Malaika Crawford, Style Editor, Hodinkee (New York, New York)

Many see high-end watches as a token of forever, but view fashion as a fleeting fad. Malaika Crawford, Style Editor at Hodinkee, argues that both are fundamentally expressions of personal style. The gap between the two comes down to a dichotomy of permanence and obsolescence. But, ultimately, fashion and pop culture both do influence watch design - as well as the way we collect, consume, and wear watches.

At the March lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Crawford will explore the intersection of fashion and watches by looking at the design links between them through decades past. The use of black as a symbol of extreme modernity, or the similarities between Yves Saint Laurent and Gérald Genta, for example. In examining the parallels, we can better understand the impact and significance of fashion on the world of horology. 

*Doors open at 6PM ET, lecture to begin at 7PM ET. RSVP is required.

** The lecture video will be available to members immediately, and to the general public following a two-month delay.

About Malaika Crawford

Malaika Crawford is the Style Editor at Hodinkee, focusing primarily on style-related content in hopes of broadening the watch space and converging fashion and watch audiences. Malaika is also a Wardrobe Stylist who has previously worked with celebrities such as Rihanna. Prior to her position at Hodinkee she was the Watch and Jewelry editor at Highsnobiety and Fashion Editor at Interview Magazine. Malaika co-hosts a watch and pop culture podcast called “Killing Time.”

Laurence Bodenmann, Head of Heritage at ZENITH (Le Locle, Switzerland)

History is not stationary. It is the ever-evolving result of research based on existing material, made alive by continuous questioning. This research is entrusted to ZENITH’s Heritage Department, which can take advantage of the exceptionally rich historical assets of the nearly 160-year manufacture.

At the February lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Laurence Bodenmann, Head of Heritage at ZENITH, will present a behind-the-scenes look at the brand whose collection spans over 3,000 linear feet of archives and 5,000 timepieces. Learn about ZENITH’s storied heritage, how they secured their spot in the world of watchmaking, and how they are shaping the ‘making of’ watchmaking history at large.

*Doors open at 6PM ET, lecture to begin at 7PM ET. RSVP is required.

** The lecture video will be available to members immediately, and to the general public following a two-month delay.

About Laurence Bodenmann

Laurence Bodenmann is an anthropologist and historian specializing in the documentation and patrimonialization of horology and the broader evolution of objects from the 19th century onwards, approaching them from a technical, stylistic, and social point of view.

Bodenmann has curated horological exhibits and conducted scientific research on key horological collections within the Musée international d'horlogerie (Switzerland), National Watch and Clock Museum (United States), and Deutsches Uhrenmuseum (Germany) notably. Since 2015 she is the Head of ZENITH’s Heritage Department and teaches the history of objects to conservators and restorers at the Haute-Ecole Arc Graduate School in Switzerland.

Artur Akmaev, Founder of Artur Akmaev Watches (Santa Monica, CA)

Embarking on the journey of mastering the art of hand engraving is a rewarding and intricate process that requires dedication, patience, and a keen eye for detail. But how can one start practicing hand engraving and what is the process?

At the January lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Artur Akmaev, founder of his eponymous watch brand, will share his experience working with different hand-engraving styles and techniques that he has learned and applied to his watches, culminating in his recent collection complete with fully engraved dials showcasing craftsmanship at its finest.

*Doors open at 6PM ET, lecture to begin at 7PM ET. RSVP is required.

** The lecture video will be available to members immediately, and to the general public following a two-month delay.

About Artur Akmaev

Artur Akmaev is a Russian-born craftsman and a wristwatch designer who moved to America seven years ago. He currently resides in Santa Monica, California, working part-time for fellow HSNY alum Josh Shapiro, and runs his own business — Artur Akmaev — crafting unique timepieces using his skills of hand engraving, enameling, and high-end finishing.

At a very early age, Akmaev’s parents exposed him to museums and art galleries and bought him books with images of art pieces from a wide range of cultural eras. By the time he started middle school, Akmaev exhibited a strong ability to paint and draw with decorative stencils. After a few tryouts, he was invited to join an evening school for the Arts, and though attending two schools at once could feel overwhelming at times, immersion in the disciplines of sculpturing, painting, architecture, and art history was very exciting.

Years later, Akmaev went to a college of Arts and Crafts named after Carl Fabergé where he took jewelry design and fabrication classes. In the final year of college, he arrived at the discipline of fine hand engraving using very traditional sets of tools, some of which Akmaev learned to make from scratch.

After college, Akmaev continued his education at the University of Applied Arts in Moscow and took a part-time job at the local watch repair shop — his introduction to movements and the operations of basic cleaning and restoration. On occasion, the shop had high-end watches with hand engraving and it was there that Akmaev became fascinated by the meticulous engraving and how it influenced the design.

This was a huge inspiration to bring his skills to the level where Akmaev would start his eponymous brand, designing with engraving movements and fabricating original dials and hands.