We are always interested in hearing members’ stories about their interest in horology. At our last meeting, a nice gentleman stopped me and asked for his membership lapel pin, having recently joined HSNY. As I was handing him his pin, he asked for one for his son in Belgium. Because his son is a full time student, and membership is free, I gave him a pin for his son, and suggested that his son join our society. A few days later, Pascal Vanelderen surprised me with the wonderful photo above.
Here are their stories:
Pascal Vanelderen
"As I got more discerning about different watches and manufacturers, my interests evolved from the merely aesthetic appearance to gaining insight into the different movements and finally also wanting to be more knowledgeable about the watch industry itself. By roaming the internet during this quest, I ended up discovering the Horological Society of New York and becoming a member. The lectures and meetings are exactly what I am looking for: concise, not shying skepticism and covering all aspects of horology.
After watching numerous lectures on the website, I finally was able to attend a meeting on Monday May 7th (me living in Belgium) which, after a warm welcome from Ed Hydeman and interesting conversations with different members, fulfilled all expectations."
And Viktor’s story
"My love for watches really started off after getting my first higher end watch from my parents for my 16th birthday which was a Breitling Galactic 44. It was really interesting to hear about all the terminology like Swiss escapement, Chronometer vs. Chronograph,... it really fueled my interest because before I could only see and care for the appearance of the watch. My best friends and me discuss what we learn about watches and help raise each others interests. My curiosity is mostly fed by what my dad tells me about watches. We can spend hours talking about everything that is happening in the watchworld. With becoming older I am more and more interested about everything what has to do with watches. I still have much to learn, but I have the time and the curiosity to do so and to explore more about the watchworld and watch community."