Recapping the 2023

TM
November 2023

Fall Symposium
HOROLOGICAL TIMES
AMERICAN WATCHMAKERS-CLOCKMAKERS INSTITUTE · SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING HOROLOGY THROUGH EDUCATION AND COOPERATION

A Glimpse of the New

Watchmaking Generation

Timekeeping in the 17th Century

The Parts and Processes of a

Rose Engine in the Modern Shop
 Since 1920

JULES BOREL & COMPANY

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 IN THIS VOLUME 47, NUMBER 11, November 2023

Official Publication of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute

Feature Industry News TM

Recapping the 2023

November 2023
EXECUTIVE & EDITORIAL OFFICES Timekeeping in the 17th Century Vortic’s Colorado Watch Company Fall Symposium
By Doug Blake By Donna Hardy
American Watchmakers- page 35 page 75
HOROLOGICAL TIMES

AMERICAN WATCHMAKERS-CLOCKMAKERS INSTITUTE · SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING HOROLOGY THROUGH EDUCATION AND COOPERATION
Clockmakers Institute (AWCI)
701 Enterprise Drive
Harrison, OH 45030
AWCI News Important Watch Auctions
By Donna Hardy
From the Editor page 76
866-FOR-AWCI (367-2924) By James Sprague
or 513-367-9800 page 4
Fax 513-367-1414
Eco Descriptors Banned in EU
By Donna Hardy
awci@[Link] • [Link] President’s Message page 78 A Glimpse of the New
Watchmaking Generation

[Link]/MyAWCI By David Lindow Timekeeping in the 17th Century

page 5
In Summary The Parts and Processes of a
Rose Engine in the Modern Shop

James Sprague
Letters to the Editor Retro-Bot Watch Winder Gem City College instructor Philip Stoller,
Office Manager and Managing Editor By Donna Hardy
Ext. 301 james@[Link]
page 6 CMEW, CW, CC, works on a lathe during the
page 79
annual Micromechanics Challenge at the 2023
2024 AWCI Membership Renewal AWCI Fall Symposium. Stoller won the com-
Donna Hardy Underway Timex’s ReWound Program
Contributing Editor By Donna Hardy petition, with his award being the Bergeon
By James Sprague Deluxe Staking Set that AWCI IAB member
dcphardy@[Link] page 21 page 79
Jules Borel generously donated.
Janette Torres-Gomez Donations Drive Beginning to The Watch Library Foundation
Graphic Designer, Advertising and Reap Results By Donna Hardy From the Workshop
Assistant Technical Support By James Sprague page 79 Ten Busy Days Continued/
Ext. 302 jgomez@[Link] page 25 An Alternative View
By Jack Kurdzionak, CW21, FAWCI
Newest ‘Fellow’ Surprised by
Education & Certification page 69
Jason Champion, CW21 AWCI Educational Calendar
Education Director and Watchmaking Specialist AWCI’s Highest Honor page 9 A Vintage View
Ext. 303 jason@[Link] By James Sprague
page 27 Sessions
An Impressive Beginning By James Sprague
Mike Carpenter, CC21 First-Time Instructors Impress page 86
Clock Director
Annual AWCI Board of Directors First-Time AWCI Students
Meeting Sees New Members, New By James Sprague
clocks@[Link]
Endeavors page 13 Classifieds
By James Sprague Buy, Sell, Trade, and
HOROLOGICAL TIMES page 29 Employment Opportunities
ADVISORY COMMITTEE A Glimpse of the New
Daniel Benson, CMW Watchmaking Generation page 88
Recapping the 2023 By James Sprague
Andrew DeKeyser, CW21
AWCI Fall Symposium
Dale LaDue, CMW21 By James Sprague
page 15 AWCI Directory
Jason Ziegenbein, CW21 page 43 Advertisers’ Index
Student Education, page 90
Membership Bolstered
New Members/ELM Trust Donors By James Sprague
page 81 page 19
Board of Directors
page 90
Affiliate Chapter News
Reprinting and reproduction is prohibited without written page 83 Columns Fellows
permission from the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Of Hidden Things: In the Clock Shop page 90
Replacing a Suspension Spring
Institute. Copyright © 2023 by the American Watchmakers- Technical Discussion By Mike Carpenter, CC21, CC Industry Advisory
Clockmakers Institute. The Parts and Processes of a Rose page 33 Board Members
Horological Times (ISSNO 145-9546) is published monthly
Engine in the Modern Shop page 90
By G. Phil Poirier From the Archives
and copyrighted by the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers page 51 Working in the Clock Shop:
Institute, 701 Enterprise Drive, Harrison, OH 45030-1696. Reversing Great Wheels
Subscription price for the public is $175.00 per year By Paul Corn
($15.00 per copy). Members subscription is $99.00 which page 37
is included with annual dues of $175.00. Periodicals post-
age paid at Harrison, OH 45030 and additional entries.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Horological Times,
701 Enterprise Drive, Harrison, OH 45030.

