If you know American watchmaker Roland G.  Murphy, you know perfection in watchmaking. For the past nearly 20 years, since 1992, Roland has been “Making History in Watchmaking here in America” – right in Pennsylvania – and doing it with precision, excellence and –well– beauty.  His company, RGM, offers several key watch lines, including diving, sport and complicated pieces – but perhaps nothing is as pure and alluring as the Pennsylvania Tourbillon. Crafted in steel and a definite steal at $75,000, this exquisitely made special piece houses the Cal. 801 – made in house in the brand’s workshops in Mount Joy, PA, in Lancaster County.

The Pennsylvania Tourbillon houses the new flagship mechanical movement and is the first serially produced American Tourbillon ever made.  Produced in a small, numbered series, the watch is offered in either steel or 18-karat gold, and the movement is a symphony of layers showcasing the many finely polished and finished parts. The wheel-cocks borrow their shape from classic American movements of bygone eras. The proprietary caliber of this hand-crafted watch carries the label U.S.A.

The guilloche decoration is created on the antique engine-turning machines RGM has in its workshops. These engraving machines — dials and movement parts with incredible accuracy – a watchmaking tradition RGM seeks to keep alive in the USA.

Roland takes great pride in the work he does, in doing the job the right way and in providing a superb product at a great value. RGM is proud of manufacturing watch parts and cases in the USA – and he makes America proud, too – or at least me. To know Roland is to know a piece of American watchmaking history and a bit of honesty and valor in this industry, too.  This is a line worth exploring and investing in — and if you’re fortunate enough to get to know Roland, you won’t be able to walk away from the craftsmanship and pride that is inherent in every single timepiece.