation from Roger today about this. I really had not expected the great man to be following this post but apparently he has! and I am deeply honoure... 

I hope you (and Roger Smith!) understood I was being tongue-in-cheek when I said Smith's watches were commonplace compared to Dufour. I know they're rare as hen's teeth, and I would be honored to own one.

and felt so privileged when Roger emailed me yesterday personally to say that he has only produced 100 watches so far, If not for your post, he may not have emailed me so thank you for that

It's also the perfect size! Just perfect!

It would be a tough watch to better.

Perfect perfection!

when you said that the watch was not thick at all. I think you have been wearing too many MB&Fs my friend! At 13 to 13.5mm in thickness, I think we can safely say it is thick for a dress watch. But thank you for your lovely comments as always!

I unfortunately do not own an MB&F (entirely due to a lack of funds, not a lack of desire), despite my apparent craziness for them and the creativity behind the brand. That last watch I reviewed, the Moser/MB&F Collaboration watch, was on loan from Moser.... 

and a Lange 1815 will still be thicker than your Patek 5712. MB&F watches are not quite for daily wear but they do have that wow factor and are definitely conversation pieces. I had a LM101 once upon a time but the thickness drove me mad! And patrick_... 

And even more true this week! I do like my music machine! I'm so glad I have that one!

at the following MB&F have. When the brand first started, I thought this was going to be a niche brand which one either loves or hates. But it has more than enough a following to ensure that almost every watch and product are a hit. Not many brands ca... 

The Horological Machines were very much statement pieces that could only be worn for special occasions, unless you were a rock star. One young Silicon Valley tech titan wore an HM4 pretty much in a rotation of daily watches.

that there is a very fine line between a silicon valley tech titan and a rock star!

Not quite the Roger Smith clientele then even if he could afford it!

Here is a picture of the movement but I am cheating as this is from the RW Smith website. ...  

I mean I have to say that as I have paid for it!

This is a ultimate dream and grail watch imho. Please keep us updated 🤗

I too look forward to seeing the end product

Lovely to hear your wait for a Roger Smith is finally coming to fruition soon!

Now that I have passed the 5 year test in waiting for a watch, I have only recently left a deposit on a car which will be available for me to drive in 8 years time! I know, I know, I am nuts but I actually enjoy waiting for nice things in life

or at least allowing someone who can take decent photos to take them!

so hopefully the wait will not be too long! Thank you for your comments!

Thank you though!

Congratulations for this great choice. And I am totally agree with you about 38 mm and rose gold case. It is going to be a real breathtaking beauty. Hope to see the wrist shots before the year end. Cheers. Kerem

In this era where white metal is preferred, it is good to know of someone else partial to a rose gold case. There are many types of rose gold cases; in fact, Roger calls his red gold and I think the colour is rich and should blend well with my skin tone. ... 

Your series 2 is going to be very special, congratulations in advance!

But yes it will be very special, thank you.

Everything looks symmetrical and clean!

Thank you for sharing the story behind the creation. Rose gold is beautifully warm metal. May the watch will bring you much joy and comfort in the golden years ahead.

It is nice to finally be able to afford some of life's finest creations but it has taken many years and a lot of hard work. I guess that will make me appreciate it that much more!

At first glance, some may mistake it for a Breguet with all the guilloche but the difference between the two is monumental.

Great choice and congrats!

It is rare when I see a watch that requires no improvement!

Best, mahesh.,

You need one on your wrist too my friend

but took this as an opportunity to trim my collection to a more manageable number of five and at the same acquiring the grail! Believe you me, as difficult as it may seem it is to let go of some of the pieces due to the emotional attachment, it is a lot e... 

I cheated and retired when I was 53! Life is too short and unpredictable and I did not want to have any regrets so I decided to leave the UK after 35 years and spend more time with my parents in Malaysia. I am absolutely loving it!

I am a huge fan of RW Smith and most WIS on here are as well but at this level so close to the summit you had other choices like a Simplicity from Dufour or Christian Klings, why choose a RW Smith? S

The retirement gift was a straight fight between a RW Smith and a Voutilainen. Dufour was only producing the Simplicity to very special customers and the closest I ever got to Philippe was when I managed to get his autograph at the SIHH! Christian Klings ... 

really appreciate your kind reply and your thought process, which I agree with. Shame about Christian Klings, I remember one of our fellow Purists receiving his and I was so excited by it, especially the movement design. I love both the English and Swiss ...  

