About the Creator Born in Buxton, Derbyshire, the creator of the Chronophage clocks, Dr John C Taylor, has over 400 patents to his name. After graduating from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1959, having studied Natural Sciences, he joined his father Eric’s firm, Otter Controls. He worked on research and development and before long started to produce bi-metal snap action controls which are still in production today, such as the Otter G, which prevents electric motors in vehicles from overheating.
In 2000, a year after retiring from Strix, Dr Taylor was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). In 2011 Dr Taylor was appointed as an Officer of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours list for his services to business and horology and the following year he was awarded a fellowship by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This was followed in 2017 by an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Durham and an Honorary Fellowship of University College Isle of Man in 2018.
In 1977, Dr Taylor moved to the Isle of Man where, as a child, he had enjoyed his schooling at King William’s College. In 1981 Dr Taylor founded Strix Ltd, which received four Queen’s awards – three for export and one for innovation awarded for his 360° cordless kettle controls. These kettle controls are used throughout the world and are an essential ritual in millions of people’s daily lives, heating hot water safely and efficiently.
“Dr John C Taylor is one of the world’s greatest inventors with over 400 patents to his name”
18