HSNY Holds Its First International Class in Toronto, Canada

HSNY held its first international classes in Toronto, Canada, on July 7th and 8th,, 2018. The sold out classes were hosted at Charles Pachter's Moose Factory Gallery by Moe Jaber.
 
"Over the past two years, HSNY's traveling education team has done an incredible job in taking watchmaking on the road, visiting fifteen cities across the US,” says HSNY President Nicholas Manousos. “Now, HSNY is expanding its reach with its first international class in Toronto, Canada. We want to share the joy of watchmaking with the world, and we hope to see you soon at a horological education class." 
 
Through HSNY's Horological Education, students discover what actually makes a watch tick with hands-on classes taught by HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers. During the half-day workshop, students work on a mechanical watch movement, studying the gear train, winding and setting mechanisms, and escapement. 
 
Follow HSNY on social media for the latest traveling education announcements. Want us to visit your city next? Sound off on social! 

John Harrison Statue Appeal

Photo Credit: The Better Barrow Community Project

Photo Credit: The Better Barrow Community Project

The Better Barrow Community Project, a registered charity dedicated to advancing the education of the public in the life, work and achievements of John Harrison, is currently raising funds towards commissioning a statue to honor Harrison, the inventor of the world’s first reliable and accurate marine chronometer. 
 
According to the charity’s website, the statue will be the first of its kind celebrating the achievements of Harrison. The life-sized bronze statue will be erected in Barrow-upon-Humber where Harrison lived at the time he developed the revolutionary solution that increased the safety of long-distance sea travel. The commission of the internationally-funded project will be carried out by Marcus Cornish. 
 
Patrons wishing to help fund the project can visit the Better Barrow Community Project donation link here. 

Meeting Recap: Fluid Time

June 4, 2018 Grégory Dourde, CEO of HYT Watches and Preciflex

Grégory Dourde, CEO of HYT Watches and Preciflex
June 4, 2018

For the Horological Society of New York’s June, 2018, lecture, Grégory Dourde, CEO of HYT Watches and Preciflex, spoke on one aspect of horology we don’t often consider – fluidic horology. 

Armed with a magnificent display case housing state-of-the-art HYT wristwatches, 
Dourde took HSNY on a journey through time, through the flow of liquids. An art dating back approximately 4,000 years, water clocks go down in history as one of the oldest instruments used to measure time. Today, HYT pays homage to the discoveries of our ancestors with a scaled-down version designed for the wrist. 
 
With the purpose of bringing to life and proposing a new representation of the flow of time, HYT captures the essence of the centuries-old practice with multiple liquids. Dourde guided HSNY on the composition of their H0 model wristwatch, which contains a green liquid that represents time passed, and a transparent liquid that depicts the future. They meet – not mix – in the now. 
 
A modern master of fluidic horology, Dourde shared the obstacles HYT overcame in order to bring their inventions to life, including the creation of their iconic vibrant fluids, produced in-house and injected in air-tight capillaries – both of which were produced with the help of experts in the fields of medicine and science. Unique technologies to HYT’s wristwatches also includes a light module, which the team invented with no batteries in order to preserve the horological spirit of fluidic time. Instead, HYT models include a microgenerator that creates alternating currents via two LEDs. When it came to manual priming, HYT developed a special machine and process to extract and inject air to produce an air-tight capillary created to stand the test of time. 
 
The lecture was a fascinating look at how the centuries-old invention of fluidic time continues to evolve and be interpreted in ingenious ways, showcased here through the work of HYT. 
 
HSNY thanks Grégory Dourde for his fascinating lecture! 

HSNY Welcomes A. Lange & Söhne as a Sponsor

New York City - June 6, 2018

Furthering the Horological Society of New York’s (HSNY) educational mission, German watch manufacture A. Lange & Söhne has joined as a sponsor. A. Lange & Söhne’s generous support will enhance HSNY’s 152-year-old monthly lecture series, horological education classes, watchmaking scholarships, and extensive horological library.

