Riesentöter Region - Porsche Club of America Visits RGM Watch

Last week 28 members of the Riesentöter Region - Porsche Club of America visited us for a tour and demonstrations of how we make our watches.  RGM's founder Roland Murphy demonstrated one of our Rose Engines showing how we create the beautiful hand made patterns on our dials.

 

 

 

 

 

Down stairs they were shown how we make parts and finish them by hand using several of our machines and setups for making high grade watch parts.

I am sure RGM's neighbors were wondering why all those beautiful Porsches were in town surrounding RGM's old bank building.

We look forward to more of their members visiting in the near future.

RGM

Richard Sachs and Roland Murphy talking watches and bicycles

RGM / Richard Sachs Model 254 Sold Out Limited Edition

 

Many of you might remember we sponsored the Richard Sachs Cyclocross team for many many years, in fact we made an RGM Model 254 Limited Edition RS version that sold out some years ago.

 

 

 

I visited Richard at the Philly Bike Expo this past weekend because we have been talking about doing another watch project together for next year (2018), and maybe support his team again.  Richard Sachs and RGM have a very good synergy, and we look forward to working with the legendary bike builder again. 

 

 

We are both devoted to quality, craftsmanship, and building our pieces of art to last for generations. 

Roland Murphy

RGM

 

Win and RGM Eye Loupe

Follow us on Instagram for a chance to win an RGM Eye loupe of your choice.

Click here for the RGM Instagram link.

We have added two new colors yellow, and orange, you can also purchase them here on our website, Click here.

We make the eye loupes here at RGM, they are 3D printed out of PLA and Carbon-Fiber. We purchase the lens from an optical company. They have become very popular as we have sold many over the past several months.   

We have a 3D printer to make some jigs and holders here at RGM, and we thought, why not make loupes.

TheWatches.TV of Switzerland Discovers RGM at WatchTime NY

When we were at the WatchTime NY show a few weeks ago I met Marc from TheWatches.TV, he asked to do an interview and I was happy to do that. I had seen some of his intersting videos before.

He had never heard of RGM and was excited to find a brand like ours here in the USA.

Here is the video he made about the event and discovering RGM, 

Lancaster Newspaper does article on RGM

Here's a link to a nice article that LNP (Lancaster Newspaper) did, it has a few mistakes but all and all well done. They visited us this week because we are appearing on INSP's Handcrafted America tonight at 8:30 Eastern time.

Click here for the link

RGM Wristwatch to Commemorate NAWCC Museum of Time’s 40th Anniversary

The NAWCC posted the following this week.

-by Keith Lehman (PA) 10/31/17

On November 29, 2017, the National Watch & Clock Museum officially celebrates 40 years since its opening to the public. The Museum is the Western Hemisphere’s top, public timepiece museum with a collection of over 13,000 clocks, watches, and timepiece-related items. It has held countless exhibit openings, parties, and educational programs and has delighted visitors from all corners of the world.

 

Contributing to the Museum’s success are the hard work and creativity of a talented and devoted board of directors, workforce, and volunteer staff. Collaborating with other horological organizations and business is another key element. RGM Watch Co., longtime friend of the Museum, who recently celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Museum, has generously offered to make a one-of-a-kind watch to mark the milestone. The watch will have the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors logo on the dial and the Museum’s 40th anniversary logo etched on the exhibition case on the back of the watch.

 

I asked Roland Murphy, CEO of RGM Watch Co., what making this watch means to him. “I have been a member of the NAWCC for a long time. This watch is a way I can say thanks to the organization that preserves so many wonderful things from horological history.” Murphy adds, “My father died last year and he was also a longtime member. He also enjoyed the museum and NAWCC events. So, from both of us, I am happy to support all things timekeeping.”

