The Sinclair Black Watch
Potto Brown's steam flour mill opened in 1862 and was the dominant industrial landmark in St Ives for many years. More recently parts of the building were converted into flats, but it also played a significant part in the technology revolution known as "the Cambridge phenomenon".
In 1972 Sinclair Radionics, founded by Sir Clive Sinclair, moved into the mill from Cambridge, and produced a string of technology "firsts" including:
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the world's first pocket calculator, the "Executive", 1972.
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the first low-cost digital wristwatch, the "Black Watch", 1975.
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the first pocket TV, " Microvision", 1977-78.
Christopher Curry worked for the company on various projects, including the first electric scooter which he was said to have tested around the top floor of the mill. This would eventually become the basis for Sinclair’s famous C5 electric tricycle.
The company was divided up in 1979 with Sir Clive returning to Cambridge to set up Sinclair Research, focusing on consumer electronics and launching the ZX-80 computer in 1980. Curry went on to found rival Acorn computers who were best known for their BBC microcomputers.
Sir Clive Sinclair and Christopher Curry re-visit the old Mill, former headquarters of Sinclair Radionics [Huntingdonshire Archives; Acc 4818/93]
After the departure of Sinclair and Curry the company continued at the mill under the name Thandar, specialising in test and measurement instruments, before moving to Huntingdon in the late 1980s.