Seiko ralph bembridge

OBITUARY: Celebrating the life of Seiko and Citizen veteran Ralph Bembridge

Ralph Bembridge, who will be remembered by watch industry veterans as sales manager at Seiko for a decade then general manager of Citizen Watches, has passed away.

Ralph Bembridge, who will be remembered by watch industry veterans as sales manager at Seiko for a decade then general manager of Citizen Watches, has passed away.

Ralph was born in 1930 in East Ardsley, Yorkshire.

He left school aged 16 to work first as an office assistant before finding his calling in life in sales roles.

Firstly though he had to complete his National Service. He joined the RAF and became a sergeant and physical training instructor.

A keen body builder, keeping fit and strong was important to him all his life and as a young man he won several body building competitions.

When he came home to civilian life Ralph became a salesman and worked for a variety of companies across Yorkshire before going to work at Ronson, a US lighter company.

In 1966 Ralph met his future wife Jean at a caravan park in Scarborough, although it took them 14 years before getting married in  1980 and Ralph became a father figure to two step children, Helen & Mark Toulson (who many of you will know as the head watch buyer at The Watches of Switzerland Group).

Ralph moved south to work for Seiko Watches, where he spent ten years, rising to become sales manager.

He then moved to Citizen Watches as General Manager through to his retirement.

Friends and family say Ralph and Jean loved to spend all their time together, they enjoyed photography and travelling but most of all they just enjoyed being together.

Ralph was larger than life, he never did anything quietly and always attracted attention particularly in his younger days – his whistling, his love of convertible cars and motorbikes were a big part of what made Ralph Ralph.

He passed peacefully on March 6 and is very much missed by his family.

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