English Made Smiths "Deluxe" 15 Jewel 33mm Gold Plated Watch
Just Serviced, and in good condition with a Champagne dial with Gold Arabic Numerals, matching hands with sub seconds at six.
New crystal, and re-polished case and back - One of the best watches in the world at the time, working and keeping time - The case is 33mmx 42mm Late 50's Cheltenham made watch. Presented for 45years service, by Critchley Sharp & Tetlow, one time major manufacturing company - Formation (1905): The company was officially formed as a joint enterprise amalgamating three distinct local northern manufacturing businesses: James Critchley & Son (based in Batley Carr) William Sharp & Son (based in Scholes) L.M. Tetlow & Sons (based in Cleckheaton) The company operated out of the Spen Valley area in West Yorkshire, an area dense with textile and machinery production. Its administrative footprint remains logged on Companies House under company registration number 00390127. Core Products Card Clothing: They specialized in creating the heavy wire-toothed materials wrapped around industrial cylinders to "card" (disentangle and clean) raw wool and cotton fibres before spinning. Wire Drawing: They ran extensive wire manufacturing operations in the Yorkshire region to support both textile machinery and broader industrial operations.
English made watches with between 15 and 18 jewel movements and high-quality polished escapements, and ex-factory with screw fitted balances. these were advertised as Britain's finest watch. dating from 1951/52.
Only after the second world war – did Smiths begin to manufacture wristwatches – supported by British government finance - to fill the gaping absence of a quality watchmaker in the UK. From 1946-1970 Smiths produced a range of high quality watches from its Cheltenham factory including; the De Luxe, Astral and later the Imperial and Everest ‘range’ of watches. Smiths holds an important part of English horological history as the last English watch company of any size in a world of watches dominated by Swiss, and Japanese manufacturers.
