Join Us as We Celebrate 159 Years of New York’s Horological Tradition!

The Horological Society of New York (HSNY), America’s oldest watchmaking guild, founded in 1866, announces today its 159th anniversary Gala, taking place on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the iconic Plaza Hotel in New York City. This milestone event will bring together top watch brands, horology enthusiasts, industry leaders, and collectors to celebrate the Society’s rich history and its ongoing mission to advance the art and science of horology.

HSNY’s annual Gala is a glamorous evening filled with fine dining, scholarships for watchmaking students, and a live auction showcasing exceptional timepieces. 

Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Head of Watches, Material Good (New York, New York)

The current watch market is in a fascinating state, blending traditional luxury with modern innovation and shifting consumer preferences. To understand how we got here and what the future of watch collecting looks like, especially in the U.S., it’s essential to explore the evolution of the market, the underlying factors shaping it today, and what collectors need to keep in mind when curating their collections in 2025.

At the March 2025 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Yoni Ben-Yehuda, Head of Watches at Material Good, will lecture on the current watch market, its evolution, and what the future of watch collecting may look like. Ben-Yehuda will offer a peek into the inner workings of the watch industry (from the retail perspective) and explore the do’s and don’ts of building a modern watch collection in 2025.

*Doors open at 5:30 PM ET, lecture to begin at 6 PM ET. RSVP is required.

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

About Yoni Ben-Yehuda

As Head of Watches at Material Good, Yoni Ben-Yehuda oversees strategic initiatives related to luxury watch sales and services for all MG enterprises, including partnerships with select branded boutiques across the United States.

Yoni has played a pivotal role in some of the most notable sales of both vintage and modern grail watches, showcasing a deep understanding of the market and collector needs. He serves as an executor for estates belonging to prominent watch collectors, ensuring that valuable pieces are managed and preserved appropriately. Yoni has been instrumental in designing timepieces for prestigious brands like Audemars Piguet and Cartier, with additional projects currently in development. With over a decade of experience in marketing, Yoni has worked across various industries, including healthcare IT, entertainment, and luxury goods, adding a diverse skill set to his profile. He has served as an advisor of a social entrepreneurship independent study program at The Wharton School, illustrating his commitment to education and mentorship.

François Perez, Technical Director and Movement Constructor at Biver (Givrins, Switzerland)

What does it take to create a timepiece that transcends mere function and becomes a work of art? How do watchmakers incorporate elements of design and aesthetics into their creations? And what specific skills and techniques are necessary to elevate a watch from a simple tool to an object of beauty and wonder?

With a career distinguished by multiple world records in horological innovation, François Perez, Technical Director and Movement Constructor at Biver, draws on both his personal achievements and the brand's meticulous approach to advance the art and science of horology.

At the February 2025 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Perez will discuss the processes that transform raw materials into exceptional mechanical timepieces. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship involved in creating high-end watches at Biver, as well as the careful balance between preserving traditional techniques and embracing modern advancements.

*Doors open at 5:30 PM ET, lecture to begin at 6 PM ET. RSVP is required.

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

About François Perez

François Perez (1988) was born in Paris and began his schooling at the École Alsacienne in Paris, later attending the Lycée Saint-Denis in Loches, where he earned a scientific baccalaureate with honors. He then moved to Switzerland to attend the Haute École Arc Ingénierie in Le Locle, pursuing his passion for precision engineering. There, he earned a bachelor’s degree in microtechnology and watchmaking engineering, with a specialization in watch construction and complications.

In 2012, after completing his schooling, François joined Concepto Watch Factory, one of Switzerland’s premier movement developers and manufacturers. He spent the next decade at Concepto creating no fewer than 36 unique movements and setting three world records in the process. Among his creations are the Datora for Breitling, the Tourbillon Chronograph (WR), Finissimo Ultra, and Finissimo Ultra COSC (WR) for Bvlgari, the Bugatti Chiron for Jacob & Co., the Maximus (WR) for Kerbedanz, and the Memoris and Tourbillon Chronograph Memoris for Louis Moinet. These creations, among others, earned François a reputation for pushing boundaries and achieving technical excellence across the Swiss watch industry.

François joined Biver as Technical Director in 2022, overseeing the technical office and managing the setup, recruitment, and development of the brand’s watchmaking and decoration workshops, as well as handling logistical operations. He has overseen the development and creation of all Biver watches since the company’s inception and continues to work on new in-house Biver calibers, ensuring the brand’s continued success and growth. Every watch that leaves the Biver workshop passes under his careful eye before it reaches a customer’s wrist.

Richard Newman, Antiquarian Horologist (DeKalb, Illinois)

A watch was one of the most expensive consumer goods that one could buy in early America. They were a technical mystery that embodied the very height of craftsmanship, fashion, and artistry in the world, and conveyed one’s stature in society.

At the January 2025 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), Antiquarian Horologist Richard Newman will introduce “Early American Pocket Watches,” HSNY’s latest exhibit that spans 125 years of American watchmaking. From the earliest known American-signed watch, made in about 1715, to watches made during the early Federal period after the War of Independence, Newman will take us on a journey through the beginnings of an era that laid the foundations for the American watch industry.

*Doors open at 5:30 PM ET, lecture to begin at 6 PM ET. RSVP is required.

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

About Richard Newman

Richard Newman is Chair Emeritus and a Star Fellow of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, and a Director of the American Clock & Watch Museum. He currently leads NAWCC’s British Horology Chapter and the USA Section of the Antiquarian Horology Society based in London. Newman has lectured and published articles on early clocks and watches in the U.S. and abroad and hosts a website on early watchmakers, colonialwatches.com, to promote research and education.