 

NAWCC_40_RGM_151B_D.jpg

Museum Director Noel Poirier said what this watch means to the legacy of the Museum. “The willingness of RGM Watch Co. to produce a one-of-a-kind watch commemorating the National Watch & Clock Museum’s 40th Anniversary is incredibly generous. The Museum and RGM have partnered on several occasions in the past and we are very excited to have our 40th Anniversary logo etched on a watch produced by our very good friends and supporters at RGM.” Poirier continues, “The funds that will be raised from the auction of this one-off timepiece will help the Museum continue to fulfill its mission of preserving our shared art, science, history, and technology of time and timekeeping. Ultimately, we hope that the purchaser of the watch appreciates it as much as we do.”

 

Forty years of existence is an important milestone. I should know because I will turn 40 next year. When I was growing up, my family owned a craft business called The Frosted Lanterns. We made wooden lanterns with custom-etched glass designs on the front with a votive candle inside. We lived in Lancaster, PA, so the designs were mostly of Dutch hearts, flowers, and distelfinks. The Frosted Lanterns were the first designed pieces I made by hand and sold for money. The significance that a logo I designed for my employer’s 40th anniversary is to be etched in glass on the back of a watch is noteworthy to me.

 

This watch will excite any wristwatch enthusiast but especially devotees of the NAWCC, the Museum, and RGM Watch Co. The watch is expected to be completed near the end of November 2017 and will be put up for auction shortly thereafter.

RGM Watch and Martin Guitar at WatchTime NY 2017

The WatchTime NY show this weekend was the best yet, with many brands, visitors, and other activities.

We had the pleasure of sharing our booth with Martin Guitar this year so they could show the wonderful watch-themed guitars we collaborated on with them: the 2 Millionth Martin Museum Guitar and the D-200 Limited Edition of 50 that comes with an RGM watch.

Also, this year is our 25th Anniversary so we had many new watches to show, like our PS-801-CH "Chess in Enamel", Model 25 watches, and the Model 222-RR "Railroad".

It was a great opportunity for us to see our watch friends and and talk about watches - what could be more fun than that!

I was also on a panel discussion with 3 other independent watchmakers, including my good friend Kari Voutilainen.

We wanted to share a video we made for those who could not attend.

Best Regards, Roland

RGM Watch Made From The Hollywood Sign Metal

We made 12 custom watches for our customer "Hollywood 1923", they had bought up the metal that was salvaged from the last restoration of the Hollywood sign.

They wanted to make a watch using this metal as the dial, after they visited us we could see the the metal was not in good enough condition to makes dials out of.  So I had the idea to make little signs or plaques out of this metal and attach them to the dial.   I also thought it would be a good idea to give it the shape the real sign has on the hillside.  They loved the idea and the final look was better then I imagined.

In our talks with the customer they wanted to also have an old Hollywood theme on the dial, we had the idea to put an old film reel design in the background, and use Art-Deco numerals. 

The case design is our new Model 25 case made here in the USA, we also make the plaques here in the USA and print the Hollywood name on them here at RGM.

Its always a challenge to make a theme watch that has a high grade classy look, I think we pulled it off with this beautiful watch.

The watches are available from "Hollywood 1923" not directly from RGM.

Forbes Article click here.

RGM's 25th Anniversary Event and New Releases

On September 15th and 16th 2017 RGM celebrated its 25th year of making watches with an open house at our workshop in Mount Joy, PA USA, and we unveiled 3 new models and a new movement caliber at the NAWCC Watch & Clock Museum in Columbia, PA USA.

The open house gave a glimpse of how we makes our watches, another highlight was seeing the hand operated Engine-Turning (Guilloché) machines in actions that decorate many of the RGM models.

At the NAWCC Museum our founder Roland Murphy gave a tour of the museum highlighting some of his favorite clocks and watches in the collection.  Several display cases stood covered in the lobby. One by one, they were unveiled, introducing the new models for everyone to see.