Silvia Juarez-Henry, President of A. Lange & Söhne North America said "We are very glad to support the Horological Society of New York. A. Lange & Söhne takes pride in the craftsmanship and innovation behind our timepieces, and it is important to share that knowledge and make it accessible to the public. The Horological Society of New York is dedicated to advancing the art of watchmaking through education, and we are excited to be part of their mission."

Nicholas Manousos, President of HSNY said "HSNY was founded in 1866 by German immigrants to New York City, with many of our Society's early members having worked or studied in the historical home of German watchmaking, Glashütte. We are delighted to count A. Lange & Söhne, one of the most celebrated German watch brands, as a sponsor. HSNY thanks A. Lange & Söhne for their kind support."

About A. Lange & Söhne
Manufacture A. Lange & Söhne was established in Glashütte, Saxony, by Ferdinand A. Lange in 1845. For the next hundred years, A. Lange & Söhne pocket watches were among the most sought-after timepieces in the world, until the Second World War forced the company into a 40-year hiatus. In 1990, following German reunification, Walter Lange, great-grandson of Ferdinand Adolph Lange, revived the brand and launched the first collection in 1994.

About the Horological Society of New York
Founded in 1866, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) is one of the oldest continuously operating horological associations in the world. HSNY was started as a guild (union) for working watchmakers in New York. Today, HSNY is a member and sponsor supported 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on education. Its lecture series is a New York tradition, offered monthly for over 150 years. Its award-winning horological education classes travel the world to educate the public on what makes a mechanical watch tick. And its Henry B. Fried Scholarship is awarded annually, benefiting American watchmaking students.

Oklahoma State University School of Watchmaking to Close

Lathe instruction at the OSUIT School of Watchmaking

The School of Watchmaking at the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) will close at the end of 2018, after graduation of the current class. A notice was posted to the school’s website: “OSUIT is phasing out the Watchmaking & Microtechnology program within the School of Engineering Technologies. OSUIT will no longer be accepting applications for or enrolling new students in the Watchmaking & Microtechnology program, and only courses required for current students will be offered.”

The OSUIT School of Watchmaking was founded in 1946 and initially focused on education for veterans. As of 2018 the OSUIT School of Watchmaking was one of only a few original programs still in operation at OSUIT. The OSUIT School of Watchmaking was in part funded by the Swiss American Watchmakers Training Alliance (SAWTA). SAWTA is a program created by Rolex to standardize curriculum, testing and certification of watchmaking students in the USA.

The OSUIT Donald W. Reynolds Technology Center

Jerry Tate, a current student at the the OSUIT School of Watchmaking, said, "The OSUIT watchmaking and microtechnology program has produced many accomplished graduates throughout its existence, many of whom are in leadership positions at major watch groups and brands in the US, so it is indeed unfortunate that the program will be closing. My second year classmates and I were concerned when there was not a sufficient number of students to form a new class in January. We looked forward to passing on our lessons learned and helping them through the first year. We are of course very grateful that we were accepted and will be able to complete the program. It should be noted that the closure of four other programs at OSUIT was also announced in addition to the watchmaking program closure."

Jason Champion, the OSUIT School of Watchmaking Program Chair, said, "It is with great regret that after 72 years, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology will be phasing out the watchmaking program. It saddens me greatly as the program chair, an instructor, and, perhaps most of all, as an alumnus of the institution to see the watchmaking program come to an end. Due to an overwhelming budget crisis in the state of Oklahoma, our campus administration made the difficult decision to close the School of Watchmaking. We are very grateful for the support we have received from SAWTA, and we fully support the training offered to students through this program. We are proud of the level of education we provided to our students and celebrate the success of one of OSU Institute of Technology’s original programs offered since the campus opened in 1946. We appreciate all who have contacted us with their support for our faculty, students and also the institution. We wish our watchmaking students and alumni continued success in the profession that we love so dearly."

With the closure of the OSUIT School of Watchmaking, there are nine full-time watchmaking schools left in the USA.

Member Highlight: Viktor and Pascal Vanelderen

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."

