In conversation with Master Watchmaker Peter Roberts

(photo by JPVFX)

The golden age of England (and specifically London's) dominance as an international watchmaking centre was during the 17th to 19th centuries. The achievements of clock and watchmakers such as Daniel Quare, Thomas Tompion, John Arnold, George Graham and John Harrison, and the increasing importance and growth of the watchmaking crafts, lead to the establishment of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1691. Prior to that, because clock making involved working in ferrous metal, clockmakers within the City of London tended to be freemen of the Blacksmiths' Company.

The last decade or so, in particular, has seen a resurgence in English horology, with the mighty elder statesman George Daniels, the greatest living watchmaker, an inspiration to many of these, such as his protégé Roger Smith.

One other renowned name that has been a force behind this English watchmaking revival has been that of Peter Roberts. Peter qualified as a Fellow of the British Horological Institute in the early '70s, becoming the first student from the UK to attend the original WOSTEP course in Neuchatel. He has worked with IWC in Schaffhausen, Rolex in Geneva and the UK (he still occasionally instructs on Rolex courses), and spent 13 years teaching at the Hackney Watch School in London, where his pupils included Stephen Forsey and Peter Speake-Marin . Peter also advised the re-invigorated Dent brand, but is now Technical Director for the young vibrant aviation inspired Bremont brand.

In late June, watch forum ATGV hosted a fabulous event at Skylon Southbank, with Giles English and Peter Roberts from Bremont and Peter Speake-Marin all attending. It was a great opportunity for one of us to meet and have a chat with the legendary Peter Roberts, who kindly agreed to an interview.

JP : What was it that got you into watch making?

PR : My father was a bit of a watch collector. On his bookshelves I found a copy of Donald de Carle's "Practical Watch Repairing". I read this when I was 15 years old and was hooked!

JP : You taught at Hackney College in the 1980s-90s. Can you tell us a bit about your time there. How did you become a teacher?

PR : My wife and I were in a pub one day and bumped into one of my old college lecturers who suggested I would be ideal for a new position that was available. This was not something I had considered, as I would need to qualify as a teacher (ie back to college). He was very persuasive. I qualified into teaching, and never looked back.

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