Southern News SWCS Watchmaker Supply Leaflets from 1960s History

[rehajm]

Brilliant. As I'm scrolling I was thinking if there's a Trupoise ad I'll freak...then there it was!

...and an Elma hand crank cleaning machine, for when electricity is not available! Today they'd make a fortune on eBay with those...

[luiazazrambo]

The good thing is with the internet is that you sometime meet with good fairies. One of my fairy is Niall who gave me a bunch of SWCS NEWS and leaflets/ catalogs etc for free of charge again. 

I got no time to go trough the whole lot but in the Watch and Clock collection leaflet made for years 1988/89 I found a letter/offer which does list the name of the ppl in the management so now I finally can try to find one of those ppl who worked for SWCS. My initial google search was not successful though. If you have any idea how to find them please let me know.

 

And then it seems that US Radium apart from poisoning ladies also made rare earth special phosphors for CRTs. Shall I wash my hands now?

[luiazazrambo]

Well it is not a leaflet but a main spring from somebody's MS collection:

[oldhippy]

That brings back memories I had a very good stock of watch/ pocket watch mainsprings from Southern must have been over 100  

[AlanDixon]

I have just come across this thread because I am in the process of sorting out some of my dad's stuff, and am looking at a "Boley & Leinen Reform Lathe", which was apparently purchased from Southern Watch and Clock Supplies, probably in the late 1960's. It looks like SWCS survived until 2017, when their name was changed and it was then dissolved in 2020...

Alan Dixon 

[oldhippy]

Back in the 70's & 80's when I was a watchmaker they were the main suppliers that I dealt with. They were very big in those days and very reliably.  

[Lympany]

I am just about to throw out some Southern Watch and Clock catalogues from the 1980s/1990s - should I keep them? Would anyone be interested in them? 

[oldhippy]

If you have the means to scan them and upload to this site I know members will be interested in them including me. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, Lympany said:

I am just about to throw out some Southern Watch and Clock catalogues from the 1980s/1990s - should I keep them? Would anyone be interested in them? 

Memorabilia, all this stuff is handy for identification

[luiazazrambo]

I am still planning to scan all of the stuff I got, I just never find the time to do so. I have a long to-do list. I found the earlier leaflets a lot more interesting than the 80s 90s stuff, but it is only my personal taste. 

[Camilla]

Hi All, I came across this thread while doing some family research. I'm the granddaughter of Paul and Emily Louisa Schick— my grandfather, Paul Schick, founded Southern Watch & Clock Supplies LTD. He was a Jewish refugee who fled the Nazi occupation of former Czechoslovakia. He arrived in England with nothing but his car, and met my English grandmother during the war. He ran SWCS with my grandmother and they created a lot of local jobs in Orpington and beyond. He passed away in 1991, and is survived by his two children (my father and his sister), 4 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. It is heartening to see that their local business still inspires watchmakers and enthusiasts today 

[luiazazrambo]

Thank you for registering and letting us know, I was really touched emotionally by your post. I really hoped that something like this would happen sooner or later. I am or I probably could say we are very interested in the history of SWCS and the history of your family and its business. I would love to learn, see, read anything related to their life. I personally have tools/parts provided by them and I use them almost daily. I wanted and still want to scan all of the SWCS leaflets I have every page every issue, just very very difficult to find the time to do so. Since I picked up watchmaking as a hobby I have no time!  

Edited March 28 by luiazazrambo