Exquisite front and back. There is one lucky purist out there!

When Caroline sent me that photo, it was merely to show me the colour of the rose gold chapter ring. It was not intended for me to change my mind so drastically. I have just been very lucky and the timing of the change could not have been better, A few da... 

I am not sure if Roger will be sharing all that info with me as I must confess that I am more keen on the end product

I can tell that a simple well made three handed watch is quite popular among purists

It’s the hardest thing to do well! yours is magic. My JN Shapiro says hi 👍🏻 ...  

Am I correct that the case size is more than 40mm?! I have heard many good things about JN Shapiro especially when I was contemplating a watch from David Walter.

Joshua started off with 42mm but now offers a 40mm. My watch is a 40mm stainless steel case; movement by UWD (sister company to Marco Lang’s manufacture). The dial is sterling silver, with Joshua’s “infinity weave” in the seconds subdial (that’s a basketw...  

Thank you for the insight on watch Josh does. Stainless steel yes, basket weave dial, yes, superb movement yes but 40mm I feel is a bit large for a dress watch on my small wrist. Still, I believe Josh Shapiro's watches offer amazing value compared to othe... 

Can't wait to see it on your wrist. Be sure to let us know when it arrives. Best Sam

This forum will be the only place that I intend to post the RW Smith

I just left my second instalment with Caroline yesterday and was informed that the watch will be delivered in May 2022! I recall your watch arrived very fast as you paid for it in full. So by the time my watch does arrive, it would have taken five and a h... 

Hats off to your patience. I remember i waited for less than 12 months....I was so lucky. It was the year that Britain voted for Brexit. Best Sam

But I am lucky to have bought the watch at a fixed price. Since 2018, Roger does not fix his prices due to the long delivery time but gives each customer an estimated price which is subject to change.

can’t wait for you to post pictures once it arrives. All that deliberation and consideration is about to pay off. I’m basically at the beginning of my career; hopefully when I retire I can mark the occasion with something even remotely as special as this.... 

As you are at the start of your career and have already developed an interest in watches, I have little doubt that you will be wearing some amazing watches iin 15 to 20 years into your career, let alone when you finally retire in 30 to 40 years time. I sh... 

Congrats on this and I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival on your wrist to see pics here 🤓 I fully understand your choice and I’m sure it will give you immense pleasure and joy owning it! Want regards, Tim

Thank you very much Tim for your feedback. I believe the feel good factor of wearing and owning a RW Smith will be immeasurable.

It is almost surreal and I think it will take a while to sink in even after I take delivery of the watch.

What colour strap would go best with this rose gold watch? Black as in the photo? A dark brown strap or perhaps a burgundy strap?

Burgundy would make the gold appear “warmer» and also look lovely 👍🏻👍🏻

If asked, I shall request for two straps if offered and I will opt for the two you suggested. Thank you! Although, I might swap the black for a dark brown as I think it might look too formal and as I am retired, formal events are a thing of the past

Congratulations, I think this is a lovely timepiece. I’ve been deliberating on whether I should get one or not, and recently have thought hard about getting one. Do you have photos of the both the 38mm and 40mm variants? Would like to understand how they ... 

Like you, I believe the RW Smith is the end game, the pinnacle in watchmaking. I had deliberated in 2016 if a Patek 5270R would be a better retirement gift to myself but my journey in watch collecting has taught me one valuable lesson - the more complex t...  

One of the pinnacles of our world. Enjoy the hell out of it!

Thank you for your feedback!

Congrats on this, Sham. Looking forward to seeing it when you receive it, and I think your “culling” of your collection for this is the right decision. I don’t think there will be any reason to want to rotate this with any other watch. It looks that good ... 

I just paid my second instalment to Roger last night and was told that the watch would be ready by May 2022. So still quite a long wait but hey, what is another 14 months wait when one has waited for over 4 years so far?! Apart from a retirement gift to m... 

And Roger now needs to ensure that delivery does not slip! LOL! I think it will be the perfect milestone (or multiple milestones) watch.

Thanks again Richard! Not many people get married after their retirement but I hope this will be my last and I actually believe it will be! Roger gave me a worse case scenario just in case they are hic cups so I expect the watch to arrive before May. Anyw... 

Congratulations to this excellent choice, it is a beautiful and elegant watch in perfect size.

I am glad you rate this watch as highly as I do.

and for your very kind comments!