[Brand Introduction] JWBenson

About JWBenson

JWBENSON (Benson) was the most successful watch manufacturer in London around the late 19th century, and is a watch brand that represents Britain.
While many British watch manufacturers had small-scale workshops, by the end of the 19th century, large-scale factories were producing a wide range of watches from mid-range to high-end models.

Not only as a watch manufacturer, but also as a luxury jeweler, it has sales power and brand power, and has been awarded royal warrants such as Queen Victoria.

It is a very popular brand in Japan, known for being favored by celebrities in the political and business world such as Jiro Shirasu and Shigeru Yoshida.

beginning

In 1847, a workshop called "Samuel Suckley & James William Benson" was established by brothers James William Benson and Samuel Suckley Benson, who are watchmakers and goldsmiths in London. is considered a start.
The Benson family was originally a family of watchmakers, dating back to 1749.

From the beginning of the business, we have been developing our business as an importer and retailer (jeweler) that handles not only watches and jewelry manufactured in-house, but also imported products.
The brothers' partnership was dissolved in 1855, and James continued the business as "JWBenson" thereafter.

In 1862, the company participated in the 2nd London Exposition and steadily expanded its business, but James William Benson died in 1878 at the age of 52, and the company was passed on to his sons.

royal warrant

The sons who took over the company were awarded Royal Warrants by Queen Victoria in 1879.
In addition, we will continue to strengthen its name recognition and brand power by receiving a number of royal warrants such as the Prince of Wales, the Danish royal family, and the Russian emperor.
Some Benson movements around this time have markings that indicate them.

However, around the end of the 19th century, British watches were pushed by the competition with Swiss and American watches, and the number of in-house watches gradually decreased, and it seems that they focused on the manufacture and sale of jewelry.

After World War I

The watch industry is also a military industry, and the Benson watch factory also lost most of the factory in the London air raid by the German army in World War I in 1917, and since then it has not been possible to continue manufacturing movements in-house. Ta.

However, as a luxury jeweler, they purchase machines from Swiss manufacturers such as Longines, Vertex (review), Cima, and Universal to manufacture and sell their own brand watches.
Even in the era of wristwatches, they continued to sell watches to Swiss manufacturers and the same British company Smith as OEM customers.

After that, JWBenson continued until 1973, when it was absorbed by Garrard, another British luxury jeweler.

summary

Speaking of watches, the image of Switzerland is strong, but until the first half of the 19th century, Britain was a world leader.
It is said that many clock makers existed and manufactured more than half of the world's clocks.
Benson is a watch manufacturer that continued to make British watches until the end after the industrial revolution, while British watches were pushed by mass production in Switzerland and the United States.