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Time stops for Daniels
[Mon 28/11/2011 02:07:21]
George Daniels, one of the world’s greatest watchmakers, has died in his home on the Isle of Man aged 85.
The English watchmaker, who was born into a poor family of 11 children, was described as “a 21st-century Leonardo of the mechanical world” at his funeral last week.
Daniels designed and built 37 watches by hand during his lifetime but his greatest contribution to horology is undoubtedly the coaxial escapement which he created in 1976 – and is considered the most important advancement in watchmaking in the last 250 years.
Last year Daniels was awarded the CBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours list and two months later Omega hosted an exhibition at BaselWorld to celebrate 10 years of the company’s use of the co-axial escapement in its premier models.
During the same fair, the Horological Academy of Independent Creators celebrated its 25th anniversary with the launch of a commemorative book, ‘The Hands of Time’.
Inside, the Academy states: "It is impossible to exaggerate the influence George Daniels has had on the world of mechanical horology. His legacy is colossal."
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