Metamec
Encyclopedia
Metamec was a manufacturer of domestic clock
s in the second half of the 20th century, and was based in Dereham
, Norfolk
, England
. The name "Metamec" is derived from "metal-work and mechanics". The company started as an offshoot of the furniture manufacturers Jentique
, which made boxes for instruments and bombs during World War II
.
numbered "701". All clocks produced by Metamec were produced to a high standard, and the factory expanded with the purchase of new machines to allow them to create their own movements
, rather than import the movements in from other clock companies. The factory increased in size during the 1960s and 70s, and employed approx. 750 people, producing 350 models of clock, and producing 25,000 clocks per week. Metamec was the largest clock manufacturer in the UK at the time.
clock industry and imports from the Far East
. Metamec went into receivership
in December 1984 and was purchased in Jan 1985 by FKI
of Halifax, West Yorkshire
, who continued to use the name until 1993.
.
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
s in the second half of the 20th century, and was based in Dereham
Dereham
Dereham, also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, some 15 miles west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles east of King's Lynn. The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The name "Metamec" is derived from "metal-work and mechanics". The company started as an offshoot of the furniture manufacturers Jentique
Jentique
Jentique is a brand of furniture made by Jentique Furniture Ltd. Started in the 1930s by the well-known toymaker Geoffrey Bowman Jenkins and his wife Edith, the company was based in Dereham, Norfolk. Jenkins lost his business to partner Bernard Smart in 1936.Along with similar cabinetmakers...
, which made boxes for instruments and bombs during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Products
The first Metamec model was a mains-powered mantle clockElectric clock
An electric clock is a clock that is powered by electricity instead of powered manually or by other sources of energy, specifically in order to wind the mainspring or to drive the pendulum or oscillator.-Classification:...
numbered "701". All clocks produced by Metamec were produced to a high standard, and the factory expanded with the purchase of new machines to allow them to create their own movements
Movement (clockwork)
In horology, a movement is the internal mechanism of a clock or watch, as opposed to the case, which encloses and protects the movement, and the face which displays the time. The term originated with mechanical timepieces, whose movements are made of many moving parts...
, rather than import the movements in from other clock companies. The factory increased in size during the 1960s and 70s, and employed approx. 750 people, producing 350 models of clock, and producing 25,000 clocks per week. Metamec was the largest clock manufacturer in the UK at the time.
Decline
The company declined in the late 1980s due to penetration by the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
clock industry and imports from the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Metamec went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in December 1984 and was purchased in Jan 1985 by FKI
FKI
FKI is a British major engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in Loughborough, Leicestershire. For many years listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, but it was taken private by buyout firm Melrose in July 2008....
of Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, who continued to use the name until 1993.
Metamec today
As of 2011, the name "Metamec" is still in use, and a clock manufacturer is producing clocks under the Metamec name in DerbyshireDerbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.