Independent Thinking - Roger Smith OBE returns (@rogerwsmithltd)

In this episode of the ‘Independent Thinking Show’ for @FifthWrist Radio, we’re talking to the legendary Laurent Ferrier from … well … Laurent FerrierWe’re chatting about the past, the present and a little about the future of this brand, which is as young as it is legendary.Laurent is not that confident with English, but we are fortunate enough to have David Chang from the Horological Society of New York on board, who actually is a native speaker of French. We have subsequently dubbed this with English voice-overs to make it available to a broader audience. The voice of Laurent is spoken by Adam – @mediumwatch – you know him as one of the co-hosts of «Fifth Wrist Independent Thinking»A Fifth Wrist Radio production: @fifthwrist; fifthwrist.com Executive producer & audio editor: Claus @tapir_ffm Theme Music homegrown, based on the aria «Ebben, Ne Andro Lontana» of the opera «La Wally» by Alfredo Catalani 

In this special episode of Independent Thinking for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Adam (⁠⁠@mediumwatch⁠⁠) are honoured to welcome one of world’s leading independent watchmakers Roger W Smith OBE (@rogerwsmithltd) to the podcast.2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Roger W Smith Independent brand, and we heartily congratulate Roger and his team on this incredible milestone!Our conversation covers the evolution of the co-axialescapement and broader incremental refinements to advance the service life and isochronismmmof Roger’s watches.Roger also reflects on the growth of the British Watch andClockmakers’ Alliance and the growing strength and diversity of the British horological sector.We also cover Roger’s most recent release (Series 6), and  he also hints what’s coming next.Keep an ear out for an exciting announcement in this episode as well!  For those interested in attending the Watch & Clockmakers of Australia conference in Melbourne in October 2026 where Roger is the keynote speaker, please register and get tickets here: @watchandclockmakersau and https://wca.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events/78291-national-conference-2026Please check out Roger W Smith on IG: @rogerwsmithltd and the British Watch and Clockmakers’ Alliance @@britishwatchmakers(Incidentally, this episode is also the 125th episode of Independent Thinking – and we couldn’t think of better guest to mark this with). Thank you all for listening!!! Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠#fifthwrist#fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review whereveryou listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners,or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days! Thank you for joining us.Theme Music for 2026 ⁠⁠The Wrong Time by SilentPartner⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

n this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠ Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) Roman sits down with James Henderson (@henki_time).  James us watch industry consultant, blogger, bon vivant, and the man behind The Hype NYC - a watch event dedicated to the indie watchmakers. James shares the origin story of The Hype NYC (@the_hype_nyc) what makes it different from the big fairs - and why everyone should attend in October.Link to James’s book about the Vulcain Watches and US Presidents here: https://www.blurb.com/b/12446626-the-cricket-and-the-presidents-an-anecdotal-histo Special Mentions: the Ochs Und Junior Special Fifth Wrist Edition Watch (as mentioned in the episode): https://www.ochsundjunior.swiss/the-ochs-und-junior-settimana-fifth-wrist-special-edition-a-guest-blog/Shoutouts: @geneva_blue_Check out James Henderson (⁠@henki_time⁠) and Find Out More more about The Hype NYC (@the_hype_nyc) here: ⁠https://www.henkitime.com/p/the-hype-nyc-2026.html⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcast!Independent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days! Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠The Wrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

In this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠ Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Claus (⁠⁠@tapir_ffm⁠⁠) are joined by Felipe Pikullik (@felipepikullik), a fantastic German independent watchmaker.We chat about Felipe’s early fascination with watches, persistence in gaining entry to watchmaking school in Glashütte, and formative work with Stefan Kudoke (skeletonization) and Rolf Lang (restoration and prototyping from scratch). Felipe describes the evolution of his watchmaking from decorating stock calibers to his most recent release of an in-house calibre Sternenhimmel FPA1; and explains his “in-house architecture” definition (FPA1 uses mostly in-house parts but not 100%), choices like German silver for finishing and patina, a handcrafted balance wheel displayed front-side, a retrograde date adjusted via lug mechanism to avoid pushers and danger zones, and his unique use of aventurine in the dial and movement construction.In our opinion, Felipe is one of the most exciting indie talents, delivering outstanding value and a unique voice in the indie horology space.We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.Make sure to check out Felipe’s work @felipepikullik and www.felipe-pikullik.de Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days! Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠The Wrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

In this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for ⁠⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠⁠ Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) is joined by Lewis Walduck (@lewis_walduck), fine clocks specialist at @bonhamsclocks,  antiquarian horologist, clockmaker, and lover of the fine arts.In addition to his role at Bonhams, Lewis is also a Director of the British Watch and Clock Makers Guild: @bwcmg and a Youth board member of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST): @qestcraft.Join us as we chat about Lewis’ lifelong interest in horology, clocks and antiques, as well as his apprenticeship into clockmaking , and later into the auction world at Bonhams, and the value of combining bench skills with cataloguing and advising on restoration. We also talk about Lewis’ mentors along the way (eg. the late renowned Thomas Tompion expect Jeremy Evans and others) and have a few laughs.Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Thanks (as always) for tuning in!Make sure to follow Lewis on Instagram @lewis_walduck and on lewiswalduck.comFollow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days!Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠⁠TheWrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

