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. He was bright, and quite ingenious, he quickly built up a most excellent reputation in the watch trade. He set up the Dreadnaught Watches in 1906 with a £1000 loan from his father-in-law and had paid it back within the year.