John Harwood (watchmaker): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 09:55, 16 May 2012
John Harwood (1893–1964) was a British watchmaker who invented the self-winding wristwatch.
He was born in Bolton, Lancashire but moved to Douglas, Isle of Man after service in World War I.
There he set up as a watchmaker and in 1923, supported financially by a local businessman, developed and patented the self-winding wristwatch (patent granted September, 1924). His design ensured that the watch was hermetically sealed: the hands could be reset by a rotating bezel. After four years, supported by funds from two Manchester brothers, Louis and Philip Alexander, he persuaded Swiss watch manufacturers Anton Schild S.A. and Walter Vogt of Fortis to manufacture the design. Blancpain also made them under license in 1928 for sale in France and The Perpetual Self-winding Watch Company for sale in north America. The watches were first shown at the Basel Fair in 1929.
Harwood's company failed in September 1931, not having the financial resources to withstand the effects of the depression.
In 1957 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the British Horological Institute.