British watchmaker?
papo
from Chesterfield England.
I have a mvt by this maker with the No.2 on it.
John S.
papo
J. B. Wood
didn't the British, who arguably were adept at making fine clocks, also
become world-class watchmakers on a par with the Swiss or Germans? John
Harrison, a clockmaker, did manage to craft an accurate watch suitable for
longitude determination (after his attempts using ship-borne clocks proved
unfeasible). Sincerely,
John Wood (Code 5550) e-mail: wo...@itd.nrl.navy.mil
Naval Research Laboratory
4555 Overlook Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20375-5337
John S.
> Hello, all, and a sort of related question I've wondered about: Why
> didn't the British, who arguably were adept at making fine clocks, also
> become world-class watchmakers on a par with the Swiss or Germans? John
> Harrison, a clockmaker, did manage to craft an accurate watch suitable for
> longitude determination (after his attempts using ship-borne clocks proved
> unfeasible). Sincerely,
>
> Naval Research Laboratory
> 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW
> Washington, DC 20375-5337
Yes, I think that is a fair statement.
Moka Java
That's very funny!
John S.
Ugh...I missed the Why....
Moka Java
You don't see the irony in the understatement?
dAz
> Hello, all, and a sort of related question I've wondered about: Why
> didn't the British, who arguably were adept at making fine clocks, also
> become world-class watchmakers on a par with the Swiss or Germans? John
> Harrison, a clockmaker, did manage to craft an accurate watch suitable for
> longitude determination (after his attempts using ship-borne clocks proved
> unfeasible). Sincerely,
>
>
how do you mean?, the english pocket watch was at the time the best in
the world for finish and quality, the first to use jewelling, the
process they kept secret from other watchmaking countries for quite a
number of years.
innovative designs in escapements, and so on, of course the watches had
a high degree of hand finishing and hand made parts, each section being
made by an expert in that component, not production line stuff at all.
Waltham was one of the first companies to build the complete watch in
house and with full interchangeability of the parts, so you could simply
order a 4th wheel or balance staff and it would fit, whereas even the
most simplest part on an english watch had to be made to fit.
the english didn't change with the times and by 1900 their watchmaking
industry was all but dead in the high grade stuff.
Steve R.
"J. B. Wood" <wo...@itd.nrl.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:wood-17120...@jbw-mac.itd.nrl.navy.mil...
The short answer is, they did! At one time 60 K craftsmen worked in London,
making the very best watches. The problem was, the guilds would not permit
machine made watches, until it was too late. Swiss watches were the cheapos
until the 1920s. A Brit invented the self winding watch in 1929, but went
belly up in about a year. Thomas Mudge invented the modern escapement in the
late 1700s.
Steve R. Great grandson of John Cook, a Victorian London watchmaker ( as in
manufacturer).
Steve R.
"dAz" <d...@zipdog.com> wrote in message
news:gich8s$hb7$1...@news.motzarella.org...
Even so, it was still possible to buy a handmade English watch well into the
1930s. The trade died a slow death. My great grandfather passed away in 1890
??, and his only son also John Cook, carried on until his death in 1937. By
that time the firm went from making watches, to a material supply store, and
retail sales. The firm ceased trading upon great uncle Johns death. The
proceeds were divided between my grandmother and her sisters.
Steve R.
--
Reply address munged to bugger up spammers
Moka Java
>
> the english didn't change with the times and by 1900 their watchmaking
> industry was all but dead in the high grade stuff.
From my observations by 1900 the low and middle end English watches had
Swiss movements. Thomas Mercer Co. was making chronometers into the 1980s.
dAz
> "dAz" <d...@zipdog.com> wrote in message
> news:gich8s$hb7$1...@news.motzarella.org...
>>
>> the english didn't change with the times and by 1900 their watchmaking
>> industry was all but dead in the high grade stuff.
>
> Even so, it was still possible to buy a handmade English watch well into the
> 1930s. The trade died a slow death. My great grandfather passed away in 1890
> ??, and his only son also John Cook, carried on until his death in 1937. By
> that time the firm went from making watches, to a material supply store, and
> retail sales. The firm ceased trading upon great uncle Johns death. The
> proceeds were divided between my grandmother and her sisters.
>
interesting, I serviced a Rotherhams gents wrist watch many years ago,
it used a movement that probably was a ladies hunter in another life, it
however was not a converted fob watch, keyless wind with small seconds
at the 6 o'clock, nice heavy 18ct case with knurled edge like you see on
some modern Breguet watches, the movement had all the quality of a
typical english handmade watch, the owner tended to wear it all the time
so I had to warn him not to wear while doing the garden or working on
the car, etc, I said it is reasonably dust resistant but is not shock or
water resistant in way shape or form, and if he damages anything in the
watch like a balance staff it will have to be made.
the watch I think was from the late 20s or early 30s and was practically
NOS in condition.
John S.
>
> - Show quoted text -
Yes...now that it's morning!
Jack Denver
> industry was all but dead in the high grade stuff.
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it"
See English auto industry, US watch industry, US auto industry, etc.
Capitalism, for all the wealth it has produced (and it has produced a lot,
more than any other system ever has or ever will) is a brutally unforgiving
and Darwinian system. The great is the enemy of the good and the killer of
the mediocre, and the bar for what constitutes "great" and "good" keeps
rising so to stay in one place (even if that place was once upon a time the
top of the heap) means that you will soon be in over your head (except
apparently for Rolex who has found the magic marketing foo foo dust that
enables you to turn out the same product decade after decade and not get
steamrollered by your competitors).
dAz
>
> (except apparently for Rolex who has found the magic
> marketing foo foo dust that enables you to turn out the same product
> decade after decade and not get steamrollered by your competitors).
apparently, I just been looking in a boating magazine (I don't buy them,
they get given to me, the mag not the boats :) )
anyway there is a full page colour ad for a Rolex Yacht-Master, not that
particularly nice looking either, 18ct white gold case and bracelet
with platinum bezel, no diamonds or anything, AUS$46,035.00, I could buy
a really nice car for that or for that matter 2 cheaper cars.
but as you say, there is a market for these things for people with more
money than brains, and sell them a $2000 winder while you are at it ;)
Jack Denver
gone w. Madoff that this will not be a banner year for selling gold Rolexes.
"dAz" <d...@zipdog.com> wrote in message
news:gis6s0$m17$1...@news.motzarella.org...