Dear HSNY Supporters,
Many of you know that my annual letter typically reflects on time and timelines. This year, I want to focus on the present — where we are now and where I hope HSNY will go.
My term as President concludes at the end of this year. Serving in this role has been a profound honor and a deeply humbling experience. One of the most humbling aspects has been being part of an organization that has awarded close to $700,000 in financial aid to 79 watchmaking students during my tenure. I extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you for your trust and support. I also thank HSNY’s Board of Trustees for electing me a lifetime Fellow of the Society. I look forward to continuing my involvement and contributing to the field that has been my lifelong passion and the foundation of my current career.
Watchmaking has been a career for many over the centuries, and it was mine for two decades. It is because of my experience as a watchmaker that I have been able to spend the last three years applying those skills to building a Space Instrument for the upcoming NASA IMAP mission. To the watchmakers reading this, I hope my experience helps you appreciate your incredible talent and inspires you to realize that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
To those who work with watchmakers, I encourage you to consider how you can enhance your team’s value. There has long been a shortage of watchmakers, a situation exacerbated by stagnant compensation. Talented individuals capable of succeeding at the bench often find more lucrative opportunities in other fields. I have met more retired doctors, lawyers, and engineers at watch and clock collecting events than anywhere else. Those who build a career at the bench deserve praise for the work they do. Watchmakers who add sales, business, electronics, or engineering to their unique skillset should surprise no one. The talent needed to become a successful watchmaker is significant and can be applied to as many endeavors as you can imagine.
HSNY has not always been as successful as it is today. While we enjoyed a long period of success, I personally remember when HSNY had fewer than 20 members in 2003. Today, we have nearly 2,000 members and continue to grow. We broadened the Society’s mission to advance the art and science of horology, inviting collectors, enthusiasts, and industry professionals to join us in a way that had not been tried before. The results speak for themselves.
The history of watchmaking is filled with brilliant ideas that failed, not due to a lack of technical skill, but because of insufficient business acumen. We know that watchmakers do not exist in a vacuum. When the Society embraced a broader vision of its mission, it was able to help more watchmakers than ever before. Our goal remains to do even more to preserve and expand the number of people who carry the know-how of watchmaking into the future.
Leading an organization recovering from the brink with a modest budget is vastly different from knowing how to skillfully leverage seven figures annually. We are now in a position to begin building an endowment that has the potential to ensure our survival indefinitely. We continue to improve our library, expand traveling education, and plan to offer more scholarships each year. We also have exciting ideas for how HSNY can become a true incubator for independent horology. Stay tuned for details.
I would be remiss if I did not thank my old and dear friend John Davis, whom I have known for a very long time. John and I joined HSNY at the same time, and his contributions are significant. We have enjoyed our time as officers. I thank him for his collaboration as my VP and I congratulate him on his own induction as a Fellow of HSNY.
With that, I am pleased to introduce you to Bill Buchalter, HSNY’s 39th president and the first president from “the other side of the bench.” Bill will begin his term with the new year, and his financial savvy will be complemented by his VP, Eneuri Acosta’s talents. Both will benefit from Brett Walsdorf’s continued contributions as Treasurer.
Your incoming officers have the skills, talent, and experience to lead HSNY forward. Eight of our trustees remain on board and now have the backing of four new trustees (alphabetically): Amit Puri, Brian Robinson, David Chang, and Ellen Sorenson. Everyone involved has a deep respect for the craft and craftspeople of horology. I am confident they will serve you all very well and wish them and HSNY enormous success.
We are where we are today because of our growing membership and generous sponsors. We deeply appreciate all you have done to get us here. Thanks also to the many non-members who have attended our lectures and visited our library. We hope 2025 is the year you decide to become a member, donate, or volunteer your time in support of the community.
To everyone reading this, I wish you happy holidays and all the best for the New Year.
- John Teifert
President, Horological Society of New York
LIFETIME MEMBERS
Jared Tramontano (2022)
Benjamin A. Nelson (2023)
David Farmer (2024)
GOLD LEVEL MEMBERS
Alexandre Tilly
Amirali Ebrahimi
Andy Russo
Anthony Parziale
Antoine Salles
Basil Wilson
BK Fulton
Chi Chan
Christopher McNew
Clark Barwick
David Wertheimer
Dustin Tsitouris
Eric Graber-Lopez
Fatih Taskiran
Geoffrey Hess
Gerardo Estevez
Gregory R. Michael
H. Jane Chon
Hamed Alaghebandian
James Mercer
Jason Kim
Jeffrey P. Hess
Jhaveri Milind Harendra
Jim Norris
Joan Valerie Castro
John A. Davis
John Hoffman
John Nichols
John Warren
Jonathan Grau
Justin Werner
Kevin Wong
Matthew Connor
Michael Ansman
Michael Chiaramonte
Michael Kalb
Michael T. Jewell
Michael Williams
Nico McVicar
Nishant Patel
Paul Boutros
Paul N. Morrissette
Phillip Tiongson
Prachi Gauriar
Richard Duckett Jr.
Robert May
Robert Paolucci
Rupa Dainer
Scott B. Thistle
Scott Schenker
Sean Bedford
Sean Cahill
Simon Jeffs
Stuart Daniel Shanler
Ted Friedland
Thomas M. Lubeck
Todd Parker
William H. Julien
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The list above includes members with active, recurring Gold memberships