Early Monday Sept. 30th morning I headed across London to get to Euston Station in order to make the 2hr trip up to Birmingham New Street station from where I was to take the short taxi ride to the Struther’s workshop. Transport via train in the U.K. is not the same as Switzerland! The train was delayed about 20mins, but eventually it departed for Birmingham. I was eager to see what this obviously talented couple had been up to in person, having followed them via social media for a couple of years. Intrigued by these English Independent Watchmakers, doing what I so wish more would recognize as tremendously difficult and requiring huge sacrifices, I tried to imagine where they worked and why they chose the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham…
The “named” tools for watchmaking the old school way.
I arrived into New Street around 11.45am and grabbed taxi to their address, which is within the Deakin & Francis building, 15-17 Regent Place, Birmingham. As a side note Deakin & Francis Est. 1786 are makers of excellent cufflinks, signet rings and other items ladies & gentlemen aspire to have! There is a connection, I assure you and as you read on, it will become more clear. I was buzzed into the building and met by Craig who took me up to their new digs in the Deakin & Francis building on the second floor. Upon entering I was greeted by Dr. Struthers, otherwise known as Rebecca, the other half of Struthers Watchmakers and a bank of watchmaking tools, lathes and drills on the right hand side, while their two benches face each other on the left.
Dr. Rebecca Struthers & Craig Struthers at the bench.
I was also introduced to Heather their current watchmaker apprentice, who is learning the ropes of the practical side of a watchmaker in the trenches. Heather is in her final year of a Horology Bachelors Degree at the local university, and will gain invaluable experience and training on vintage watch service and restoration. Her bench had a couple of early English pocketwatch movements with a case and an American pocket watch caliber, that she was working on. Great to see the torch being passed on by Craig & Rebecca, and an important aspect of their business seems to be education, which I find admirable.
Heather’s bench against the far wall.
Heather’s bench
As is my way, upon entering a watchmaker’s workshop/atelier, my camera or in this case iPhone camera emerges and I want to start snapping pics of everything I’m shown. It’s probably rather annoying to experience from the watchmaker standpoint as they begin to show me their world. I love it and am compelled to share this amazing micro-mechanical art form, so too bad watchmakers! However, before I was set free to snap away, Rebecca & Craig whisked me away downstairs to meet James from Deakin & Francis, who kindly gave me the personal tour of their business workshops that have been here since 1786! They are a complete manufacturing jeweller, and make it all right here below the Struthers little workshop.
Various presses on the left with shelves on the right containing hundreds if not thousands of original steel dies.
From enameling to stone setting to hand engraving, it all takes place under one roof, where their master crafts men & women work their magic with precious metals, gemstones and enamel. I was shown their original die striking mechanisms that were belt driven at the basement, no longer needed due to modern presses that use the original dies to create stunning pieces still to this day. Shelf upon shelf of original hand carved dies are available to Deakin & Francis, which gives them a deep catalog with which to operate.
Original belt driven die striking machines at Deakin & Francis.
I was enamored again by their manufacturing capability, and especially when I was shown into the enameling workshop, where two ladies were creating their form of jewellery magic, that of the enameler.
Silver cufflinks waiting to go into the enamelling oven
What emerges, vitreous enamel!
It is art and science, as the mixture of paint and powder together with the correct temperature in the little ovens all have to be in sync for the enamel to emerge with the right color and translucency. There aren’t many companies doing this type of work anymore, and as I said previously, it does tie in with what Rebecca & Craig are up to. The skills downstairs at D&F are a resource that the Struthers realized could be put to perfect use in a wristwatch dial that they envisioned.
Thanking James for the tour, we climbed up the creaky stairs back to the Struthers workshop, and I delved further into the Struthers watchmaking world. There is much written and photographed on their website, http://www.strutherswatchmakers.co.uk/ suffice to say I will endeavor to give you a sense of why they do what they do.
Various parts for future watches and several pieces in the service process.
Dr. Rebecca Struthers is an antiquarian horologist of note and I believe the first watchmaker ever to receive a PhD in horology! A tremendous accomplishment and one that is very much worth celebrating. One could also say a total student of watchmaking and about as fully qualified as anyone I’d want working on, restoring or creating a watch. A total watch nerd in the best sense! Rebecca is keen to share this knowledge and pass on to those interested in Horology, with her impressive accumulation of horological encyclopedic data, she also has an expansive practical angle that many historians of horology don’t have. The letters after her name are too numerous to list, suffice to say there isn’t much about watchmaking Rebecca doesn’t know, and if she doesn’t, she certainly knows where to find the answer! No wonder she is a highly awarded
A vintage Louis Audemars Quarter Repeater coming to life as a Struthers wristwatch, restored and parts replaced, almost certainly as good if not better than 100+ years ago.
