Claude Lyons borrows £1,000 from his father-in-law, Mr Mayer, and sets up the Vertex Watch Company. It specialises in Swiss movements that are re-cased in Britain.
Vertex is commissioned to produce watches for the British Military during WWI.
Vertex Watches Ltd is founded in London at 37 & 38 Hatton Gardens, and in Switzerland at 133 Rue de la Paix in La Chaux de Fonds.
Aureole, a brand known for creating quality lever watches, begins producing complete watches for Vertex, as well as movements for the Platinum Ladies watch range.
Vertex becomes the exclusive importer of Movado watches to the UK.
Vertex collaborates with Swiss watch company, Revue Thommen, to produce a range of steel ‘All Proof’ watches.
Claude Lyons’s son-in-law, Henry Lazarus joins Vertex with a view to continue the family’s horological legacy.
Vertex’s Hatton Garden factory and showrooms are destroyed by enemy action.
Henry Lazarus, now a Captain in the British army, is approached to help in the procurement of watches for the British Military, due to his unique understanding of the Swiss watch industry.
Vertex receives the navigation watch specs and production starts in Switzerland across 4 factories.
Vertex begins large-scale production of the Cal 59 W.W.W. navigation watch. It is the sole British-based manufacturer amongst the original twelve “dirty dozen” watch brands to provide timepieces to the British soldiers during WWII.
4652 W.W.W Cal 59s are delivered during the preparations for D-Day.
Vertex are commissioned to produce a mono-pusher timing watch, for ordnance disposal, but due to post-war rationing the watch is never produced.
Vertex becomes the exclusive importer of Revue Thommen manufactured watches to the UK.
For over 50 years the Vertex Clock keeps time at Hatton Garden.
Vertex creates co-branded timepieces as “Vertex Revue” in order to capitalise on the brands’ respective reputations.
Vertex launches a range of diving and sports watches with a unique, inlaid luminova.
Vertex falls victim to the “quartz crisis” - a largescale disruption in the horological industry caused by the advent of quartz watches. This, compounded with the expiration of Vertex’s lease in Hatton garden, forces Henry to close the company.
One hundred years since Claude Lyons founded the company, Vertex is revived and re-incorporated by his great-grandson, Don Cochrane, marking a new era in watchmaking.
Vertex announces the M100. The first new Vertex for 45 years, based on the Cal 59 from WW2.
Vertex re-launch at Aspley House, home of the Duke of Wellington, in London.
The Vertex full-page print adverts win SILVER for ‘Best Art Direction’ and BRONZE for ‘Best Writing’ at the Creative Circle Awards.