The new movement is caliber 801SW, a sweep second (center second) version of the original 801 movement.  This is the fourth in-house movement from RGM. The 801SW has a very classic build. Though similar to the original 801 movement, the sweep second version has many new and unique parts, including a new main-plate to achieve the center second function.  Most center second movements have a wheel that is friction fit onto a pivot from the third wheel coming thru the bridge. To service the watch this wheel must be pulled off and pressed back on.  The 801SW movement has the third wheel and the sweep drive wheel on the third wheel arbor. This double wheel sits under the bridge, eliminating the friction wheel system. This system requires more parts but is a more reliable construction.

The first model to use the new 801SW caliber is in the Corps of Engineers family. The 801SW-COE looks very much like the popular 801-COE, except for the large blued steel center second hand stepping around the Grand Feu enamel dial.  Both watches are very similar but have a very different feel.

The second watch introduced is Model 222-RR (Railroad). Like other models in the 222 line, the Railroad model features restored Hamilton 921 or 923 movements. This model employs a case with the crown at the 1:30 position and a real Grand Feu enamel dial.  The dial has a railroad theme, and is modeled after American railroad watches from the past with its Box car style dial. The blued steel hands are true to the classic form. The placement of the crown at 1:30 is reminiscent of watches from the early part of the 20th century. It’s also very natural to read the time when worn on the left wrist.

Model 25 is the third watch that was unveiled. This beautifully classic model is very similar to the Pennsylvania Series watches RGM already makes with its coin edge case and hand cut Engine-Turned dials. The 40mm cases are made in the USA and the movements are the reliable Swiss ETA 2892-A2, top quality version.  The American-made dials are available in different Guilloché patterns and galvanic colors. 

The previously introduced Chess Watch was also on display at the Watch and Clock Museum. It was the first model RGM introduced for their 25th anniversary. 2017 marks the most models ever introduced in one year by RGM, a fitting way celebrate a quarter century of watchmaking in America.

Some Famous Visitors Passed RGM Last Week Here in Mount Joy, PA

Last Thursday the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales came to Mount Joy to parade down Main Street.  The route took them directly in front of our RGM Watch Company home here at 801 West Main St.

The eight 2000 pound horses are some of the most impressive animals we have ever seen. We also liked the beautiful Dalmatian. So we thought we would share a few pictures with our RGM followers.

Enjoy!

RGM On Season 3 of INSP's Handcrafted America

At the end of May and the beginning of June 2017 INSP Network had their film crew visit RGM and did 2 days of filming for a new segment to be aired on season 3 of Handcrafted America. Host Jill Wagner got to try her hand at a little Watchmaking, and Engine-Turning.  And no, she did not use that hammer in the picture.

It's nice that this has fallen on our 25th Anniversary year!  

The RGM segment will debut on November 3, 2017

Link to INSP's Handcrafted America website

Quill & Pad Visit RGM

Last Friday here at RGM we had the pleasure of a visit from Quill & Pad's Elizabeth Doerr and Joshua Munchow.  We had a great day talking watches and playing with machines.

More about Elizabeth and Joshua: Click here

I found out Elizabeth had never tried using a Rose Engine so we had to remedy that. 

I have known her for many years; it was great to finally be able to show her where we make our RGM watches.  

Elizabeth is one of the best writers in the industry and has a true appreciation for fine watchmaking, and on top of that she's a good friend!

And I think she's a natural at the Rose Engine!

 

 

 

It was great meeting Joshua for the first time.  He has a technical background and really can appreciate our machines, and how we make our watches in our little Pennsylvania workshop.

Joshua doing Perlage, Anglage, and Geneva Lines.  See photos below of Joshua having fun and getting a little machine time in.

Anglage

Perlage

The Inspiration Behind RGM's Caliber 801 Unique Winding Click

RGM Caliber 801

 

The unique 7 tooth winding click of the RGM 801 movement is inspired by the Illinois Watch Company's "Illini" model.  The Hamilton grade 400 is the same basic movement.  Hamilton bought Illinois Watch Co in 1927.

 

 

 

 

 

It was designed by American watchmaker Charles E. DeLong who had many watch related patents.  The original Patent drawing number 1283476 from Nov 1918, Watch Main Spring Click Illinois Watch Co.