Hidden Gems: A Pair of Exquisite American-Themed Watches from RGM
“We don’t make them for big sales, we make them because of our passion for beautiful watches that are unique.” - Roland G. Murphy
I had long wanted to add both an enamel dial watch and a miniature painting dial watch to my collection. At the same time, I hoped to support American watchmaking. As it turned out, these goals aligned perfectly. Though I ordered the two watches a year apart, they arrived within two months of each other earlier this year.
On the left is the RGM Model 25 40mm “Birds of America,” featuring a miniature painting on mother-of-pearl. On the right, the RGM 801-BB 42mm “Baseball in Enamel,” powered by an in-house movement. RGM, of course, stands for Roland G. Murphy, the renowned independent American watchmaker who founded his brand in 1992.
When I brought these watches to a few meetups, the reactions exceeded my expectations. Unlike my other pieces, these captivated people in a way I hadn’t seen before.
"This is the most beautiful dial I’ve ever seen." "So many cool details — from the dial to the hands." “This is a grail of mine.” “Truly one of my favorite watches of all time.” "You should never sell it!"
One seasoned collector even remarked that the bird painting was “better than any Patek Métiers d’Art I saw in Geneva.”
One of the joys of acquiring watches directly from the maker is the opportunity to engage with them. Roland and I exchanged numerous emails while finalizing these pieces, and one statement of his has stayed with me:
"We don’t make them for big sales, we make them because of our passion for beautiful watches that are unique."
I wrote about RGM and these two watches soon after placing the orders (here and here). This time, I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking. Enjoy!
RGM 801-BB 42mm “Baseball in Enamel”
In October 2014, Roland G. Murphy unveiled the PS-801-BB “Baseball in Enamel” at the National Watch & Clock Museum. The inspiration for this piece came from a Waltham Watch Company pocket watch from 1892, part of the permanent collection of the museum. The “PS” in PS-801 stands for “Pennsylvania Series,” while the “801” refers to the in-house Caliber 801 movement.
The initial 10-piece limited edition in a 43.3mm stainless steel case sold out quickly. However, Roland now offers the baseball watch in various case sizes.
RGM Baseball Watch Options:
43.3mm PS-801-BB (only available in precious metal now)
42mm 801-BB (my version)
40.3mm 801/40-BB
40mm Model 25 (Swiss movement)
38.5mm Model 151-BB (Swiss movement)
RGM very recently released the 40.3mm case for the in-house movement, where the movement is visible and extends all the way to the case. So, this version of baseball watch just became available now.
The miniature painting on enamel is a craft few can master today. The dial’s colors are applied with enamel oxides, and the dial is heated in the oven multiple times. The failure rate is high, but once completed, the enamel’s colors and details will last for decades without fading.
Roland has been working with a retired enamel artisan in Switzerland who now operates out of his home. Any baseball watch ordered today will have the enamel dial crafted by this same artisan, just as the watches in the original release.
RGM Model 25 “Birds of America”
Roland Murphy has a deep passion for wildlife photography, particularly birds. This love inspired him to create the Birds of America series for the Model 25 Collection, RGM’s Métiers d’Art creations. The best part? Clients can personalize their watch by choosing any of the 435 paintings by renowned American naturalist and painter John Audubon.
For my watch, I selected Plate #52, Chuck-will’s-widow – a striking scene depicting two birds confronting a snake. Audubon documented these birds in the forests of Louisiana, noting that they were merely trying to scare the snake away rather than attack it.
To bring this artwork to life, Roland partnered with renowned French miniature painter Isabelle Villa, recently featured by FHH alongside artisans such as Anita Porchet, Bastien Chevalier, and Philippe Dufour. Once Roland finalized the dial design by integrating the painting and received my confirmation, he sent it to Isabelle for execution.
The final result left me speechless. The level of detail and precision – painted under a microscope – perfectly captures Audubon’s original artwork. I was so impressed that I reached out to Isabelle to compliment her on the stunning work and asked how long it took to complete. Her response: "I love doing this project! It took me two weeks of work to create this painting."
Like all Model 25 timepieces, this watch is powered by a modified ETA 2892-A2 movement, featuring an extended power reserve of 53–56 hours and a beautifully crafted in-house gold winding rotor.
Final Words
A watch collector friend of mine, who also coaches his daughter’s softball team, has ordered the same baseball watch as mine. Meanwhile, another friend and his wife are considering a miniature mother-of-pearl watch similar to the Birds of America – but with a botanical theme instead.
These hand-crafted, custom timepieces – created by Roland Murphy, his skilled team at RGM, and renowned artisans like Isabelle Villa – bring every watch enthusiast’s dream to life.
I like RGM. I've long been tempted by their Corps of Engineers timepiece.
What exquisite illustrations. Did you have a choice of hands on the Audubon dial? The baseball hour and minute hands are fantastic!