Heritage

Vertex was founded in 1916 by Claude Lyons. He was born in London in 1885 and by the age of 17 he had started working in the watch trade. Bright, and quite ingenious, he quickly built up a most excellent reputation in the watch trade. He set up Dreadnaught Watches in 1906 with a £1000 loan from his father-in-law and had paid it back within the year.

1912

Claude Lyons borrows £1,000 from his father-in-law, Mr Mayer and sets up the Vertex Watch Company, specialising in Swiss movements re-cased in Britain.

1915

Vertex produces watches for the British Military during WW1.

1916

Vertex Watches Ltd is founded both in London at 37 & 38 Hatton Gardens, and in Switzerland at 133, Rue de la Paix in La Chaux de Fonds.

1922

Aureole Starts producing complete watches for Vertex and movements for the Platinum Ladies watch range.

1927

Vertex becomes the exclusive importer of Movado watches to the UK.

1931

Vertex begins working with Revue Thommen on a range of steel ‘All Proof’ watches.

1938

Henry Lazarus, Claude’s son-in-law, joins Vertex.

1940

Vertex’s Hatton Garden factory and showrooms are destroyed by enemy action.

1941

Henry, now a Captain in the British army, with his unique understanding of the Swiss watch industry, is asked to help with procurement of watches for the British Military.

1943

Navigation watch specs received and production starts in Switzerland across 4 factories.

1944

Vertex starts production of the Cal 59 W.W.W. Nav watch.

1944

4652 W.W.W Cal 59s are delivered during the preparations for D-Day.

1945

Vertex are commissioned to produce a mono-pusher ordnance timing watch, but due to post-war rationing, the watch is never produced.

1951

Vertex becomes the exclusive importer of Thommen manufactured watches to the UK.

1954

For over 50 years the Vertex Clock keeps time at Hatton Garden.

1956

Vertex starts co-branded watches as Vertex Revue in order to capitalise on both Vertex and Thommen Revue’s reputation.

1960

Vertex launches a range of diving and sports watches with a unique inlaid luminova.

1972

After pressure from the emergence of the new quartz watch revolution and the expiring of Vertex lease in Hatton Garden, Henry closes the company.

RESURRECTION

2015

100 years since Claude Lyons started the company, Vertex is re-incorporated by his great-grandson, Don Cochrane, marking the return of this historic company and the start of a new era of watches.