 

Meeting Recap: The Swiss Watch Industry - 20 Years Into the 21st Century

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

William Massena, Managing Director of Timezone.com, Trustee of the Horological Society of New York
May 7, 2018

The Swiss watchmaking industry has had its share of ups and downs over the decades, including a period of rapid growth over the last 20 years. At the May 7, 2018, meeting of the Horological Society of New York, William Massena discussed the past, present and future of the Swiss watchmaking industry, posing many thoughtful questions to the audience. The first point Massena addressed was the title of his lecture, "The Swiss Watch Industry: 20 Years Into the 21st Century." Massena explained that even though we are only in the year 2018, the 21st century really started for the Swiss watchmaking industry in 1998 when the Asian financial crisis caused a large portion of the Swiss watchmaking industry to bring their distribution channels in-house.

Massena then discussed the large conglomerates operating in the Swiss watchmaking industry today, explaining their successes and failures. Panerai was used as an example of a brand that is having difficulty today. Their strategy of abundant limited editions of similar watches painted the brand into a corner, where customers stopped being interested. Massena explained that this scenario has played out many times, and made the case that large watch brands today are essentially marketing machines first. Massena also showed how brands in the same group will market very similar watches at different price points, with only minor differences in quality.

Independent watch brands were then discussed, with Rolex being the first example. Rolex does offer similar watches at different price points, but Massena showed how this is largely tied to the amount of precious materials used in the watch. Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe were also cited as examples of successful independent watch brands. Massena explained that the smaller independent watch brands, such as Richard Mille and MB&F are also doing quite well today, in contrast to the challenges faced by the brands owned by large conglomerates. Massena concluded by discussing the future. He stated that larger independent brands will continue do well, and that new watch buyers are looking for innovation, rather than the traditional watches that their grandfathers wore.

HSNY thanks William Massena for his fascinating lecture!

Event Recap: HSNY 2018 Gala & Charity Auction

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

On April 18, 2018, the Horological Society of New York celebrated its 152nd anniversary with a gala dinner and charity auction in Midtown Manhattan. Members and guests from across the country gathered to celebrate New York's horological tradition, see the presentation of the Henry B. Fried Scholarship, and bid on a collection of extraordinary timepieces and horological miscellanea.

Nicholas Manousos (HSNY's President, left) and Steve Eagle (HSNY's Director of Education, right) presenting the 2018 Henry B. Fried Scholarship to Mark Duckett (middle left) and Erik Gonzalez (middle right).

The Henry B. Fried Scholarship was established to assist American watchmaking students in their studies at full-time watchmaking schools. Two scholarships for $10,000 each were awarded at the 2018 Gala by HSNY's Director of Education, Steve Eagle. The 2018 awardees are Mark Duckett and Erik Gonzalez, students at the Patek Philippe Institute in New York.

John Reardon, International Head of Watches for Christie's, calling the HSNY 2018 Charity Auction

A collection of extraordinary timepieces and horological miscellanea was auctioned at the 2018 Gala, with proceeds going towards HSNY's ongoing educational programs. The charity auction was hosted by Christie's International Head of Watches, John Reardon.

The crowd was a diverse mix of watchmakers, clockmakers, collectors, journalists, auctioneers and executives, reflecting the friendship and generosity of the horological industry. Plans for HSNY's 2019 Gala are already underway, we are looking forward to seeing you there!

HSNY Visits Local Schools to Speak with Students About Horology

HSNY's President, Nicholas Manousos, and Executive Director, Ed Hydeman, recently visited two schools in New York City as part of HSNY's ongoing Outreach Program. On Monday, March 12, 2018, the duo visited P.S. 62 in Queens for their Career Day, where they spoke with 135 fourth graders in the school's auditorium. The following Wednesday, March 14, 2018, the duo visited The Riverdale Country School in the Bronx and spoke with a class of middle school students who were in the middle of an experiential study program on horology.

The study of time is an incredibly diverse subject, covering history, art, mathematics, astronomy, physics and more. Horological education provides a foundation for students as they continue their studies in other subjects, and introduces an in-demand career option. The Horological Society of New York's staff of professional watchmakers and horological historians are available for classroom visits, career days and speaking engagements, free of charge. Contact us today to arrange a visit to your school!

