On November 6th, 2012, Georges Daniels' collection will be auctioned at Sotheby's. Of course, the sale will take place in London, where G.Daniels grew up and lived until he left to work in the Isle of Man, where he trained R.W Smith.
The point of this collection is that it was created by the greatest watchmaker of the second half of the 20th century. Indeed, he was born in 1926, four years after Edmond Jaeger had passed away.
The sociologic particularity of Georges Daniels is that he is undoubtedly the last "old fashioned" genius watchmaker to push the envelope of watchmaking. He did so before the advent of information technology, of stardom and of self-centered brands.
Indeed, in a 50-year career he only produced 31 watches branded with his name.
He started his career in London during the 50's, following the professional path common to all great watchmakers: restoration. Despite the fact that he was born to a modest family, the British collectors immediately prized the quality of his work. In 1969, at 43 and after having spent 20 years restoring watches, he finally produced his first piece: A pocket watch featuring a tourbillon with a pivoted detent escapement device.
The escapement device will be one of George Daniels' hobbyhorses. In 1999, he creates for Omega one of the greatest innovations in watchmaking since the quartz crisis: the coaxial escapement device.
One can only praise Omega and Georges Daniels, as this brilliant invention was not reserved to unaffordable watches as is usually the case, but indeed intended for "mainstream" watches. Actually, this escapement device was fitted on the caliber 8500 from Omega, which powers the Seamaster, De Ville and other Constellation. Some watches which are affordable by a large number of watch-lovers.
1982. Star Wars is a blockbuster. Now, is it an oblique reference to the movie? Is it a nose thumbing? In any event, Georges Daniel presents the Space dweller, an exceptional 63mm pocket watch featuring a double time-zone, one of his favorite creations. This watch is exceptional in that it does not indicate the hour in Timbuktu and in Kuala-Lumpur at the same time. No. It simultaneously indicates the solar time ( the reference one usually relies on ) and the sidereal time , which shifts by subtracting four minutes per day relatively to the solar time.
These four minutes correspond to the shifting of the Earth around the Sun, relative to the map of the sky (Stars look like they don't move when seen from the ground). Achieving this double time indication is far more complicated than in a GMT. George Daniels chose the most difficult way to do it, as he opted for a balance/hairspring mechanism with two distinct escapement devices. Moreover, apart from these two space-times, the pocket watch features an equation of time, a moon-phase and a chronograph. Estimated price: 600 to 900kCHF.
1987: as Georges Daniels has always been an admirer of Breguet, all his watches were designed as tributes to Abraham-Louis. As such, they feature the aesthetics without compromise and the "rough" finishes typical to Abraham Louis Breguet's style, as opposed to the vintage Helvetian creations with their bucolic and ultra-finished look.
Georges Daniels cuts out and finishes all his pieces manually, using traditional tools like those used by watchmakers during the French Revolution.
Georges Daniels stated that this watch was his masterpiece; it features a one-minute tourbillon, an instantaneous perpetual calendar, an equation of time, a moon-phase, a power-reserve indicator, a minute repeater and most importantly, it is fitted with Georges Daniels' famous co-axial escapement device.
Estimated price: 750 to 1.200kCHF.
1991: which wristwatch would A.L Breguet create if he were still alive? Georges Daniels' chronograph is a plausible answer. It features Breguet's invention, the tourbillon, in a four-minute version, which is a particularly long rotation period. But this watch also integrates Georges Daniels' invention, the coaxial escapement device. This piece is simpler than the two previous ones, because it is a yellow gold 42mm wristwatch which can be worn every day.
Regarding its general touch and feel, especially the fabulous engine-turned dial, it is undoubtedly the wristwatch which pays the greatest tribute to Breguet.
Estimated price: 225 to 375kCHF.
Thus, this Georges Daniels auction is exceptional in many regards; but most of all, it is unique, as the few watches produced by the recently deceased master watchmaker are unlikely to be auctioned ever again at this same type of event.
