It may come as some surprise that the biggest advance in the movement of mechanical watches in the last two centuries was brought about by an Englishman – George Daniels MBE. A maker of bespoke, one of a kind watches himself, George Daniels is best known for developing the co-axial movement, which greatly reduces wear on the internal movement of the watch, as well as the need for regular servicing.
George Daniels is the only watchmaker, or ‘horologist’ ever to receive the honour of ‘Master Watchmaker’ for services to horology, from HRH The Queen. This title and CBE were bestowed upon Mr Daniels in January 2010, acknowledging his status as the world’s greatest living watchmaker.
Omega De Ville Co-Axial Movement
If the name is not instantly recognisable to you there is no shame. George Daniels has completed a total of 57 watches in his career – hardly a mass-producer. Every component of each piece is individually crafted by hand from raw materials. The watches are not made to order – they are more a side-product of Mr Daniels designs for continually improving escapements, but each is a work of art in its own right.
The introduction of quartz movement in 1970 appeared to spell the end for mechanical watches. George Daniels is credited with the revival of traditional watch-making techniques – even after the Swiss watch-making schools had closed their doors. Daniels developed a new form of mechanical movement called co-axial. In contrast to the original watch lever escapement designed in 1754, co-axial movement greatly reduces friction and results in a highly reliable, accurate watch with reduced service intervals.
Co-axial movement can be seen in the Omega De Ville series of watches. Beautiful, elegant watches with classic styling; Omega De Ville is a broad collection of watches for both men and women.  The inclusion in many De Ville models of co-axial movement results in a self-winding watch with unparalleled accuracy and reliability backed with a 3 year Omega warranty.