David E. Walter, F.B.H.I., Independent Horologist & Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, Santa Barbara, California
November 4, 2019
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The risk is not that you set your goals too high and fail to reach them, it’s that you set them too low and do.
The quote was the start of David Walter’s A Life of Independent Horology lecture at the November meeting of the Horological Society of New York. Walter strongly believed in going your own way, never giving up and making sure that what was produced was the best quality. Whenever Walter looked at a watch or clock, he’s reminded that the technology was created 200 years ago with no electricity or machines — as far as he was concerned, there must be a simpler way to make or repair a timepiece.
When Walter was 15 years old, he apprenticed as a clock and watch repairer for six years. At first, he worked on mechanisms ranging from pendulum clocks, alarm clocks and then to smaller mechanisms like pocket watches and wristwatches. However, he knew that he had to leave Australia in order to further his experience especially since the categories of high precision clocks, chronographs and chronometers were gaining in interest for him. So, he worked in London for three years and Vienna for seven years. But corporate culture was not working for Walter, so he decided to make his own horological pieces. In 1978, he made his first piece — a Skeleton Clock — followed by the Perpetual Wall Clock and the (D)W5 Free Pendulum Clock. Each timepiece that Walter created had their unique qualities:
The world’s smallest Carriage Watch: A special contrite 4th wheel and an escape wheel with an inverted pinion had to be created in order for the train to change plane to drive the escapement
The Exhibition Tourbillon: Based on Breguet’s 1252 Tourbillon
Five Presidio Watches: All bear with pride “Made in USA” identification
The Platinum Watch: Houses David’s DW .900 Platinum movement and a .900 Platinum coin-edged watch case with an exhibition back — the only made of that material due to the challenge of working with the metal
The White Watch: Case made of Tantalum with David’s interpretation of the Omega Cal. 260 and butterfly snailing
Azur L’heure Bleue Pocket Watch: Made of Tantalum and all parts including the jewels were made in the USA
Of all the pieces Walter has made he considers the Double Pendulum Clock with Planisphere as his masterpiece especially since he included the following 19 complications:
Equation of Time, Equation a’ Marchant
Sunrise - Sunset
Annual Calendar
Perpetual Calendar Using George Daniels’ Patented Calendar
Retrograde Date Change
Instant Calendar Change
Month Indication
Day Indication
Leap Year Indication
Equation Calendar
Sidereal Time Conversion Train
Planisphere
Wandering Moon
Sidereal Hours - Civil Hours Conversion Train
Age of the Moon
Angle of the Moon to the Sunday
Phases of the Moon
Instant Change of the Moon Waxing to the Moon Waning Indication
Days Until Next New Moon
To bookend the lecture, Walter gave the following quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
Perfection has been achieved, not when there is something more to add, but when there is nothing left to remove.
HSNY thanks David Walter for his fascinating lecture!
Photography by Atom Moore
Submitted by Melody Benloss, Recording Secretary & Associate Librarian
