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.
1969 Hilger Microscopes Ltd and Hilger and Watts (International) Ltd were liquidated[7]: