SJX Watches
Interview: David Newman, Chairman of The George Daniels Trust – Part II
A watch and car man very much like George Daniels himself, David Newman – above in a recent picture with his Porsche 911 – is now the chairman of the George Daniels Educational Trust. Capitalised entirely by the proceeds from the sale of Daniels’ estate, the trust funds students in the United Kingdom, including those pursuing watch- and clockmaking. Mr Newman has overseen the trust since its inception, and shows no signs of slowing down. In the second part of my interview with him, he discusses how the trust came about, what it does today, and some of its upcoming projects. And Mr Newman talks about Roger W. Smith, the protege of Daniels and the torchbearer of his horological legacy. This is part two of the interview. Remember to finish part one before continuing on below. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Tell us about how the trust and its charitable works came about. In the last ten years of George’s life, he was very occupied with what would happen when he passed away. He wanted to make sure everything was in place. I used to go to the island every three weeks. His kitchen had a very long table usually covered in correspondence and paperwork, and we spent hours there. He told me about the future and what he wanted to happen to his estate – his cars, motorbikes, clocks – which was important because he’d seen friends pass away and their collections dissipated. He was very aware that he was going to be passing away at some time and h...
