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... The Peak Period of Coventry's Watchmaking
Although watchmaking in Coventry enjoyed a peak period from about 1850 - 1890, cheaper watches from America and Switzerland began to appear. The American factory-made watches were produced using jigs and gauges, with the result that parts were interchangeable. They also used a standard design, adding extra refinements to a basic model to give a series of watches of varying quality. The methods they used cut production costs considerably and also assisted after-sales service.
In 1887 the Coventry Technical Institute in Earl Street offered courses in horology under local watchmakers such as Player, Rotherham, Bonniksen and Fridlander. These courses included history, theory, geometry and technical drawing in addition to the usual practical work. This was an attempt to provide a broader based training compared with the old apprenticeship system, so that watches could be designed on the drawing board instead of being made individually thus solving the problems of manufacture as work progressed.
Rotherhams were already established on machine lines, but still used a considerable amount of hand fitting and finishing. This was time consuming and therefore expensive. In 1880 they felt the need to purchase machinery from America in order to become more competitive. Other factory units emerged in the city as watchmakers banded together fighting to survive against the flood of cheaper watches from Europe and America. Firms such as Errington, later to become Williamson, The Coventry Co-operative Watch Manufacturing Society and the Coventry Watch Movement Company all produced factory made watches of varying qualities and flourished briefly before yielding to fierce pressure from competitors.
The smaller businesses and the self-employed watchmakers of the time were reluctant to accept the new machining methods, considering them as debasing their craft and most went bankrupt. In 1894 soup kitchens appeared in the watchmaking areas of the city. Some watchmakers diversified in the infant cycle trade or the new sewing machine manufacture. However the pool of skilled craftsmen laid the foundation for the later industries of the motor cycle, cars, aircraft and machine tools, all of which made Coventry a city of pride and prosperity.
Rotherhams lasted longer than the other factories although others diversified to survive. In 1930 Rotherhams ceased watch production, turning to instruments and timers, some with military applications. Clocks were made until 1964, frequently being used as presentation pieces. In 1973 Rotherhams were incorporated into Cornercroft Engineering and were recently bought by their management in a deal backed by the Bank of Scotland and the DTI.
[ This information is from 'Moments in Time - The history of the Coventry Watch Industry - Volume 1' available from the Coventry Watch Museum Project ]
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