Meeting Recap: Horological Conservation - A Preliminary Study of Bellows Materials in Smoking Automata

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

Brittany Nicole Cox, Antiquarian Horologist, Seattle, Washington
March 5, 2018

The great George Daniels said, “Mechanical watches are historical, intellectual, technical, aesthetic, useful, and amusing.” While many of us can agree with the first five points, the last one might be a bit befuddling. But automata combine all of these features in a way that still remains fresh and exciting. At the March 5, 2018, lecture of the Horological Society of New York, Antiquarian Horologist Brittany Nicole Cox, of Memoria Technica in Seattle, gave a lecture on a specific type of automata: smoking automata. 

Before she delved into these fascinating figures, Cox described the intricacies of automata and the importance of horological conservation. More than just telling time, automata serve a function, and Cox’s main concern is preserving that function along with the historical integrity of the piece she is working on—no matter how complicated that task might be. Clocks with automata figured and singing bird boxes (some actual taxidermy birds with mechanical innards) are some of the horological figures Cox works on. 

Cox’s lecture on smoking automata powered by bellows was presented as a way to promote conservation research into materials. These intricate and complex machines often pose a particular set of problems for the conservator. Damage through performance and natural degradation, the use of mixed materials, even the use of the bellows themselves, can all contribute to an automaton’s degradation over time. The cigarette smoking automata were made in the Marais District of Paris between 1848 and and 1914. In addition to being made of materials like textiles, leather, paper, wood, and clockwork innards, these automata also smoked real cigarettes. Cox did her study on an automaton made in the workshop of Gustav Vichy. The automaton wears a red coat, white trousers, and leather boots—all which needed to be removed in order to expose the bellows beneath. 

When operated, the clockwork mechanism pumps the bellows in time with the motions of the figure. The head moves from left to right, the eyes blink, and the mouth is open to draw cigarette smoke into it. Upon exhalation, the arm is lowered, and the mouth is opened, exhaling the smoke. The monocle is raised to the right eye and the figure blinks through it. A tube inside the automaton’s hand, connecting it to the chest, draws the smoke in, and another tube draws the smoke back to the mouth. Historicall, components of the bellows system were made from alum-tawed skin and vulcanized rubber, which can become brittle and prone to breakage. In order to work, however, bellows must be flexible, strong, and airtight. This poses a unique problem to the restorer. To construct their replacement, Cox elected to use Tyvek, a modern material that is chemically stable, durable, flexible, durable, strong, and airtight. Cox undertook three trials, exposing the Tyvek bellows to smoke and tensile testing. To repair the damage to the head, Cox used Japanese tissue and wheat paste.

HSNY thanks Brittany Nicole Cox for her fascinating lecture!

Submitted by Christa Chance, Recording Secretary, HSNY

Meeting Recap: The Essentials Of Precision Timekeeping

Jack Forster, Editor-in-Chief, HODINKEE
February 5, 2018

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

Ever since the dawn of time, mankind has tried to keep track of it. Although timekeeping devices have evolved, from the water clocks of antiquity to the atomic clock today, the general principle behind them is the same: that they be correct. At the February 5, 2018 lecture before the Horological Society of New York, Jack Forster, Editor-in-Chief of HODINKEE, traced the origins of precision timekeeping, and delved into what makes it work. The first step in understanding precision timekeeping is to understand the difference between precision and accuracy. While we often conflate the two, they are in fact quite different. In the simplest terms, accuracy is the conformity to a time standard. However, in horology, precision refers to rate or frequency stability. For a timekeeper to be precise, it must have a stable rate. 

Early efforts to track the procession of time relied on continuous processes, such as the movement of heavenly bodies or the flow of water. An example of an early timekeeper that tells time from the movement of a heavenly body is, as one might expect, a sundial. Ancient Greeks told time with water clocks, which could have been as simple as a bowl of water with lines drawn on the inside. As time progressed, timekeeping devices became more sophisticated. This brings us to the second method with which time is measured: oscillatory processes. An example of this would be the swinging of a pendulum in a longcase clock. 

