Coventry Watch Museum

Another of Coventry’s hidden gems is the Coventry watch museum located in the city centre. The Coventry Watch Museum Project became a Company Limited by guarantee on the 31st of March 1995. The Company was granted Charity Status by the Charity Commission on the 16th October 1996. The first watch and clock maker in Coventry was Samuel Watson, who was sheriff of Coventry in the 1680s. He was one of the most famous clockmakers in England and made clocks for King Charles II and Sir Isaac Newton. The main period of watchmaking in Coventry was from the 1740s up to about 1920. During this period Coventry was one of the main centres of watchmaking in England and several thousand people were employed in the industry. On the 5th December 2002, the Company purchased 22,23,24 Court 7 Medieval Spon Street, Coventry with the intention of renovating the buildings and establishing a permanent working Watch Museum.

The site is the remaining part of a Coventry “court” and is probably the last example of what was a common dwelling situation in the 18th and 19th century, Coventry. The renovation will be sometime in the future when funding is available.

In the meantime, a temporary Museum has been set up using the ground floor of the existing buildings, a new prefabricated metal Building and also a building that was used as an air raid shelter during World War 11 by Rotherham & Sons Clock & Watch manufacturers of Coventry.

The Museum is run and staffed by members of the Company who are all Volunteer’s, new members are always welcome to help.