New York - April 1, 2020
Established in 1866 by a small group of German emigres, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) is America’s oldest watchmaking guild. Today, HSNY operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to advance the art and science of horology.
Throughout its 154-year existence, HSNY has created educational programs and established scholastic awards to ensure that the future of horology is bright. As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic and the watchmaking industry faces uncertainty, HSNY is investing in the future with $55,000 in grants - its largest pledge yet.
HSNY now introduces the Howard Robbins Award, a grant for watchmaking schools created to complement the Henry B. Fried Scholarship for watchmaking students. Howard Robbins (1950-2020) was a professional in the world of timepieces for nearly 40 years and recently passed away in March 2020. The Howard Robbins Award is intended to foster Robbins’ professional rigor, love of people and belief in education within the watchmaking community.
The 2020 recipients of the Howard Robbins Award are the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative in Delaware ($15,000), the only technical school devoted to disabled veterans in the U.S., and Paris Junior College’s Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology in Texas ($10,000), established in 1942 to provide industry job training.
Additionally, HSNY awards $30,000 to six watchmaking students through its Henry B. Fried Scholarship. Named after a former HSNY president and a prolific author in the field of watchmaking once described by The New York Times as “the dean of American watchmakers”, the Henry B. Fried Scholarship was established in 2017 and aims to help watchmaking students succeed in every way. This year, HSNY received applications from more than half of all watchmaking students in the U.S. and is doubling the number of scholarship recipients from 2019. Six watchmaking students will each receive $5,000 to help cover the cost of watchmaking tools and living expenses. The 2020 recipients of the Henry B. Fried Scholarship are:
Brandan Cloos (Lititz Watch Technicum, Pennsylvania)
Gordon Hyde (Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, Delaware)
Brian Kruppenbacher (Paris Junior College - Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, Texas)
Raluca Markow (Patek Philippe Institute, New York)
Nichelle Nguyen (North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking, Texas)
Jared Troy (Paris Junior College - Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, Texas)
Class of 2020
“The Henry B. Fried Scholarship aims to alleviate costs associated with horological education,” said Nicholas Manousos, HSNY president. “We are thrilled to have received so many applications and personal stories about what horology means to future watchmakers.”
Award recipients are usually honored at HSNY’s annual spring Gala & Charity Auction which helps the nonprofit raise funds to advance the art and science of horology. This year’s gala has been postponed to Wednesday, August 5 due to the coronavirus. Many of the scholarship winners will be present at the gala to join in the celebration.