Houghton Ticka

Designed around 1905 by Swedish engineer Magnus Neill, the Ticka Watch Camera is the European counterpart to the American Expo Watch Camera, patented in the United States on September 6, 1904. Falling squarely into the category of early spy cameras, it adopts the deceptive form of a pocket watch—an object of everyday elegance concealing a photographic device.

Manufactured by Houghton Ltd in London, the Ticka enjoyed immediate success, with 4,000 units sold in the first three days of production. At a time when cameras were large and conspicuous, this discreet design marked a turning point, enabling covert, spontaneous photography more than a decade before miniature formats became widespread.

Among its early admirers was Queen Alexandra of Denmark, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, who was reportedly delighted with the images produced by this remarkable device.

European production ceased in 1914 with the outbreak of war, while the American Expo Watch Camera continued to be manufactured until 1939. The concept proved influential enough to be copied in Japan under the name Moment, underscoring its international impact.