In this episode of Independent Thinking for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠Radio podcast, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Adam (⁠⁠@mediumwatch⁠⁠) host Daryn Schnipper, Chairman Emeritus of Sotheby’s International Watch Division.We discuss Daryn’s incredible and influential career in the auction world, some of the important and history-making sales Daryn has been instrumental in, and her collaboration with (previous guest and friend of podcast) Alex Barter on the “500 Years, 100 Watches” book documenting some of the most important timepieces throughout history. Daryn is generous in sharing her approach to scholarship, valuing watches, rarity, and meaningful technical or historical context, and distinguishing rare from merely obscure. Daryn also recounts scholarship-driven projects like the Time Museum Sales, The Henry Graves Supercomplication and The Olmsted Collection, and reflect on relationship-building with collectors, the emotional side of consignments, market behavior during crises, lead times for auctions, and advice to collectors to set focused criteria and goals.Make sure to get a copy of Daryn and Alex's terrific book: "500 Years, 100 watches" and check out Sotheby's latest auctions.Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days!Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠⁠TheWrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

In this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠ Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) is joined by author Mitch Katz (@uniquelyprototype) to discuss his new mystery novel “Time Eternal”.We discuss Mitch’s previous horology collecting memor ("Time on My Hands": and his debut murder-mystery novel Time Eternal. “Time Eternal” centers on a fictional Southern California watchmaker who invents an “eternal winding” movement powered by temperature changes and intends to release it open-source, prompting Swiss corporate intrigue and murders. It is a perfect blend of horology, mystery, inspiration and a glance into Swiss watch industry!Make sure to pick up a copy of Mitch’s both books and his Instagram account @uniquelyprototypeFollow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days! Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠TheWrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

In this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠ Radio, Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) is joined Juho (“Julli” ) Huikkonen - Finnish independent watchmaker and founder of Reigi Timepieces. This open and honest conversation traces Julli’s discovery of watchmaking and training in Finland, as well as the passion and unique philosophy behind Reigi Watches.Julli takes inspiration from martial arts (MMA) to watchmaking through discipline, humility, and continual learning.Along the way, we talk tattoos (Julli has a great one!), family, honesty, donating portions of sales to meaningful causes, and the meaning of “Regi” (respect and integrity).Make sure to check out Reigi Watches on @reigi_timepieces and www.reigi.fiPlease also check out Julli’s video with Marco from @SwissWatchGang on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/vaapfVdruj4?si=CQTcg5WUBCGiseJeFollow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days! Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠TheWrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

In this episode of the Independent Thinking Show for ⁠⁠@FifthWrist⁠⁠ Radio, hosts Roman (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TimesRomanAU⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Claus (⁠⁠@tapir_ffm⁠⁠) are joined by CEO of Oris Watches (@oris) - Mr Rolf Studer (@rolf_studer_). We discuss Oris' unique approach to horology, the company’s proud history since 1904, and the significance of maintaining independence.The conversation covers the brand’s philosophy on practical complications, humour in watchmaking, and the value of community engagement. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it!Make sure to check out  Oris Watches on @oris and www.oris.ch Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠@FifthWrist ⁠⁠#fifthwrist #fifthwristradio #fifthwristradiopodcastIndependent Thinking Show is a place dedicated to showcasing the great people doing interesting and cool things in the world of horology.  To join our crew group chat then please email us at [email protected] and if you have time please leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast.We remain fiercely independent with no commercial partners, or sponsored content. We only speak to people we respect and like - and that’s a pretty rare thing these days! Thank you for joining us.Theme Music:  ⁠⁠TheWrong Time by Silent Partner⁠⁠ (via YouTube Free Music Channel)

Today, the (still) ‘new’ Fifth Wrist European Gang talks about the winners of the GPHG and what we – as the far more qualified jury :-) – would have chosen. Bonus material: what do we expect and/or hope for 2026https://www.gphg.org/en/gphg-2025/nominated-timepieceshttps://www.gphg.org/en/prize-list-25https://www.marcdarno.com/https://inceptumitaly.it/https://www.aurelia.watch/watches were my first loveand they will be my lastwatches of the futureand watches of the pastDetailed show notes have been available in the past and will be available in the future.For now we only have four geeks taking about watches of the past and the future. Theme music: diy by @tapir_ffm based on the aria «Ebben? Ne andrò lontana» of the opera «La Wally» by Alfredo CatalaniFifth Wrist and Fifth Wrist Radio are both community run projects. Designed to serve the watch enthusiast community. We reject all forms of outside watch brand intervention and take no money, watches or goods from watch companies. The future direction of the website and podcasts are driven by the people who take part in this project.To join the action and get involved why not get started by reviewing one of your own watches at fifthwrist.com/write-review Follow us on Instagram: @fifthwrist We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it! Thanks to everyone in the Fifth Wrist community who give their time to make this project possible. The hosts, co-hosts, writers and editors, plus everyone who takes the time to share and promote this project daily. Please take the time to leave us a review wherever you listen to our podcast. Thank you for all the positive reviews and comments on our episodes. We read and appreciate each one! The time is gone, the show is over, thought I’d something more to say…