Hilger and Watts
Hilger and Watts, makers of optical measurement instruments, Camberwell Road, London SE5.
Hilger Division - 98 St Pancras Way, Camden Road, London NW1
of Westwood Industrial Estate Ramsgate Road, Margate (1961)
1948 Incorporated as a public company to acquire 3 old established firms engaged in theodolites, microscopes, etc[1] E. R. Watts and Son, Adam Hilger and James Swift and Son.
1951 Board of Directors: Chairman and Managing Director: G. A. Whipple, Directors: F Twyman, A C Menzies, R Stanley, V W H Towns, A H Campbell
1957 It was announced that the firm would expand its Camberwell premises, rather than moving out but widen the scope of its premises.[2]
1959 Measurement devices across a wide spectrum of radiation ultra-violet through visible to infra-red and microwave; new development of use of spectrograph for measuring wear in engine bearings; development of digitising equipment had proved commercially successful; had collaborated with competitor Cooke, Troughton and Simms Ltd to develop a surveyor's automatic level; had acquired Collimator Cases Ltd[3].
1965 Proposal to acquire 40% of Grubb Parsons with view to collaborating on some activities[4]
By 1966 the firm had laboratories at Camden Town and Margate[5]
1968 Queen's Award to Industry for Technological Innovation [6]
1968 Acquired by Taylor, Taylor and Hobson, part of Rank Precision Industries. Presumably it was at this point that James Swift was disposed of.
1968 Became part of a new division of Rank, Rank Precision Industries.
1969 Hilger Microscopes Ltd and Hilger and Watts (International) Ltd were liquidated[7]: