RGM Model 25 “Birds of America” (Glossy Ibis)

The RGM Model 25 “Birds of America” (Glossy Ibis) is uniquely an American theme captured in miniature hand painting.
RGM founder Roland Murphy’s personal hobbies include wildlife photography, and he particularly loves to capture birds on camera. Using his experienced eye, he selected the Glossy Ibis from the famed Audubon plates as the motif for this unusually appealing dial. “I love the Birds of America images and the story of how they came about,” he says. The Birds of America is a set of prints by famed naturalist and painter John James Audubon published between 1827 and 1838; the 435 original prints made from engraved plates depict a wide assortment of North American bird species, many at that time perceived as rare. “Looking through Audubon’s Birds of America original images I narrowed it down to about five. After reviewing them, I thought the ‘Glossy Ibis’ would make a great first watch under the umbrella of the Birds of America theme,” Murphy explains the choice. The Glossy Ibis, today a common bird, was first documented in the New World in 1817.