Archive · 23 Aug 2026
George Daniels’ Centenary Celebrates His Handmade Watchmaking Legacy
George Daniels was a famous watchmaker who made watches almost entirely by hand.
He made only 27 watches because each one took about 2,500 hours to complete.
His watches are now considered valuable works of art.
He also invented a co-axial escapement that helps mechanical watches run accurately for longer without oiling.
Omega bought the technology and began using it in watches in 1999.
Daniels learned watchmaking by taking apart old watches and studying how they worked.
He wrote a book called Watchmaking to teach others his methods.
His apprentice, Roger W. Smith, continues the tradition of independent British watchmaking.
George Daniels made just 27 watches and one escapement during his career.
He spent about 2,500 hours handmaking each timepiece, which can now sell for more than $1 million.
His co-axial escapement, created in 1974 and patented in 1980, was sold to Omega.
Omega introduced its first co-axial movement watch in 1999, and millions of watches now use related technology.
Daniels’s Space Traveller’s Watch I, book Watchmaking, and apprentice Roger W. Smith extended his influence beyond his own creations.
- Who
- Dr George Daniels, an English watchmaker, and his apprentice Roger W. Smith are central to the account.
- What
- The horological world marked the 100th anniversary of Daniels’s birth and his legacy as a handmade-watch pioneer and inventor.
- When
- The anniversary was marked on August 19, 2026; Daniels was born in 1926.
- Where
- Daniels was born in London and spent most of his later years on the Isle of Man.
- Why
- The anniversary recognized Daniels’s handmade watches, co-axial escapement, technical writing, and influence on independent watchmaking.
- Watches made
- 27 timepieces, mostly pocket watches and a few wristwatches
- Time per watch
- About 2,500 hours or more of handwork
- Co-axial escapement
- Made in 1974 and patented in 1980
- Omega introduction
- Omega released its first co-axial movement watch in 1999
- Major creation
- Space Traveller’s Watch I, a 1982 twin-escapement pocket watch
- Book
- Watchmaking, published in 1981
- Apprentice
- Roger W. Smith OBE, Daniels’s lone apprentice