George Daniels (19 August 1926 – 21 October 2011) was the only watchmaker known with the ability to create a watch entirely by hand except for the hair spring. He was the great horological designers and inventors. His first project was a Marine Chronometer created in 1953. His first commissioned watch followed in 1970 and he continued making fine watches until his death in 2011.
George Daniels is a legend within the watch world, a remarkable talent deeply devoted to the art of horology. Born to humble beginnings in 1926, Daniels’ passion for watchmaking began when he was just six years old — he successfully disassembled and reassembled a household alarm clock twice. After studying horology in night classes, Daniels opened his own watch repair shop in London and delved into the world of antique timepieces.
In 1969 he created his first pocket-watch and, after garnering great acclaim, began making one-off watches for private clients. Over the course of his lifetime, Daniels created 37 watches crafting each component, from the gears to the dial, with his own hands. As each piece was unique and discerningly hand-crafted, George Daniels watches are often considered works of art rather than
During his lifetime, George Daniels only made four totally custom wristwatches that were crafted in the same intricate style as his more famous pocket watches.
George Daniels didn’t make many watches during his career. He only completed 27 of his entirely hand-made watches, and less than a handful of those were wristwatches
George Daniels Minute Repeater + Tourbillon + Perpetual Calendar + EOT + Thermometer. This watch was currently sold at auction for an astounding price of $1.464 million
The Daniels Space Traveler is the most expensive English watch to ever sell at auction, having pulled in $4.6 million at Sotheby’s London in July 2019
During his career, George Daniels completed 27 watches, (not including prototypes). Throughout his career he applied himself relentlessly to the major task of redesigning the mechanical watch escapement to compete and, in the long term, outperform, the quartz watch which had threatened its future. All Daniels watches were made by hand entirely under one roof and without assistance. George Daniels was the first watchmaker to achieve enough mastery of 32 of the 34 skills and techniques requisite in creating a watch entirely alone and by hand. This is now recognized as ‘The Daniels Method’. Every component was made from raw materials in his Isle of Man studio without the use of repetitive or automatic tools. Thus, no two watches are identical, and each is accepted as a work of art.
Extra complications were included in Daniels’ watches. These included tourbillons, perpetual calendar and a minute repeater mechanism which along with many more too numerous to mention, continued to enthrall the connoisseur collector. George Daniels viewed horology as a continuous scientific art, with social significance and useful qualities, which continues today under the leadership of Daniels’ protégé Roger Smith
During his career, George Daniels’ work earned him many awards, one being the prestigious Tompion Medal – then, only the fifth ever to be awarded. Already a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Daniels was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year Honors.
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