Roger W. Smith Series 3, Red Gold

The Series 3 is believed to have been born out of a desire to incorporate the useful date complication, while staying within the classical visual parameters that Smith has established for his watchmaking. In the past the watchmaker has talked about how the original Series 1, that he designed in the early days as an independent maker, as well as two subsequent unique pieces based off that watch’s design, informed his appreciation of the retrograde date complication. Not only is it an elegant way to display the date, such an execution also elevates the complication.

This particular example is one of only a very small number of Series 3 watches to have been produced thus far. Crafted in 2018, it was delivered the following year. The red gold it is crafted from lends the 40mm case a warm glow. It features a three-part construction, with all parts evenly mirror finished. On the mid-case, between 9 and 10 o’clock is a corrector to manipulate the retrograde date. The domed bezel rises to a sapphire crystal, with the caseback that is secured by six visible screws, also featuring a sapphire crystal through which the manual wind calibre is visible. The straight lugs curve down and feature flattened ends for comfort on the wrist. The 20mm lugs wear an unworn black alligator grained leather strap with curved ends. It is secured by a signed red gold pin buckle. The set comes with an additional, unworn leather strap from the brand.   

The dial features engine-turned basket weave pattern with a brushed silver chapter with black engraved Roman numeral hour markers running around it. The top half of the dial prominently features the retrograde date display, with a red gold track graduated in to the 31 days of the month, in black. The register has a heat-hued steel hand with an arrow-style tip.

Mirroring the layout in the bottom half of the dial is a subsidiary seconds register with a simple, pointer hand in red gold, with a prominent counter-balance. Also within the register is the silver cartouche bearing the brand mark. The matching red gold hour and minute hands feature heart-shaped ends that have been hand-scalloped. 

Visible through the caseback is the manually wound calibre equipped with Smith’s single-wheel variation of Dr George Daniel’s Co-Axial escapement. It features a free sprung quadrajust balance and beats at a rate of 18,000 vibrations per hour. In the vein of traditional English watchmaking, it is visually dominated by a frosted golden three-quarter plate. Atop it is a plate decorated with intricate floral engraving with cartouches bearing the brand mark as well as the serial number. The visible jewels are ensconced in gold chatons, affixed by heat-blued screws. As is customary for the brand, the three-quarter plate has a cartouche with the triskelion motif of the Isle of Man where the watch was crafted. The raised balance cock provides visual depth to the movement, while the floral engraving on it adds another touch of hand craft. Screwed onto the baseplate is cartouche with "MMXVIII", dating production to 2018.

The watch comes complete with its box and documentation. As only the second example to make it to market, it represents an unusual opportunity for Roger W. Smith enthusiasts, both seasoned and new. A Collected Man is the only approved seller of pre-owned Roger W. Smith watches.

Closer look

Condition

This Roger W. Smith Series 3 is in excellent overall condition. The three-part constructed case and lugs show very light superficial marks throughout. More specifically, there's a very light scuff on the mid-case at the nine o'clock position and on the very surface of the material. The engine-turned dial, heat-hued steel hand, and red gold hour and minute hands are free from any imperfections. Similarly, though the case back, the frosted golden three-quarter plate and intricate floral-decorated plate are free from any signs of imperfections. The hallmarks and engravings found on the case back and buckle are crisp and well defined.

Warranty

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.