During the First World War, H. Williamson Ltd was one of the first companies to capitalise on the new trench watch. During the company’s 1916 AGM it was noted that “…the public is buying the practical things of life. Nobody can truthfully contend that the watch is a luxury. It is said that one soldier in every four wears a wristlet watch, and the other three mean to get one as soon as they can.” 

During WW1, Williamson Ltd produced thousands of wristwatches a week for the War effort. By the end of the war, almost all enlisted men wore a trench watch. This trend was soon adopted by the civilian population. After all, no one was going to tell a battle-scarred veteran that their wristwatch was effeminate. They also produced cockpit watches for the Royal Flying Corps during the war.

After the war, H. Williamson Ltd ventured into the world of clock making and then further diversified into gramophones. In around 1921 the company merged with Grimshaw, Baxter and J.J. Elliott, becoming “The English Watch and Clock Manufacturers Ltd”. However, the two companies continued to trade and advertise under their original names. However, after a period of six years of losses and the Great Depression, the company collapsed in 1931.

The company was forced into receivership and was then taken over by Smiths English Clocks in 1932. The Buren factory was taken over by a Swiss concern, leaded by the Swiss-american financier Roland Gsell and the company restructured as Buren Watch Co. SA. The company was forced into receivership and was then taken over by Smiths English Clocks in 1932. Rotherham & Sons in Coventry took over the agency for importing Buren watches into the UK.