Person

James Watt

1736–1819 · 18th century

James Watt was a Scottish inventor and instrument maker whose improvements made the steam engine practical for industry. His separate condenser, patented in 1769, greatly reduced fuel consumption, and in partnership with Matthew Boulton at Birmingham from 1775 he built engines that drove mills and pumped mines. The unit of power, the watt, is named after him.

James Watt
Image: Carl Frederik von Breda · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Kingdom of Great BritainSocioeconomy

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). James Watt. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-watt
MLA
“James Watt.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-watt. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “James Watt.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-watt.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘James Watt’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-watt (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