James Porter, having served his apprenticeship with a firm of clock and watch makers called Breckenridge in Kilmarnock moved to Glasgow in 1858 at the age of 21 and started his own business account as watch maker to the trade. He worked from several upstairs addresses in Gordon Street and Buchanan Street, gradually building up a stock until eventually he had a shop at 134 Argyll Street, however, due to the city bank failure at this time he had to sell. In May 1887 he opened another shop at 25 Argyll Arcade and in 1897 his son joined him and the name changed to James Porter & Son in 1905. Fifteen years later 26 Argyll Arcade Glasgow was purchased and the shop extended. In 1928 the shop...