CWC was founded by Ray Mellor, who served in the Merchant Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Following the war, he worked in the watch industry as director of UK subsidiaries of Certina, Zenith and Hamilton. During his tenure with Hamilton, he served as the managing director of the watchmaker's UK business,[2] responsible for Hamilton's contracts with the British Armed Forces.[3]
However they chose to close the UK operation and Mellor founded CWC in 1972 to continue supplying the British Ministry of Defence.[4]
He named the business after the 15th century explorer as he worked in Bristol before the war and his son went to Bristol university where he decided to call the company Cabot Watch Company after John Cabot an intrepid explorer which he felt was fitting as he was starting a new exploration into uncharted waters.[1]
In 1996, CWC was sold to Silvermans Ltd., a London-based retailer of military equipment and surplus goods.[5]
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