Clinometer – WWI – 1918 – E.R. Watts and Son with original leather carrying case.

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Clinometer – WWI – 1918 – E.R. Watts and Son with original leather carrying case.

Short Description

British Military Clinometer dated 1918 Numbered 1729 Mark IV. Fully functional with a super vernier mechanism with miniature armed magnifier for ease of reading.

Rare to find it in its original leather case also dated 1918. The case is in particularly good condition and has a patina to die for – such a lovely item.

The maker was established by Edwin Watts in 1856. The history of the company is remarkable and can be found online. Edwin was 23 years of age and set up his workshop in a small room over Bermondsey stable in London. His first order was from Negretti and Zambra for a mining dial. By 1873 he had twenty men working for him but still worked out of stables and a hay loft. The big break was a commission to supply theodolites to the Canadian Pacific Railway. Various family members joined the firm. In 1904 George Watts designed an ingenious dividing engine.

By WWI, the firm was a major enterprise, and it was called on to design new and innovative instruments including the Watts Vertical Force Variometer and the Light Mountain Theodolite – which was later used on Everest.

As the 20th century progressed the firm participated in the “roll up” of a number of like enterprises including Adam Hilger [see our spectroscope] and Swift microscopes. It eventually became part of Rank Precision Industries and like a lot of British industrial companies went bust in the late 1960’s.

Quality Clinometer by Watts with a delightful original leather case.

SO SORRY SOLD

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