The History of Conroy Couch Jewellers Torquay 

Conroy Couch is one of the oldest established businesses in Torquay and one of the oldest Jewellers in the UK. It was opened in 1863 by Mr Conroy Couch and such was the quality of its initial fitting, the shop front has been altered little since then. Its nineteenth century design can still be seen today in the height of the shop doors which were intended to accommodate the gentlemen entering in their top hats without having to remove them. 

After the Second World War, ownership passed to the Yeo family who at the time were jewellers of note with shops from the Burlington Arcade, throughout the South and to Devon. Great supporters of the British Horological Society, every shop had the luxury of a watchmaker on site. We still often see beautiful watches proudly bearing the name of Conroy Couch. 

 

Its horological heritage can be seen through one of the shop’s enduring features - the double facing clock that can be seen up and down Union Street. The clock started life as a mechanical weight driven clock being would weekly by cranking the weights up. In the late 1960s the clock was changed to being electric and it underwent a major refurbishment in early 2019 to continue its legacy. 

Towards the close of the last century, the shop was taken over by the Rowe family who were, and still are, well known and respected jewellers in Torquay. They were committed to upholding the values and traditions of such a long-established business. Today, David Rowe and his daughter Michelle still hold those value dear, and the business continues into the twenty first century looking to the future, but still respectful of the past.