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William Watson

William Watson was born in London in 1930 and lived in Hanwell, where the Hill workshops were established in 1887. He was introduced to the Hills by Arthur Bultitude in 1945, and he was trained by William Retford. After National Service in 1951-3, Watson returned to the workshop under Retford and Bultitude, and undertook the revival of the Hill trademark fleur-de-lys gold frog inlay. Retford left Hills in 1960 and Bultitude in the following year, making Watson the head of the bow workshop. However, following a disagreement with Desmond Hill, Watson himself left in 1962 to establish his own business from home in Hanwell, and then in Denham in Buckinghamshire from 1963. His last years were spent in Cornwall, but he remained a strong and paternal influence on modern British bow makers until his death in 2018

William Watson

(London, b 1930 ; d 2018)

William Watson was born in London in 1930 and lived in Hanwell, where the Hill workshops were established in 1887. He was introduced to the Hills by Arthur Bultitude in 1945, and he was trained by William Retford. After National Service in 1951-3, Watson returned to the workshop under Retford and Bultitude, and undertook the revival of the Hill trademark fleur-de-lys gold frog inlay. Retford left Hills in 1960 and Bultitude in the following year, making Watson the head of the bow workshop. However, following a disagreement with Desmond Hill, Watson himself left in 1962 to establish his own business... Read more

Instruments we have sold by this maker

Articles

The Bill Watson Collection

12 February 2020

Bill Watson, one of the leading British bow makers of the 20th century, died in December 2018 at the age of 88. He was for many the last connection with the ‘glory days’ of the Hill bow making shop, where... Read more

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