The Isle of Man

 By Bruce Shawkey


The Isle of Man had become physically separated from Great Britain and Ireland by 6500 BC. It appears that colonization took place by sea sometime during the Mesolithic era (about 6500 BC). The island has been visited by various raiders and trading peoples over the years. After being settled by people from Ireland in the first millennium AD, the Isle of Man was converted to Christianity and then suffered raids by Vikings from Norway. After becoming subject to Norwegian suzerainty as part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, the Isle of Man later became a possession of the Scottish and then the English crowns.


Since 1866, the Isle of Man has been a Crown Dependency and democratic self-government.


The Isle of Man is known for being home to master watchmakers and has a significant history in horology, particularly in the development of the co-axial escapement. Notably, George Daniels and John Harwood are prominent figures from the island. Additionally, Roger W. Smith continues to operate a workshop there, creating watches based on Daniels' techniques. 


Smith's workshop on the Isle of Man is known for creating watches using the Daniels Method, a technique developed by George Daniels. Smith continues the tradition of hand-crafted watches, producing a limited number of pieces per year.

You won't find Roger Smith watches at Saks Fifth Avenue, or even Tiffany's or Cartier. To call Smith a "watchmaker" is actually doing him a disservice. A "watchmaker" is typically someone who fixes watches. Smith is in a rarefied breed known as a watch builder, one who builds a mechanical timepiece from scratch. Smith apprenticed under George Daniels, considered by many to be the finest builder of watches of the 20th century. Daniels passed away in 2011, but not before convincing Smith to take over his practice on the Isle of Man.

To own a Roger Smith watch, you must contact Smith at his workshop. To get to the Isle of Man between England and Ireland, you have to take a boat ferry or airplane. Next, you need to convince Smith you are worthy to own one of his watches. After putting down a considerable deposit, you must then wait five years (sometimes more) for the completion of your order.

More information may be found in my blog entry


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