A pendulum is a harmonic oscillator, in which a mass, such as a weight, experiences a restoring force proportional to the driving force. Harmonic oscillators have a natural frequency which makes them suitable for timekeeping. In a pendulum, the restoring force is gravity, which is constant at a given altitude, making it ideal for timekeeping. This is achieved in modern watches and clocks by the escapement. For all our advances in horology, modern timekeepers are still plagued by the same issues that our ancestors dealt with. Temperature, magnetism, positional variation, and changes in atmospheric pressure can affect accurate timekeeping. The essence of modern horology, therefore, is combating these elements in order to keep timekeepers accurate... and precise. 

HSNY thanks Jack Forster for his fascinating lecture!

Submitted by Christa Chance, Recording Secretary, HSNY

Meeting Recap: An Introduction to the Naked Watchmaker Platform

Peter Speake-Marin, Founder, The Naked Watchmaker, Switzerland
January 9, 2018

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

For the first HSNY meeting of 2018, noted watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin spoke at about his new project, The Naked Watchmaker. The Naked Watchmaker is a website devoted exclusively to pursuing horological education. In Speake-Marin’s own words, he intends to "bring to a new generation the magic and passion of watchmaking, and to increase the knowledge of those already bitten by the horological bug."  As a veteran watchmaker, Speake-Marin has garnered extensive experience with the inner workings of the Swiss watchmaking industry. He spent several years in after-sale service, restoration, building complicated movements, product development, training, and developing companies. The Naked Watchmaker is a fulfillment of a lifelong goal for Speake-Marin. 

The Naked Watchmaker covers information in six categories, offering insight on areas that collectors will experience in pursuing their passion. For example, many collectors start with the first category, pocket watches, but might find that they are tricky to service due to the age and obscurity of many of the parts. Collectors of vintage watches, the second category, might run into the same issues; moreover, due to the fact that certain features of vintage watches—that might be considered damage by watchmakers—can in fact be considered valuable. Even collectors of watches made by modern independent brands, the third category, run into their own unique challenges due to the fact that many watches created by independent brands can be one-of-a-kind pieces. 

For the fourth category, "just movements", The Naked Watchmaker intends to bring insight to the unique and obscure features that many historical movements possess. The same holds true for modern calibres, the fifth category that The Naked Watchmaker covers, because many are only serviced by large brands. Finally, Speaks-Marin intends to offer horological art, the sixth category, on his platform. In the future Speake-Marin intends to continue to populate the site and make it a "Wikipedia for watches." Future sections include: modern machining techniques, how watches work, books (both paper and electronic), recommendations for museums and schools, and videos made in collaboration with Watches TV. 

HSNY thanks Peter Speake-Marin for his fascinating lecture!

Hans Weber, 1932-2018

Hans Weber died on the morning of Saturday, January 6, 2018. Hans was an active member of the Horological Society of New York for over 50 years, and was the only person to have attended both the 100th Anniversary in 1966 and 150th anniversary in 2016. Hans served as a Trustee for the Society, and was presented the Howard Fass award at the 150th Anniversary for his extraordinary dedication to the Society's ideals. Hans worked at both Cartier and Tiffany & Co. in New York. He was a kind man, a talented watchmaker, and he will be missed.

Service Information
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Visitation beginning at noon, service offered at 2:30pm
Vander Plaat Funeral Home
257 Godwin Avenue
Wyckoff, NJ 07481
201-891-3400

Henry B. Fried Scholarship for American Watchmaking Quadrupled for 2018

Henry B. Fried teaching a watchmaking class.

Henry B. Fried teaching a watchmaking class.

The Horological Society of New York’s Henry B. Fried Scholarship was established in early 2017, with a goal of increasing the number of students studying at full-time watchmaking schools in the USA. Most watchmaking schools in the USA are free, but the cost of living while attending school can be a large barrier for prospective students. Additionally, many watchmaking schools are not accredited, meaning student loans are not possible. At the same time, watchmakers are more in-demand than ever. The popularity of mechanical watches continues to increase, but more watchmakers are retiring than graduating. With the Henry B. Fried Scholarship, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) is working diligently to reverse that trend, by offering significant financial assistance to American watchmaking students.

