The Watchmaker's Apprentice

A brilliant short documentary featuring pure genius watchmakers at work.

If you are interested in the world of watches and watchmaking this is the DVD for you.It shows, in some detail, the effort and skill that goes into producing a high end watch.Both George Daniels and Roger Smith are masters of their craft.A wonderful DVD.

On paper it does not sound very exciting. The real life master/student relationship of two top notch watchmakers. This is a Sunday afternoon documentary film rather than a box office block buster. But it is interesting throughout. It is about two, very different, characters and their relationship. The eccentric elderly genius master and his studious, patient prodigy. I am very clumsy and thus go through a cheap watch a year, as I usually drop or scratch them, beyond recognition. Hence I have never owned a timepiece worth more than twenty quid. If I were to take a watch apart, there is no hope that I would get it working again. Horological nerd, I am not. Yet this film was engaging. Not a classic and I do not need to watch it again. But as documentaries go this is worthwhile and satisfying. If you have the time, give it a go.

Quick service although this was a present so no idea about quality.

Really interesting true story about the late George Daniels, the greatest watchmaker of recent time who trained his apprentice, Roger Smith who is now one of the greatest living watchmakers of the 21st century.Great interviews with George Daniels before he passed shortly afterwards.Recommended viewing to any aspiring horologist.

This movie was OK, but I was a little let down overall ... especially for the price. The film basically just interviews a bunch of people that tell you that George Daniels was the best and everybody knew he was the best and this young kid also wanted to be the best and he wasn't the best so he trained with the best and now he is the best. That's it. I think it would have been better if it went into a little bit about comparisons to other masters and what set George apart from those people and went into the watches he created a little bit more in detail and maybe focus a little more on the watchmaking process itself and just how intricate and detail those timepieces were. Packaging is beautiful and overall enjoyable, just wish is was maybe a half hour longer.

A lovely film focusing on the student/master relationship between George Daniels and Roger W. Smith featuring first hand accounts and anecdotes told by both George, Roger and other relevant contributors and friends. Beautifully filmed throughout with plenty of shots of the Isle of Man looking suitably rugged- to contrast nicely with the lingering close-up photography of the beautifully complex and utterly perfect horological creations. Very nice to also see some film of a middle aged George chatting quite animatedly with Seth Atwood that I'd never seen before! My only criticism is the film is only around an hour long.

Although I have given this 5 stars I have not actually seen it myself as it is a gift to a friend who says it looks really promising.