1818:
Chubbsafes history began with the designing and manufacturing of safes and locks for banking and financial institutions.

1835:
The Chubb brothers patented their first safe. Engineering quality soon became recognised and the craftsmanship and skill with which the products were made was unequivocal.

1841:
The Chubbsafes group grew from strength to strength, it continued designing and constructing only the best physical security for major financial institutions such as the Bank of England.

1846:
Charles Chubb died on 16 May 1846, aged 75. After his death the business was continued by his son and partner, John Chubb.

1847:
The House of Chubb grew to become one of the largest Security Groups in the world with representation in no less then 83 countries, one of them being South Africa.

1854:
The earliest record of Chubb in South Africa dates to an advert in the Natal Mercury of 3 May 1854 for a Fireproof patented safe.

1862:
A Chubb safe was supplied to the Standard Bank of South Africa when it opened in 1862.

1872:
John Chubb died in 1872 and was succeeded by his sons John Charles, George Hayter and Harry Withers Chubb as sole partners. Ten years after their fathers death, the concern was turned into a private limited company.The firm began to expand and promote its products abroad.

To celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the foundation of the firm, a new lock works was built at Wolverhampton capable of accommodating 350 workmen and a new safe-making department to take about the same number.

Early 1880’s:
In the early 1880’s George Hayter Chubb, sent out one of his staff Robert George Maxwell to establish an agency for the Company in South Africa.

1890’s:
Sometime in the 1890’s, Chubb put up its own building in Wale street, Cape Town.  Business then showed the need for stronger representation in South Africa and in that year a company was registered under the name of Chubb & Maxwell.

1899:
The opening year of the Anglo-Boer War, it was decided to set up a branch in Johannesburg. These moves combined to strengthen Chubb in South Africa during her time of crises and paved the way to a prosperous business future. The aftermath of the war produced a fine Chubb advertisement depicting a Boer and a Briton shaking hands over a large Chubb Safe and urging growth and co-operation. It was circulated throughout the country in poster form.

1908:
Chubb passed its most severe test to date which happened in Bloemfontein. The main Government Buildings caught a light and was almost completely destroyed.  It would be difficult to imagine a bigger disaster from an administrative point of view. All the important records of the Colonial Administration, Supreme Court, Registry of Deeds and the like were stored within these buildings. The Bloemfontein newspaper “The Friend” dated 2 November 1908 writes:

“The first strongroom opened was that of the Master of the High Court.  It was around this part that the fire burnt as fiercely as any other portion of the building, hence it was feared that the contents of the strongroom had suffered.  The door, one of Chubb’s, yielded to some coaxing and the party stepped into the room to FIND THAT EVERYTING IT CONTAINED WAS ABSOLUTELY UNTOUCHED;  the Chubb’s door having done its work well, for, though it bore evident traces of the severity of the fire, it had not bulged or swollen in any way and except that it was somewhat tight, it did not give much trouble.”

Chubb took the initiative and launched a number of new specialities on the SA market – the Chubb Time Lock, the Railway Chest and the Panic Door.  In a country where the getting of riches and accumulation of wealth were two intensive occupations, the products sold well and gave the Company a firm foothold in the business of security.

1914:
From 1914 to the end of the World War I,  there was a constant flow of safes from the Admiralty and the Army. High explosives and shrapnell shells were produced on huge quantities reaching as many as 4000 shells a week in 1918.

1938:
The firm celebrated its 120th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a new extension was opened in Wolverhampton. The new buildings consisted of a lock works and offices which brought the total factory area to over six and a half acres.

Shipping shortages made things a little difficult for Chubb during the Second World War. However, Chubb provided it by gaining the South African Government Defence Department as a major customer. Throughout the war Chubb mechanics were kept busy installing safes and strongrooms for the Department and often undertook special assignments on its behalf.

1948:
Chubb equity was made available to the general public for the first time. Improvements and additions to the security of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London were made.

1950:
Following a visit by Mr. Emory Chubb, a local factory was established in Wadeville, Germiston, under the direction of Mr. C.A. Larke. He was transferred from Chubb U.K. to manufacture and market Chubb products in South Africa under the name Chubb & Son’s Lock and Safe Company SA Pty Limited. 

1954:
Manufacturing by Chubb commenced in Canada with the formaiton of a Canadian company.

The introduction of the new range of safes by Chubb was a landmark in safe design. The rapid increase in oxygen- cutting since 1947 had created a demand for a reasonably priced safe to give protection against this particular attack. Such protection had been available since the 1920's but its cost was prohibitive and so its use was restricted to banking houses and specialised organisations. The Chubb Standard Anti Blowpipe safe was a technical breakthrough that had far reaching effects not only in the security world but to Chubb itself.

1962:
Another step forward in safe protection was made by Chubb with the introduction of a new alloy known as TDR (Torch and Drill resisting).

2000:
Chubb demerged and the safes division was acquired by global giant Gunnebo who breathed new life into the Chubbsafes group.

2007:
Chubbsafes provides security protection for the largest financial institutions, commercial companies, retail, services and domestic market. It maintains its quality and leadership position through continuous development into R&D and using highly skilled product engineers to design new and more robust products.