The dramatic expansion of the Henry B. Fried Scholarship was made possible by an incredibly generous and anonymous donation of $100,000, shortly after Roger W. Smith’s lecture in December 2017. For 2018, the Henry B. Fried Scholarship will quadruple from one award of $5,000 to two awards of $10,000 each. The application period is open now through March 1, 2018, and the scholarships will be awarded at HSNY’s annual Gala & Charity Auction on April 18, 2018. Students who are either studying at or have been accepted to a full-time watchmaking school in the USA are eligible. To apply, students should write a letter to HSNY that includes a brief biography and explanation of their motivation to study watchmaking.

Meeting Recap: The Development of a Practical Watch Escapement

Roger W. Smith, Founder, Roger W. Smith Ltd., Isle of Man, British Isles
December 4, 2017

No one knows who invented the escapement, but it has been contributed to over the centuries by generations of talented watch and clock makers. Even so, only a few have ever been practical for daily use in a watch. On December 4, 2017, Roger W. Smith lectured at the Horological Society of New York and spoke on the practicality of the co-axial escapement.

In his lecture, Smith explained that he had been able to dramatically increase the service interval of his watches due to the efficiency of the co-axial escapement. He then extrapolated on his mentor George Daniels’s research in escapement development, which resulted in the publishing of The Practical Watch Escapement in 1994. 

Early escapements, like the cylinder, exhibited sliding friction while operating. Detached escapements reduced sliding friction, allowing the balance to run freely and reducing the stress on the already heavily taxed escapement lubrication. The more a balance is able to swing freely, the more accurately the watch can run, and with a longer service interval. Even modern detached escapements, like the lever, still exhibit a high amount of sliding friction.

There have been many escapement designs that have come close to eliminating sliding friction, but nearly all of them are limited by the higher complexity and therefore higher failure rate and cost to manufacture. Daniels' co-axial, and Smith's single wheel co-axial escapement provides power much more efficiently than a Swiss lever escapement, and has reduced reliance on lubrication in order to operate, all while being practical to implement in a wristwatch.

The Sunday before Smith's lecture at HSNY, he guest instructed a special horological education class for six lucky students. The class was an opportunity for students to learn from one of the world's leading watchmakers, over an afternoon in Brooklyn.

HSNY thanks Roger W. Smith for his fascinating lecture!

Submitted by Christa Chance, Recording Secretary, HSNY

HSNY Welcomes Watchonista as a Sponsor

Watchonista, the online magazine dedicated to covering the world of watches, has joined the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) as a sponsor. Watchonista’s generous support will enhance HSNY’s mission of horological education.

Watchonista's Co-Founders Alexander Friedman and Marco Gabella said “Watchonista is delighted to sponsor the Horology Society of New York. It’s an honor to join esteemed colleagues and partner brands to support this very worthy cause. In addition, we’re committed to globally supporting HSNY's efforts to educate the next generation of watchmakers. We look forward to helping share the association’s knowledge and history to our readers.“

Nicholas Manousos, HSNY President said “Watchonista's passion for horology is evident through their in-depth and intriguing editorial coverage of the watchmaking industry and their support of charitable horological organizations around the world. HSNY looks forward to a wonderful partnership and thanks Watchonista for their generous support.“

Early Bird Tickets Now Available for HSNY's 2018 Gala & Charity Auction

The Horological Society of New York invites you to celebrate its 152nd year at the 2018 Gala and Charity Auction on Wednesday April 18, 2018. The annual Gala and Charity Auction is an opportunity to look back at our accomplishments, recognize talented watchmaking students, and bid on incredible watches and ephemera. More details will be announced soon. Early bird tickets are available only until January 31, 2018. Don't delay, reserve your tickets to HSNY's 2018 Gala & Charity Auction today!

2018 Executive Committee

HSNY's Board of Directors met recently to hold elections for 2018. After serving as Vice President for 2017, Michael Fossner resigned and nominated Luke Cox-Bien as his successor. Luke Cox-Bien was then elected Vice President by HSNY’s trustees. Luke Cox-Bien has been a member of HSNY for five years, and has held several executive committee positions. HSNY thanks Michael Fossner for his exemplary service. In addition, Brett Walsdorf, who serves as Director of Special Events, was elected Trustee.

