Charles Frodsham

Who are Charles Frodsham?

Charles Frodsham & Co is a London maker of chronometers, clocks and watches, founded by Charles Frodsham around 1834 (AIM25; Wikipedia). Today it works from 32 Bury Street, St James’s (Charles Frodsham & Co), and it is mostly a restorer of antique Frodsham clocks and pocket watches (SJX Watches). It makes one wristwatch, the Double Impulse Chronometer, in very small numbers (SJX Watches). This page covers its history, the wristwatch and its ownership, then what to check when buying a Frodsham second-hand in the UK, whether a Victorian pocket watch or a modern wristwatch.

Wikipedia describes the firm as the longest continuously trading chronometer maker in the world; we have not found an independent source that confirms this.

The history of Charles Frodsham

The firm’s history runs from a Victorian chronometer maker with royal appointments to a small modern company. The key dates are the founding (about 1834), the Strand premises (1843), the royal clocks (1854), incorporation (1893), new owners (1997) and the wristwatch (2018).

Charles Frodsham. Born in London in 1810, he was apprenticed to his father, William James Frodsham, a chronometer maker and co-founder of Parkinson & Frodsham. In 1830 one of his chronometers won second prize at the Greenwich premium trials (Wikipedia). Sources differ on the start of his own business: the London archive record says about 1834, with premises on The Pavement, Finsbury, from 1837 (AIM25).

The Strand. In 1843 he took over the business of John Roger Arnold at 84 Strand, and the firm traded as Arnold and Frodsham until 1858 (AIM25; Wikipedia). John Roger Arnold’s own family name lives on in the modern brand Arnold & Son, though the two companies are not connected today. From 1850 its first-quality watches were marked “AD. Fmsz”, a code for Anno Domini 1850, and it won a first-class medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851 (Wikipedia).

The royal clocks. In 1854 Frodsham bought the goodwill of Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy’s business and succeeded him as Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty’s Clocks at Buckingham Palace (Wikipedia). He was twice Master of the Clockmakers’ Company, in 1855 and 1862, and in 1871 published The History of the Marine Chronometer (Wikipedia). Wikipedia says the Admiralty bought sixty Frodsham marine chronometers between 1831 and 1920.

After the founder. Charles Frodsham died in January 1871 and his son, Harrison Mill Frodsham, took over (Wikipedia). The firm became Charles Frodsham and Co in 1884 and a limited company in 1893 (AIM25), and the company incorporated on 25 July 1893 is still active (Companies House). It moved several times within London, from New Bond Street to South Molton Street, Beauchamp Place and Brompton Road, and in 1977 became a subsidiary of Devon Instruments, based in Topsham (AIM25). The archive record says the last Frodsham involved in the firm died in 1928 (AIM25); SJX Watches reported in 2018 that a fourth-generation descendant sat on the board.

1997 onwards. Philip Whyte and Richard Stenning have owned the company since 1997 (SJX Watches). Stenning had worked as a watchmaker in Sotheby’s watch department (SJX Watches). That year the firm moved to Bury Street and set up a workshop in East Sussex (Wikipedia).

What is Charles Frodsham known for?

Charles Frodsham is known for 19th-century marine chronometers and precision pocket watches, for looking after the royal clocks, and in recent years for the first wristwatch with George Daniels’ double impulse escapement.

Precision. Wikipedia says a Frodsham tourbillon pocket watch, No. 09182, scored 93.9 at the Kew Observatory, the highest mark for an English watch tested there.

The Double Impulse Chronometer. George Daniels invented the double impulse chronometer escapement, drawing on Breguet, and the watchmaker Derek Pratt suggested it to Frodsham as a solution to the shock sensitivity of the detent escapements it had been trying (SJX Watches). The resulting wristwatch launched in 2018. SJX Watches says it was the first wristwatch to use the escapement, that a prototype worked in 2008, and that the project took about 16 years. Sources differ on when Pratt made the suggestion: SJX Watches gives about 2002 in March 2018 and 2004 in September 2018.

Made in-house. SJX Watches reported that the workshop makes almost all of the watch, with sapphire crystals, mainsprings and seals from Switzerland, and that seven watchmakers worked there in 2018.

Which Charles Frodsham watches are there?

