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Watchmaker's Apprentice (The)
R2 - United Kingdom - Bulldog Film Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (5th September 2015). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** The Watchmaker’s Apprentice is a fascinating portrait of two remarkable men. It tells the incredible story of George Daniels’ rise from Dickensian poverty to become the world’s greatest living watchmaker and the one man who, through relentless tenacity, would become accepted as his one and only apprentice: Roger W Smith. The Watchmaker’s Apprentice is a unique testimony to their extraordinary craft, touching relationship and unique personalities. It’s about gentle obsession and inspiring perseverance; a compelling insight into what makes the greatest mechanical artists tick. It is about time itself and the opportunities we have to leave an eternally lasting imprint on the world from our fleeting existence. Narrated by John Rhys Davies.
Video
Independent British distributor have released documentary "The Watchmaker's Apprentice" on to DVD in the United Kingdom using the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (with some archive footage 1.33:1). The transfer is anamorphic and in PAL format. It's a solid presentation. Often, documentaries can vary wildly when it comes to picture quality, usually due to filmmaker's having to shoot on the fly with no time to sort lighting or sound due to the situations they find themselves in. "The Watchmaker's Apprentice" however, is a documentary that benefits from having its footage pre-arranged, providing a consistent quality throughout. There is various archive footage included here which actually looks better than expected, with only minor damage getting in the way (see the "Time Museum Series" interview with Seth G Atwood at 16:05 as an example). Colours are natural, and blacks are deep. Details look good for such a new documentary, with strong facial close-ups and good clarity in smaller items in the background. I wasn't a fan of the filming style that was occasionally utilised where some items intentionally go out of focus, or even around the subjects being interviewed, but as this is intended I cannot dock the transfer for this annoyance. It should come as no surprise that away from archive footage, there are no signs of damage, and no obvious compression issues, edge enhancement or aliasing. I imagine this looks just as intended. The documentary is uncut and runs 66:14.
Audio
Bulldog Films have provided us with a single audio track, and rather surprisingly it is English Dolby Digital 5.1 (not stereo like most will assume). As with most documentaries with a 5.1 track, the surrounds are used exclusively for the score from director David Armstrong. Narration from Welshman John Rhys-Davies is fine, though all dialogue can sound a little flat, including the various interviews. Archive footage can have the occasional slight crackle, but nothing overly bothersome and newly filmed footage contains no issues to speak of at all. The subtle sounds of watches ticking are well utilised and not overused, whilst other small effects of watchmaking tools are adequate. There were no signs of background hiss. Optional English hard-of-hearing subtitles have been included, though there is some dialogue which is difficult to understand due to the old age of the late George Daniels (this was to be his last interview). These sections have forced English subtitles.
Extras
The extras start off with the "Workshop Tour" featurette (5:37). In this featurette, Roger W Smith gives us a tour of the legendary George Daniels' iconic workshop in the Isle of Man. This is a pretty basic look at the various tools and benches, and what each section is used for. Most notable is the bench where the co axial escapement was first built, a revolution that changed watchmaking around the world. Included is some archive footage which adds a little more depth to proceedings. Next up, we have a featurette entitled "Sold!" (2:11). This has auctioneer Harry Primrose (Lord Dalmeny) recounting the excitement at Sotheby's when George Daniels' body of work raised a record amount for the Daniels Education Trust. The auction was held in November 2012, and we see footage of one lot going for over a million pounds! Amazing! The final extra on the DVD disc is the "Rising Star" featurette, clocking in at 2:47. This has George Daniels' biographer Michael Clerizo talking about the faith that George Daniels' put in to the potential of his only apprentice, Roger W. Smith. This is an interesting piece, but is over a little quickly. Not included with our review copy but that will be included in the retail release is a CD soundtrack, some art cards, and a booklet.
Overall
This documentary is aimed at a pretty small niche, and admittedly, I am not someone this is aimed at. However, I did enjoy it, and learned quite a bit about two amazing watchmakers. For those with an interest in the art, this is definitely an essential purchase. For everyone else, your mileage may vary.
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