It was over 20 years ago when I first started RGM, the idea at the beginning was to make a very nice watch, I was not thinking I would make a watch company. But that's what happen as you know if your reading this. I had been helping to design watches for Hamilton back in the 1980's, but this was going to be my watch, made the way I wanted to make it. I was much younger and very excited about the job in front of me.
I knew I wanted to start with a gold watch, a chronograph, and it had to have an Engine-Turned dial and real blued steel hands. It would turn out that I would make many watches over the years with some of these traits. I have always loved classic design, quality, and functions when it comes to watches, so it only made sense to do what I know.
I started to design two watches a Chronograph and a Chronograph with full calendar and moon-phase. Basically the same watch, one had a 7750 and the other had a 7751 Valjoux movement. I used some of my old contacts and a few new ones to get parts made to my design, the hands, dial, and cases. After many months the parts arrived and the excitement of putting together the first RGM watch was almost to much. I remember after building the first RGM I wore it to dinner that night to celebrate with my wife, we went to a very nice restaurant in the Lancaster area the Log Cabin.
The watch was model 101 and the full calendar version was 101-M, I used 101 because I remembered reading about the first Porsche 911 was originally the 901. So 101 sounded like a good starting point.
The watch pictured is a model 101-M, watch number 001 is on display at the NAWCC watch and clock museum in Columbia, PA not far from RGM in Mount Joy.
I hope you enjoyed this little walk down memory lane with me!
All the best
Roland Murphy