Brand new gongs, sourced from a Swiss master, who agreed to make them for an intermediary, rather famous Independent Watchmaker based in Geneva. It’s who you know after all…
parts for the Quarter Repeater
Craig Struthers is also a Master Watchmaker and has an impressive resume of restoration projects over the years since discovering Watchmaking back in 2004. Having the knack for tinkering and patience, two much needed attributes required for the careful restoration of old timepieces, Craig also continued his academics and was awarded a MA in Art & Design as recently as 2014. His hand drawings of their next project, code named “Project 248” found within a sketch book, with a few loose sheets within, are stunning and reveal to me a deep artistic bent to Craig’s work. It’s one thing to envision parts or general designs, it is another to take those ideas and put them into 2D by hand. This record of the Project 248 is really important and shows to those interested, the depth to which these two have conceived and designed “their baby” so to speak.
The Project 248 is really exciting to hear about as it is English Independent Watchmaking done right. Artisanally hand crafted by Rebecca & Craig together with a select few local artisans aiding in aspects they can’t do, for example the enamel dials, these will not be on every street corner or in Jewelry/Watch boutiques for the well heeled to acquire. Tiny quantities will be made, initially 5 made in series and then they will see. Four are spoken for at the time of writing! They showed me a couple of Proto movement parts, the main plate and barrel bridge, which give a good sense of the style and essence of the 248 caliber. They also have an old English pocket watch that gave them the inspiration for the caliber design. Utilizing the original English lever escapement design and using a beat rate of 16,200vph or 4.5Hertz, will be unlike any modern wristwatch being made today. As they say, the best of what they perceive to be from their ideal watches from the past all rolled into one. Hand engraved bridge with screwed gold chatons and a pillar style construction of German Silver, one of the traditional materials used by watchmakers for a couple of centuries, due to its hardness and beauty.
The prototype main plate with beautifully hand engraved main bridge and barrel bridge with name and address proudly engraved, 15-17 Regent Place, B’Ham.
Here’s some excerpts from the Project 248 book.
Another page of watch caliber design how to from Craig!
One can see the inspiration from an old pocket watch caliber above with classic English guilt finishing
The watches currently being offered, are elegant, classical and are made to last several lifetimes. They utilize a variety of old calibers depending upon the model, with extensive upgrades, hand finishing with hand-engraving often completing the movement. The Kingsley model for example uses a 1950’s Omega caliber as a base, which is then transformed into the superb hand finished caliber that then bear the Struthers name. Prior to their own caliber, this is the only way they felt they could make watches under their name that exhibited the quality they require.
the recommissioned & reworked, hand finished and engraved vintage Omega caliber from the 1950’s fro a Kingsley.
Partially completed classically made hinged case back or officers case in 18K WG for a Kingsley model.
Not: the rivet in the hinge isn’t finished here!
They use other artisan craftsmen with skill sets that they do not possess for the watchmaking or goldsmithing aspects of the watches they aren’t trained in, for example the hand engraving and enameling of their dials. Here the good folks downstairs at D&F, have lent a hand in the incredible enamel dials I was excited to see. These rather classical so called “sector dials” are made in a way I don’t think others are.
Black enamel on sterling silver sector dial, brilliant!
I could be wrong, but to my knowledge, no other enamel dials are created where the numerals, sectors and railroad track are raised from the base in sterling silver, I suspect die struck which would allow for this, and then the enamel is applied. After firing the finer seconds track and text are printed on the dial, which gives it some slight relief. Amazing to see these dials in person and they will be revealing the finished product known as the Kingsley Deakin & Francis Edition, owing to its enamel dial, in late November. I’d love to be there in London at the D&F shop on the 28th, alas it’s Thanksgiving and as I was absent last year, my family might not forgive me!
As I got to look around their workshop, taking pictures voraciously, I noticed that there watchmaking machines were named! I love this, reminds me of some family friends who I grew up with, whose cars had names. These then become that much more personal and greater connection to each machine is maintained. This is old school workmanship, and I for one think it is worth supporting.
An indexed gear cutting program wheel for a lathe, named Helga from memory!
Albert, the precision drill or maybe a jig borer?
Why work with folks like Rebecca and Craig? Well, I tell you why, because if you want a hand made watch created by two truly brilliant artisan watchmakers, whose blood, sweat & tears are in each and every piece they make, then you can not find a much better outfit. They don’t use CNC or even CAD as yet, although their apprentice Heather has some training and expertise in CAD, and each piece comes with a “history of hand drawn illustrations and photographs” for the future owner. Commissioning a bespoke Struthers watch is a journey, where the buyer will gain huge insight into the hand made watchmaking process and design processes. You will also truly understand why Craig & Rebecca do what they do...it’s highly compelling!
I left after grabbing lunch at a local pub, where we discussed many things, much of it not related to watchmaking, and I gained more insight into the brilliance of the husband & wife team of artisan Independent Watchmakers known as the Struthers. In closing I’d like to thank Rebecca & Craig:
Thank you for the kind and generous time you showed me during a “work day” and I will be following your work very closely, with the hope that one day in the not too distant future, I can repay the kindness and have an exhibition of the Struthers Watchmakers in Solana Beach.
Cheers,
Tim