George Daniels, a famed British watchmaker, died on Oct. 21 at his home in the Isle of Man. He was 85.
Daniels is credited with inventing the co-axial escapement, which eliminates the need for lubrication compared with the traditional lever escapement, ensuring greater accuracy and less servicing.
OMEGA produced its first movement fitted with a co-axial escapement in 1999. Today, with few exceptions, all of OMEGA’s mechanical watches are equipped with co-axial movements.
Daniels was also author of the seminal book Watchmaking.
In 2010, Daniels was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to the watch industry.
“Dr. George Daniels was one of the most important figures in the history of horology,” said an OMEGA statement. “He will be missed by the entire industry and his contributions to watchmaking will never be forgotten.”
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