George Daniels Millennium in white gold at Sotheby’s London

The Millennium was the last series on which Dr George Daniels worked, or rather its prototype. It was made by Roger W. Smith, who joined the Daniels atelier at the time, with help and advice from the master. The series was limited to 50 pieces: eight in white gold, 42 in yellow gold, plus the prototype in yellow gold. The movement is based on the Omega calibre 2500, fitted with the slim co-axial escapement and finished with hand engraving and hand guilloché.

The later Daniels Anniversary of 2009, marking 35 years of the co-axial escapement, was limited to 35 pieces and finished entirely by Smith in his own atelier, which he opened after completing the Millennium series in 2001. It has an in-house movement with the single-wheel co-axial escapement developed by Smith, and a dial inspired by the tourbillon pocket watch.

The estimate was £80,000–120,000. The last Millennium to be sold, in yellow gold at Bonhams in 2014, reached about €180,000 (see the report). A Millennium in white gold is very much a once-only chance.

The lot is on the Sotheby’s sale page. Photograph: Sotheby’s.