There is one modern wristwatch, the Double Impulse Chronometer (SJX Watches). Everything else you will see second-hand is historic: pocket watches, marine chronometers and clocks made since the 19th century.

• Movement. The wristwatch is hand-wound, runs at 21,600 beats an hour and has a 36-hour power reserve (SJX Watches; aBlogtoWatch).
• Cases and dials. At launch it came in steel, 18k rose or white gold, and 22k yellow gold, with a ceramic dial (SJX Watches). Its case is given as 42 mm (SJX Watches, March 2018) or 42.2 mm wide and 10.5 mm thick (SJX Watches, September 2018; aBlogtoWatch).
• Made to order. aBlogtoWatch says each watch can be customised for its buyer, and reported a waiting list of about three years in 2020. Expect variation between examples.

Who owns Charles Frodsham?

SJX Watches reported in 2018 that Philip Whyte and Richard Stenning had owned the company since 1997. Companies House lists two persons with significant control of Charles Frodsham & Co Limited: Philip Whyte, with more than 25% of the shares, and a second shareholder with more than 50%, notified on 27 January 2023 (Companies House).

The company’s registered office is in Hove, East Sussex, and its listed business is the manufacture of watches and clocks (Companies House). Dealer and auction pages say the firm still holds a royal warrant.

Buying a Charles Frodsham watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Frodsham has made only small numbers of wristwatches since 2018 (SJX Watches), so most Frodsham watches on the second-hand market are historic pocket watches, sold at auction or by specialist dealers. Check the movement and case numbers, the condition of an old movement, the paperwork and the cost of servicing.

1. Numbers and records. Check that the movement and case numbers match. A Frodsham pocket watch made around 1883 was sold by Phillips with a Charles Frodsham Certificate of Origin dated 7 October 2024 (Phillips), so the firm can document some historic pieces.

2. Condition. An antique pocket watch may have had parts replaced over a century or more. Ask a specialist to open the case and report on the movement, dial and hallmarks. Our guide to watch condition grades explains the terms used.

3. The wristwatch. For a Double Impulse Chronometer, ask for the original papers and box and confirm the case metal; our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

4. Servicing. Frodsham restores its own historic clocks and watches (SJX Watches). Ask when the watch was last serviced and by whom, and get a quote before you buy; our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

5. Auctions. Read the condition report and the buyer’s premium before you bid; our watch auctions buyer’s guide explains fees, risks and your rights.

6. Stolen-watch check and shipping. Check the numbers against a stolen-watch register before you pay; our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers. If the watch is posted to you, see how watches are shipped and insured.

For a comparison, two other small British watchmakers covered on Watch60 are Garrick in Norfolk and Christopher Ward in Maidenhead.

Frequently asked questions

When was Charles Frodsham founded?

About 1834, in London, by Charles Frodsham (AIM25).

Is Charles Frodsham still in business?

Yes. Charles Frodsham & Co Limited, incorporated in 1893, is active (Companies House), with a showroom at 32 Bury Street, St James’s (Charles Frodsham & Co).

Does Charles Frodsham make wristwatches?

One: the Double Impulse Chronometer, launched in 2018 and made in small numbers, about 10 to 12 a year at launch (SJX Watches).

What is the double impulse escapement?

An escapement invented by George Daniels. The Frodsham wristwatch was the first wristwatch to use it (SJX Watches; Wikipedia).

What does “AD. Fmsz” mean on a Frodsham watch?

It is a code for Anno Domini 1850, which the firm used from that year to mark first-quality watches (Wikipedia).

Who owns Charles Frodsham?

SJX Watches reported in 2018 that Philip Whyte and Richard Stenning had owned it since 1997. Companies House records a change in its majority shareholding in January 2023.

How much does a new Charles Frodsham wristwatch cost to order, and how long is the wait?

Each Double Impulse Chronometer is made to order and can be customised for its buyer; aBlogtoWatch reported a waiting list of about three years in 2020 (aBlogtoWatch).

Can Charles Frodsham service an antique pocket watch or chronometer?

Yes. The firm restores historic Frodsham clocks, pocket watches and chronometers, and has issued a Certificate of Origin for at least one 19th-century piece sold at auction (SJX Watches; Phillips).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Charles Frodsham & Co.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.