Introducing: The New RGM 801/40-CE
I’ll always have a soft spot for RGM Watch Co. The independent brand and its founder, Roland G. Murphy, hail from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I lived in the area for two years and enjoy keeping up with the company’s latest developments. Recently, I received a notice about the RGM 801/40, which piqued my interest. Finally, there’s a smaller RGM with the 801 movement.
It’s hard not to be impressed by RGM’s attention to detail. Dials often include guilloché or enamel while movements are heavily decorated. Frequently, the movements are inspired by those found in classic American pocket watches. This typically translated to large case sizes well above the 40mm mark. Now, with the new RGM 801/40, an option exists that makes these watches more wearable for a wider audience.
The RGM 801/40-CE
The new 801/40 offers a 40.3mm diameter, a 49.5mm lug-to-lug, and a 10.5mm thickness, including the box-style sapphire crystal. Putting this in perspective, the 42mm by 52mm 801 used to be the most petite option. RGM explains that 801/40’s new case is the smallest possible size to house the movement. The stainless steel housing features mainly brushed surfaces and a polished bezel. Despite the watch’s traditional looks, it manages to achieve a 50m water resistance rating. A strap change is wise, though, as the one the watch comes with is brown alligator leather.
A Grand Feu enamel dial
The RGM 801/40 will eventually be available with multiple options, including a skeletonized version and a guilloché dial. For now, the sole offering, the CE, has a white Grand Feu “double-sunk” dial reminiscent of antique pocket watches. RGM does create many of its dials in-house. In this instance, however, the company works with a master craftsman in Switzerland. White Grand Feu is a challenging process in which the slightest inclusion can cause an irreversible bubble or crack. For this application, the inclusion of three levels increases the difficulty. Essentially, the dial is lower in the central portion and even lower for the sub-seconds register.
Detail-wise, the RGM 801/40-CE contains a blend of Arabic and Roman numerals. A traditional black minute track features lines and triangular five-minute markers. The brand name is in black and is followed by “Lancaster, Penna, USA.” RGM executes this in a style that would look at home on an early 1900s pocket watch. A set of blued steel Breguet hands is the perfect partner to the crisp dial. Finally, the watch comes equipped with a signed crown displaying an engraved keystone, the symbol of Pennsylvania.
The in-house 801 movement
While American watchmaking will likely never return to pre-war output levels, RGM is creating movements in Pennsylvania. The RGM 801/40-CE uses the in-house 801, a 90% American-made caliber. It offers a 44-hour power reserve and runs at a frequency of 18,000vph. The movement looks similar to what is normally found inside a classic pocket watch, and that’s because the design was inspired by some of the most important American calibers. The finely sculpted bridges are similar to those from the Keystone-Howard Watch Company’s Edward Howard watch. Then, the winding click is reminiscent of the Illinois Bunn Special, a famed railroad pocket watch.
RGM also adds high-grade finishing to the 801, visible via a screw-in case back with a sapphire display. It comes standard with Côtes de Genève and perlage finishing. A host of options are available, including gold or rhodium plating, swan-neck regulators, an RGM motor barrel, wolf’s-teeth wheels, and custom engravings.
Availability and pricing
The new 801/40 is probably one of RGM’s most significant releases. I’ve followed the brand closely (from afar) and have always admired the offerings, but they were simply too large for my wrist. Now there’s a watch that practically appeals to me, and I’m sure others will feel the same. At US$14,900, this isn’t an inexpensive undertaking, but when compared to other small independents focusing on handmade watches, I think it’s in line. Plus, it gives a large country a genuinely wearable homemade option.
