GEORGE DANIELS | A RARE YELLOW GOLD AUTOMATIC CENTRE SECONDS WRISTWATCH WITH DATE AND DANIELS' SLIM CO-AXIAL ESCAPEMENTNO MCM MILLENNIUM MADE IN 1999

Movement: automatic gilt brass jewelled slim Co-Axial escapement Case: 18k yellow gold, sapphire crystal display backDial: silvered engine-turnedBracelet/Clasp/Buckle: yellow gold George Daniels buckleDiameter: 37mmSigned: case, dial and movement, case hallmarked for London 1999, maker's mark GDAccessories: a letter from George Daniels including photographs of the Millennium wristwatch, a George Daniels certificate, business card and presentation case.

CASE: scuffs and scratches throughout, consistent with age and wear. Hallmarks are intact and deep. With scratches on the lug profiles, and deeper small scratches on the right case profile, below the top lug. One small dent above the bottom lug on the right hand side case band. DIAL: In good condition, with minor scarce dotting on the guilloche, small hairline scratches on the date subdial around the 19th. MOVEMENT: working at time of cataloguing, date passing on to the next day, date setting is functional. With one small scratch next to the escapement. The watch has not been tested to determine the accuracy of its timekeeping. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement and that a service may be required at the buyer's discretion.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Dr George Daniels began making watches in 1967 as he was motivated by, and deeply sceptical of, the rise of the quartz watch movement; one entirely reliant upon a battery. Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, he admitted that he was, "incensed by the hysterical adulation of the quartz watch by people who didn't really understand it's failings". One of these failings he went on to describe, stating that, "it is the dedicated ambition of every battery to commit suicide as soon as possible."  To Dr Daniels, watches had historic, intellectual, technical, aesthetic, useful and amusing qualities and with this in mind there is perhaps no watch that embodies his mantra quite so much as the present lot.

Instantly recognisable, it is fair to say that Dr Daniels, in his creation of his Millennium wristwatch, produced a 20th Century horological icon. The dial is a perfect combination of form and function in the quintessential Daniels style, clearly influenced by the aesthetic of his pocket watches.  Of course, as with any of his work, the beauty of this watch continues beneath the dial, as Roger Smith describes -

"... [the Millenium] houses some of the first co-axial movements off the Omega production line and is the culmination of a lifetime's work by George to convince a reluctant Swiss watch industry that his escapement was the future for mechanical timekeeping."

The co-axial escapement, which was initially devised by Dr Daniels in the mid 1970s, was an attempt by him to improve the longevity of the mechanical watch movement. This was achieved by creating a mechanism that ran virtually without sliding friction so that, unlike the lever escapement, the rate remained constant, regardless of the viscosity of a lubricant.  

The present lot made in 1999 is one of only 47 yellow gold examples ever produced and, from the collection of the original owner, it comes complete with its original accoutrements including the letter from Daniels himself to the watch's proud recipient.