Yachting Intruments came into being over 30 years ago when the present directors, as keen dinghy sailors, became increasingly frustrated with the lack of count-down watches. The choice was either a very costly Swiss made Chronograph needing an expensive annual service or a sports stopwatch with no water protection; if wetted a quick rinse in fresh water then a flush in paraffin (kerosene) and maybe it worked again!

The first Sailing Chronograph was launched at the London Boat Show in January 1971 at £6 19s 6d (later £7.95).

Launched in the summer of 1972 the Yachting Chronograph, designed from scratch by the company, with a price of £9.95, sold in its thousands all around the world and became the badge of the small boat sailor.

Five years later at the International Boat Show, London, January 1975, the first Tidemaster watch was launched to become an essential tool for all sea sailors, sea anglers, wildfowlers, lifeboat crewman, ships' masters, Harbourmasters and Pilots. Another ten years on at the end of 1985 the balance wheel and hairspring was replaced as the regulator by a pulsing quartz to give a standard of time keeping previously undreamed of, of around a second a week, to produce the first Tidemaster Chronometer.

This incredible standard of accuracy has been steadily improved and the electronic revolution has enabled the incorporation of 24 hour alarm, countdown alarm, log reading reminder alarm, 100th second pilotage stopwatch and deckwatch, which freezes sight times (a boon for the single handed sailor) multi time zones and most recently electro luminescent - night read out; with all these features in one watch in the most sophisticated models, with of course the all important original Tidal monitoring bezel.

Over the years the company have designed and produced a wealth of products of benefit to all who use the sea or go afloat but have always remained true to the original aim of providing essential and useful timepieces for mariners.

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Address: Yachting Instruments Ltd
Mappowder, Sturminster Newton, Dorset DT10 2EH
Telephone: +44 (0) 1258 817662 Facsimile: +44 (0) 1258 817829
E-mail: office@tidemaster.co.uk