Originally an Owenite, whose economic writings affected the views of Friedrich Engels, he moved to a position more in favour of capital.
After leaving elementary school, he became a member of the local Mechanics' Institution, where from age of 13 to 20 he acted as assistant secretary and librarian.
For three years he ran a boys' school in the Manchester Hall of Science, an Owenite foundation designed to hold 3000 people.
On 18 July 1844 he obtained from the University of Giessen the degree of PhD[2] In 1846 he was named by the Northern Star, the radical Chartist paper, as one of a small number of Owenites sympathetic to the aims of their movement, with George Holyoake and G. A.
Subsequently Watts wrote the first draft of a bill which was introduced into parliament and became the Life Assurance Act of 1870, which among other precautionary measures forbade the transfer or amalgamation of insurance companies without judicial authority.
He also joined the society for promoting the repeal of the "taxes on knowledge", and supported the efforts in parliament of Milner Gibson, Richard Cobden, and Ayrton, framing many questions, and collecting most of the specimen cases, brought up with the chancellor of the exchequer.
As a result of that conference a special committee was appointed, on whose behalf he prepared the draft of Henry Austin Bruce's education bill of 1868.
He was a member of the Manchester school board from its constitution in 1870 to his death, and secretary to the Owens College extension committee, which raised funds for new building and endowment.