Pictured above, Nicholas Manousos, President (left), and Luke Cox-Bien, Vice President (right). Photo by Atom Moore.

Meeting Recap: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Radium Dials

Kathleen McGivney, COO, RedBar Group and Director of Operations, Horological Society of New York
November 7, 2017

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

Many watch collectors own watches with radium dials - even seeking them out specifically. But do these watches present any dangers to the collectors who wear them? In her lecture to the Horological Society of New York on November 7, 2017, HSNY's Director of Operations and Red Bar's COO Kathleen McGivney delved into the history of radium dials and answered those pressing questions.

Radioluminescence, the process by which light is produced by bombarding a reactive material with ionizing radiation, was widely used as the demand for watches that were readable at night grew. Radium, discovered by the Curies (who coined the term “radioactivity”) in the 1890s, was ideal for that use due to its radioluminescent properties. Also, since radium was viewed at the time to have medicinal benefits (even touted to cure arthritis and high blood pressure), its potential deleterious effects were ignored… to deadly effect. 

Starting in the 1910s, thousands of young women began working at factories devoted to producing watches with radium dials. They would dip their camelhair brushes into a solution of radium, and then moisten the tip of the brushes between their lips to give them a finer point. The “Radium Girls” churned out dials, knowing that the watches they painted would adorn the wrists of soldiers fighting “over there” in the First World War.

By the 1920s, the Radium Girls began to fall ill and die of wasting diseases that doctors attributed to their ingestion of the element, eventually filing lawsuits which led to the establishment of OSHA. Which brings us to the present day: since the watch industry used radium until well into the 1950s, many watches with radium dials survive. Are these watches dangerous to handle or wear? The short answer is no. 

McGivney shared videos of readings she took with a Geiger counter from watches with radium dials. While all emitted some radioactivity, McGivney concluded that the exposure was not enough to harm the people who wear them. However, McGivney recommended that collectors store these watches in lead-lined pouches. 

HSNY thanks Kathleen McGivney for her fascinating lecture!

Submitted by Christa Chance, Recording Secretary, HSNY

Meeting Recap: Fakes, Forgeries and the Birth of Mass Production in the European Watch Industry, 1750-1820

Dr. Rebecca Struthers FBHI FRSA Ph.D., Birmingham, UK
October 2, 2017

Video recordings of meetings are available to HSNY members.

Anyone who has visited Chinatown in New York has seen the thousands of “imitation” watches on offer. Though it might seem like a product of the age of mass-machining in which we live, such a concept is much older. In her lecture at the Horological Society of New York on October 2, 2017, Dr. Rebecca Struthers, FBHI, FRSA, PhD, Birmingham, UK, discussed her groundbreaking research on 18th-century “Dutch forgeries.” 

London was the center of horology in the 18th century. This was the Golden Age of British Watchmaking. Watchmakers like Tompion and Mudge produced roughly 1,000 watches a year. But the emergence of a vibrant and hungry middle class in Britain meant that these master watchmakers—faced with heavy taxation on precious metals after the Napoleonic Wars—could not meet the demands that the middle class posed on them. However, watchmakers in Europe were not faced with the same economic structures. European watchmakers capitalized on the depression in England to flood the market with cheap watches, often using fictitious names—like Harry Potter. 

These were called “Dutch forgeries” but, as Struthers pointed out, they were not Dutch made, nor were they forgeries of specific well-known makers like Mudge or Tompion. These watches imitated the Dutch style, often with scalloped edges on the dial, but with an inferior quality of metal and materials. Struthers used her past experience as a metalsmith to study the cases and came to the conclusion that they had been stamped and then soldered with lead, not cast as previously thought. 

Since standardized mass manufacturing didn’t emerge until the mid-19th century in America, the fact that these watches were produced and then distributed in such large numbers is astounding. Their existence spoke of a novel and innovative redistribution of labor, allowing for over 40,000 watches to be produced in a year. These watches proved that cheap watches would sell because there was a market to buy them. This changed the face of horology forever, as portable accurate timekeeping was no longer only the province of the rich.

HSNY thanks Dr. Rebecca Struthers for her fascinating lecture!

Submitted by Christa Chance, Recording Secretary, HSNY