Newmark
History
The belief that Newmark's origins lie in brothers Louis and Michael Newmark operating as Newmark Brothers, 'pawnbrokers, jewellers and glass dealers' in Llanelly, Monmouthshire, may be erroneous; that business was dissolved in December 1872. It is also recorded that a Louis Newmark then resumed business in 1875, as a 'Manufacturing jeweller and watch importer', mainly of German-made products, however it appears that business was founded by Marcus Newmark whose partnership of 1872 with Barnett Henry Abrahams (wholesale jewellers and fancy goods importers of 128 Hounsditch, London) was dissolved in 1885. It is also recorded that the partnership between Isidore Newmark, Louis Newmark and Montague Sellim Newmark of 115 Hounsditch (wholesale jewellers, trading as Newmark Brothers) was dissolved in 1900, but was continued by Isidore alone. More research is clearly needed to unravel this mystery!
Never-the-less, Marcus and his Newmark Brothers marketed German-made pocket-watches, branded 'Torpedo', in competition with Ingersoll but from 1914 diplomatically chose Swiss products and formed a lasting association with Jean Degoumois (later better known for the 'Avia' brand). After Louis died in 1924, the business passed to his young son Herbert (later joined by brother Geoffrey - Marcus being their grandfather) operating from premises in Bishopsgate, London.
Meanwhile, Louis Levinson and his brother John, both Russian-Jew emigres who became British citizens in 1911, changed their surname to Braham in 1920. Louis Braham duly married Louis Newmark's daughter, Phyllis; they had a son, Derrick, whose name was later adopted for Braham's 'Derrick' sub-brand of watch. Braham's watch-making business used an inexpensive movement (possibly the Russian Roskopf-type based on the American 'Hampden') which he marketed as the 'Elbee' (derived from his initials 'L B'). Later based at St George's House, 44 Hatton Garden, London EC.1, the business was continued after Louis Newmark's in 1924 by his widow, Elizabeth Newmark. Louis Braham Watches Ltd, now of 25 Hatton Garden, went into voluntary liquidation in September 1937 and was promptly acquired by Louis Newmark Ltd, though it continued operating as Louis Braham Ltd, jewellers. They were based at 90, St John Street, Clerkenwell during the 1940s. Sole distribution of their unconditionally guaranteed 'Newmark' branded watches passed to Louis Braham Ltd of 34-35, Hatton Gardens in 1958 and by 1959 they had expanded into 36-38, Hatton Gardens.
Since the 1930s, Newmark's offices and 'Prefect Works' were at 141, Stafford Road off the Purley Way, Croydon; their extended industrial complex would in time comprise 12 scattered buildings. By 1939, Louis Newmark (under brothers Herbert and Geoffrey Newmark) had become Britain's largest importer of Swiss watches but their war-years were spent on anti-aircraft gunnery maintenance work. At war's end, Col Derek Dealing 'Del' Rothschild (the Government's war-time Assistant Director, Mechanical Engineering), joined Newmark and encouraged watch-manufacturing (Lt Col D D Rothschild MBE later became Newmark's Technical and later, Managing Director). Newmark would now offer four ranges of Swiss and their own budget English-made pin-pallet watches (from 44/0d to 63/0d, inc PT), however, they struggled to meet demand and around 1946, the government agreed (in the interest of national defense - the making of fuzes) to fund a new 13-ligne British-made Roskopf pattern Newmark watch resulting in Newmark's massive new Purley Way works (planned in 1945), built nearby on former tennis courts north of Cubitt Street, off the Purley Way, to the north of the busy Croydon aerodrome. Why the government became involved with Newmark is unclear for their British-made watches were very low-grade, but it may be related to the withdrawal of Vickers-Armstrongs from the Anglo-Celtic project.
