Luman Watson
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Luman Watson was a early Cincinnati clockmaker. He worked in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1819 to 1834. His clocks had wooden works. He made both tall clocks and shelf clocks.[1]
Luman Watson, son and grandson of prosperous farmers, was born at Harwinton, Connecticut, on October 10, 1790. He spent his boyhood in the center of Connecticut's clock making country, and between chores on the farm probably slipped away to follow his natural bent for mechanics. By the time he was nineteen years old, Watson had moved to Cincinnati and established the clock making partnership of Read and Watson with the Read brothers, Abner, Ezra, and Amassa. The sale of a Read and Watson clock is recorded as early as 1809 in Clark County, Ohio.
At that time there was a severe shortage of brass, American manufacturers used hardwood for making clock movements. This proved to be an adequate substitute for short duration clocks. Wheels had to have large teeth for strength so a running time of more than 30 hours was not possible.[2]
