Name: Roger W. Smith Series 2 Series 2
Brand: Roger W. Smith
SKU: Series 2

Roger W. Smith makes watches the way George Daniels did: by hand, one at a time, on the Isle of Man. The Series 2 is a 38mm manual-wind with a co-axial escapement, built substantially by a single person from raw material to finished movement. Production runs to roughly ten watches a year across the entire workshop.

What it is

Roger Smith trained under George Daniels and is one of the very few watchmakers alive who can legitimately claim that lineage. The original Series 1 established the format; the Series 2, introduced in 2011, expanded the case to 38mm and added complications depending on the specification. Each watch is substantively the work of one person, a philosophy Smith inherited directly from Daniels and has never abandoned.

Steel and gold case variants exist, and the co-axial escapement is made in-house rather than sourced from ETA. The waiting list is long and the annual output is counted in single digits per reference.

Buying notes

The secondary market for Roger W. Smith is thin and authenticity verification is genuinely difficult for buyers unfamiliar with the work. Provenance documentation matters more here than for almost any other brand: request the original paperwork and confirm the serial with the workshop before purchasing.

Condition is critical because cosmetic restoration on these dials and cases is not something most watchmakers can competently handle. Be wary of unverified complications or non-standard configurations that do not match the known production variants. A watch described as a Series 2 with a dial type or complication not documented in Smith's output history warrants deep skepticism.

Market read

Prices on the secondary market are high and largely illiquid because so few pieces change hands in any given year. Retail allocation is by direct relationship with the workshop and waiting lists are years long. When a genuine Series 2 does appear at auction it tends to find its price, but the spread between motivated sellers and patient buyers can be wide.

This is not a watch you buy expecting to flip quickly.

Service expectations

Service should go back to Roger W. Smith on the Isle of Man for the co-axial caliber made in-house. The movement architecture and finishing are not familiar to most independent watchmakers, and the workshop is the only realistic place to source proprietary components.

Contact the Roger W. Smith Co. directly to discuss service scheduling and current lead times.

Editorial copy is AI-drafted from primary sources and reviewed by Grail Atlas before publication. Where the text is uncertain about a fact, it says so. Email corrections@grailatlas.com if something reads wrong. Signals on this page (community, OSINT) are clearly separated from the editorial sections.

Common#1 in familyOfficial press photos

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In-house manufacture caliber · caliber Smith Co-Axial (hand-wound, in-house, with retrograde date)

Versatile size: fits most wrists (6–7.5 in / 15–19 cm)

38 mm case. The sweet spot for the broadest range of wrist sizes. Neither too dainty nor too bold.

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Authentication

The retrograde date hand must snap back instantaneously at month end; a slow return indicates the retrograde spring needs service.

Known issues in the market

Retrograde snap must be instantaneous; any slow return indicates a retrograde spring service need.
Co-axial escapement applies throughout the RWS caliber family; verify escapement architecture.

Area	What to check	What is correct	Red flag
dial	Retrograde date hand snap at month end	Instantaneous snap back to 1 at the end of each month	Slow or incomplete retrograde return; retrograde spring service needed
movement	Co-axial escapement wheel visibility	Co-axial wheel visible in movement architecture through caseback	Standard lever escapement; non-genuine or incorrect movement
caseback	Roger W. Smith serial and Series 2 designation	Serial and Series 2 designation correctly engraved	Missing or incorrect engravings; non-genuine caseback
movement	Smith-level movement finishing	Hand-done finishing consistent with RWS workshop standards	Machine-regular finishing; non-genuine movement

Common legitimate replacements

No serviceable parts outside RWS workshop.

Expert resources: Direct verification with Roger W. Smith workshop; rwsmith.co.im.

Authentication guide

Last reviewed June 2026

The Series 2 adds a retrograde date and small seconds to the co-axial Series 1 architecture. A 38mm round case in gold. Production is equally limited; the retrograde date adds a distinctive aesthetic element at 12 o'clock.

Known reproduction risks

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LOW

No known replica. The retrograde date co-axial combination is unique to Roger Smith Series 2; serial number verification with the workshop is definitive.

Absence of the retrograde date arc at 12 o'clock means the watch is a different reference
A continuously running date display rather than retrograde is an immediate disqualifier

Verify serial number with the Roger W. Smith workshop. Request timing machine results covering retrograde mechanism function.

Dial variants by era

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Era	Description	Identifiers
2011 to present	Silver or white enamel dial with Roman numerals. Retrograde date display at 12 o'clock with a fan-shaped arc. Small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock. Same hand and finishing aesthetic as Series 1.	Retrograde date arc at 12 o'clock: date hand sweeps across an arc and snaps back at end of month Small seconds at 6 o'clock "Series 2" designation visible on dial or documentation Co-axial escapement through caseback 38mm case diameter vs. 36mm on Series 1

Service part flags

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Retrograde date mechanism

Original: The retrograde date hand sweeps across the date arc from day 1 to 28/30/31, then snaps back instantly to 1. The snap-back should be instantaneous and the mechanism should not require manual correction at month end.

Replacement tells

Date hand that drifts rather than snapping back instantly at month end
Date arc with printing inconsistencies or a scale that does not match the caliber specification
Date hand with a profile inconsistent with Roger Smith hand making

Case back markings

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2011 to present

Individual serial number
"Roger W. Smith Series 2" designation
"Made in Isle of Man"
750 gold material mark

Movement tells

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The retrograde date module adds complexity to the co-axial caliber; service requires specific knowledge of the retrograde mechanism in addition to co-axial escapement training.
A properly functioning retrograde date requires correct lubrication of the cam and spring; sluggish snap-back indicates the retrograde spring needs attention.
All other movement finishing and co-axial escapement authentication applies identically to the Series 1 guide.

Sources: Roger W. Smith official.