# Smiths Watches Question



## howie77 (Jun 21, 2009)

Inspired by another thread...

I saw a gold plated Smiths watch in a magazine article, in which an author (I forget who) referred to it as being given to his late father as a gift for service by the railroad he worked for (in the UK). Lovely thing. Anyway, I've never forgotten it, and I'm beginning to wonder if my tastes have reached a point where something like that might just top the bill.

Briefly, could I get a synopsis of the brand? I am aware that there are the Imperial, Empire, Astral and De Luxe in the range, with the higher end built in England while the made in GB models I think having been made in Wales. Not sure which is which though, or where to really start otherwise.

Also, other than having been a gift from the railroad, is there any other intrinsic rail link with these watches, or simply that they were English/British made and probably considered an appropriate reward for service.

Many thanks, Howard

edit, have subsequently found this extraordinary resource; http://web.me.com/me.../INVESTING.html

Still, your experiences, problems, joys, thoughts welcomed etc


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

eddie platt (the owner of timefactors) now owns the smtihs brand and has produced some nice watches that are a good size (rem most old watches are 33/5 mm in size) , the original smiths watches had cracking in house movements afaik (theres some smiths experts on here who should know) .

i purchased this one at auction some time ago, solid gold, unfortunatly (i didnt notice it when i bought it  ) there is a split in the back case so its gonna get scrapped, the movement is perfect tho and maybe i'll fit it to another case at some point.


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

Can't help much on the history but I do know they used lots of different movements - the one below is from AGON, also used in Tissot watches










Plus my other two smiths

This Alarm also uses a AGON movement, but a more convential 17j










and this diver uses a CAL 512 (?)










They are a good collectors watch, as they are still affordable to have a few and quite rare - they were not rare, but so many have been thrown away. The prices are going up rapidly for the Everest models and it will drag the rest up too


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## john87300 (Oct 12, 2011)

One excellent source, for Smiths Empire's anyway, can be found if you google " Anglo-Celtic Watch Co "


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## howie77 (Jun 21, 2009)

Thanks everybody for your posts, appreciated.

John, it's funny you should suggest that - I stumbled on the "Tick-Tock" more or less by complete accident at time of posting! A wonderful historical source.

I never could find an image of the Smiths that I saw in the magazine, and I quite regret not having asked for it in the .... ahem ... hairdressers*, where I was reading it. It was however something like this, more or less.




























The second picture I especially love, the tan strap and gold plating a perfect look to my eyes.

* when you have hair like I have etc etc....!


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## john87300 (Oct 12, 2011)

Howard, you're probably a bit too young to remember, but this may interest you, Smiths ad from 1955, "for rocket-age boys" too!


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Try a google on both "Smiths Industries" and "Smiths Clocks and Watches", there should be some useful stuff there as well as on the TickTock pages.

At it's peak, Smiths owned a large number of different plants producing clocks, watches, time switches, automobile instruments and parts as well as various mil-spec items. The auto industry section produced all manner of car instruments from speedometers through to (car) clocks. Clocks and Watches section produced wrist, pocket and high end watches, travel alarms, wind up and electric clocks, wall clocks, alarms. When I worked for the Clocks section for a ashort time, SMITHS were one of the few makers worldwide who produced *everything* in house except for hairsprings and balance wheels. That included all parts and cases, boxes, packaging, printing of paperwork, display material for retailers - everything! :yes:

The company still exists, alas no longer producing watches. There was a tenuous Jaeger Le Coultre connection at one point, SMITHS produced car instruments bearing the JLC name and logo, but I never knew if that was under licence, joint agreement or what. Many tens of thousands of employees. One of the first rudimentary clean rooms at their Cheltenham plant involving a slight positive air pressure differential kept dust out of the high end watch assembly area, this plus an "airlock" entry system and cleanroom coveralls was very near a "first" - - this was the early fifties mind ldman: :lol:

SMITHS is also remembered for producing the lot! "Dollar" type Pocket watches, cheap and cheerful wristwatches, mid price dress and sports watches right up to solid gold high end nigh jewel count exclusive items. These were often given as retirement or special gifts, and especially by UK companies who deemed it inportant to support our own watch induistry.

Similarly, in clocks they produced the lot. In auto accessories, they produced spark plugs as well as the range of instruments and other auto items.

HTH a bit :weed:


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## Tony1951 (Dec 23, 2011)

Interesting post Mel.

I remember seeing the watches and I think I had a pocket watch of the Smiths type for a short while when I was a lad. I also remember turning up at a Smiths plant on North London one winter afternoon after dark, with a manky motor bike speedo for one of my BSAs.It might have been a C15 - I can't remember. I had over oiled the cable and ruined the speedo head with oil. The guy who dealt with my problem replaced the innards for a smallish sum - maybe about a fiver, which though not inconsequential to a student like me in 1970, was well worth it to be able to put the bike back in roadworthy condition.


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

*removed , just realised i already said it once in this thread, mel is obviously skim reading


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