Post WW2
Newmark embarked on pre-production of these basic, inexpensive watches in 1946 and, with full government support, secured around 250 new Swiss production machines but as Smiths had also discovered, while the quality of British steel met their required standards, that of brass fell far short and great difficulty was had by Newmark in finding high grade malleable brass for watch-making. The first British-built 'Newmark' watch was sold on 1st April 1950, and by late-1950 this basic 13-ligne pin-pallet movement (non- or sub-secs in four styles), was being produced at 10,000 per week - aiming for 20,000 per week in two shifts. Some were marketed under their own 'Elbee', 'Horsham', 'Hourmaster' brands, and others such as the 'Guildhall', all marketed alongside their budget Swiss-made watches. A new ladies calibre was planned, but delayed by rationed materials until 1952 - it was a conventional jewelled lever 10-1/2 ligne movement. Many wrist-watches were modified for folding-case travel-watches; indeed Newmark would win several Design Council awards. Interestingly, Louis Newmark's shops introduced in 1953 a Retest Department which re-oiled and time-checked every new Newmark watch sold as drying-up of the oils had become a common problem!
By 1951, Newmark had gained the sole UK concession to the fully jewelled Swiss 'Avia' brand (made by Degoumois SA of Neuchatel, Switzerland) and later a 15-jewelled sub-brand, which they named 'Kered' (an allusion to 'Derrick', in reverse, some of which used French movements). They later gained control of the long established Carbel Watch Co, H Golay & Son, Prestige Watch Co and D D Rothschild Ltd. They developed a new 10-1/2 ligne English-made 6-jewel men's and ladies' watch range from 1955. From 1956, their retail shops now marketed Smiths time-pieces, while Louis Braham became sole distributor of Newmark watches. They launched their first calendar watch in 1956, a range of ultra-slim jewelled models in 1958 and then a range of British-made and bought-in 15-jewel models in 1960.
Newmark had finally ended British watch production by 1961 having produced some 7 million watches, due to the futility of expanding British manufacturing. Their Prefect and Purley Way works (the latter with a dust-free, controlled environment assembly hall) were promptly sold in summer 1961, leaving only a small spares/service facility, as they relocated to various sites: watch imports moved to their new Bancroft Road, Reigate offices. Such imports included the first Swiss electric and quartz LCD movements, marketed under a variety of brands. Among their new imported models were basic 1-jewel Ebauches Bettlach 8088 models including a handsome, bezeled divers model (recreated in 2019 as the Newmark 71 automatic). They adopted 'Avia' as their respected flagship marque and in 1981 secured the world rights to the 'Avia' brand. By the late-1960s they were also importing agents for Breitling, Corvette (an Avia sub-brand for Newmark), Cyma, Golay, Inventic and Ulysee Nardin watches - and in the 1980s, Swatch - along with various watch 'material' and components.
Military Watches
With their secure military avionics contracts, see below, Newmark tendered in 1970 for the supply of two-button, Swiss-made Hamilton based (Valjoux 7733 calibre) air-crew chronographs for the RAF (6BB/9243306 RAF store code); it however was a very small contract of only around 500 watches (reason unknown); as their only military watch, they are now much sought after. (It is believed Breitling made the first CWC (formerly Hamilton 6BB contract chronographs) so, did they also make these Newmarks)?
Louis Newmark Aviation Ltd
In 1955, Louis Newmark Ltd branched out into licence building the American Lear military helicopter auto-stabiliser system and aircraft instruments under a new Louis Newmark Aviation Ltd. On 31st March 1956, the Newmark family took Louis Newmark Ltd and its subsidiaries back into family control; the Newmark group was restructured and expanded into electronic computers and components. Newmark's new Automatic Switching (Distributors) Ltd business was established summer 1960 by Godfrey Newmark and Col Rothschild to manufacture and distribute electronic apparatus. After difficult times, and much restructuring, Louis Newmark Aviation Ltd was bought by Smiths in 1989. The remnant Louis Newmark watch service, distribution, and non-aviation industrial businesses went into receivership in 1995 followed by their instrumentation businesses in 1997. Their flagship Avia Watch International business then became part of Roventa-Henex of France before passing to Fossil Inc of the USA. Geoffrey Louis Newmark died at Dunsfold, Surrey in December 2003.