3
 From the Editor
F or the vast majority of my life, I’ve been
the student when it comes to education,
and others have been the teacher, lecturer, or
guide.
Even when I was in the military and attained
the rank of sergeant, a non-commissioned of-
ficer, my teaching only extended to my team
of three or four soldiers that I was directly re-
sponsible for. I never had to lead training or
teach a large group of people on anything. OUR VISION:
So, you can imagine my surprise when a group of roughly 30
people, from Miami University—the “Yale of the West”—in nearby AWCI’s vision is to have an
Oxford, Ohio, came to visit AWCI for a tour on October 20, and
I was tasked with being their tour guide, lecturer and teacher re- educated and passionate
garding our organization. Talk about being put on the spot!
The group of senior citizens were part of the university’s horological community practicing
Institute for Learning in Retirement program, which is a nonprof-
it educational organization offering “a wide variety of noncredit the highest standards and with
courses, special events, and activities to meet the continuing ed-
ucational and social interests of anyone over age 50.” the resources to provide quality
They were quite a lively group, and when they all first arrived
at AWCI headquarters, I thought I had been transported a few goods and services.
weeks back to the AWCI Fall Symposium, with all the excitement
and chatter that was taking place amongst the group.
I had the privilege to spend the next hour and 30 minutes re- OUR MISSION:
galing the group about the history of AWCI, and its purpose and
mission, in addition to taking them on a tour of AWCI headquar- Supporting and Advancing
ters and the Orville R. Hagans History of Time Museum. Many in
the group were blown away at the long and illustrious history of Horology through Education and
AWCI, the timepieces in the museum, and several others were not
hesitant to ask questions regarding horology. Cooperation.
Even better was, after the tour, a couple of the attendees in-
quired about when the next Introduction to Watchmaking course
would be, and a few others expressed interest in taking AWCI’s
lathe course in 2024 as well. Meanwhile, the tour’s organizer asked
if I’d be interested in coming out to Oxford sometime next year to
participate in the Institute for Learning in Retirement program’s
weekly lecture series, to talk to more folks about AWCI and what
we do.
It was quite an exciting morning, and I took great pride in being
able to show AWCI—and its capabilities—off to a group that was Like us on Facebook!
not familiar with horology at all, or even knew that such an organi- [Link]/HorologicalTimes
zation even existed until they came by for a tour. The energy this
group exhibited, when it came to AWCI and its mission, certain-
ly was on par with the energy felt during our Fall Symposium in Like us on Facebook!
September. [Link]/MyAWCI
You’ll read, and see, some of that Fall Symposium excitement
inside this month’s issue. From the activities and seminars to the Follow us on Twitter!
people and food, we have detailed it as best as we can for those [Link]/AWCInstitute
who weren’t able to attend this year. And, hopefully, those who
weren’t able to attend will become excited about what they read,
and see, of the event in this issue, and it will spur them to attend Follow us on Instagram!
next year’s Fall Symposium. [Link]/americanwatchmakers
We would love to have you here at AWCI next year, and I’ll be
more than excited to be your tour guide. Check out our educational videos!
James Sprague [Link]/awci/videos
AWCI’s office manager
and managing editor
of the Horological Times

4 November 2023
 Click
Here for

president
Table of
a message from the Contents

DAVID LINDOW

It is impossible for me to imag- and understanding to the board in broadly divergent

ine anyone coming away from
our Annual Symposium with
areas. Alena was even found on the Saturday of the
meeting doing a necessary building repair. Stan is
anything but overwhelming opti- also on the ELM Trust committee, which will bring
mism about the future of AWCI, some cross-pollination. Stan is the only horology
and horology in general. The pro- instructor at Paris Junior College, and Alena is a part-
gram was as inspiring as it was time teaching assistant at WTI in Seattle. Having
David Lindow
david@[Link] diverse, and we saw engagement board members with both experience in the field and
570-229-1678 from people from 16 years old to a direct connection to students should help immensely
Lawrence Blanchard, CMW21, FAWCI, who is around in keeping board decisions relevant to what’s going on
90 and still teaching. On one end of the spectrum, we in the watch industry. Patrick Mont works at Chelsea
saw Aran Cunningham, a 16-year-old whose interest Clock Co., so the clock side of things retained their
in clockmaking is only exceeded by his drive, receive representation on the board as well.
a Sherline lathe along with a spring The meeting seemed to go off
winder and bushing tool; on the oth-
er end, we saw Lawrence Blanchard, a
charter member of AWCI since 1960,
“ It is impossible
for me to imagine
without a hitch. Such was not the
case, but the appearance of it having
done so is due to the ability and
receive a Fellow Award. anyone coming devotion of Janette Torres-Gomez,
The program was, indeed, diverse; away from our James Sprague, and Jason Champion
however, it also had an interesting —our staff. Our aging A/C system
Annual Symposium
flow to it. Philip Peck’s lecture on in the main meeting room died just
ideation and creation stated that it with anything but a few days before the meeting. Calls
takes 10 years to truly master a craft; overwhelming to the local HVAC contractor used
and his lecture was complimented optimism about the in the past were ignored, but they
with two 30-somethings, Steve Franke pulled off getting the A/C back
future of AWCI, and

”
and Jacob Curtis, who presented online, if only for the few days we
inspiring talks on the master level horology in general. needed it. With constant changing
work they’re currently doing—about demands and issues that demand
10-12 years into their respective trades. This was attention, the staff was seen in constant motion and
balanced by Stu Lord’s presentation on the tall clock he headed in two directions at once, or so it seemed.
made, case and movement, who accomplished master- One often doesn’t notice things until something goes
level work as a hobbyist by taking his time and seeking wrong, but every time I turned around another trash
out good instruction from masters of the craft. can was being emptied or another plug was being
Also very heartening was the number of students found for the audio-visual equipment. Just handling
we saw, especially from Paris Junior College and the food requirement for a group this big is a job big
Gem City College. A big thanks goes to the ELM enough for one person, yet it was only one aspect of
Trust, which paid their entrance fees. It was fantastic what this crew pulled off. I can’t thank them enough
to see these students exposed to the fusee watch or give enough praise for the job they pulled off.
dismantled in Jason Champion’s session, as well as Regarding thanking people, there are quite a few
Mr. Blanchard’s Accutron class. people I could thank here, but one I’d especially be
We welcomed three new board members, Alena remiss in not mentioning is Chris Carey, who chaired
Diaz, Patrick Mont (representing the IAB), and the symposium committee. He had things moving
Stan McMahan (representing the REC). These months ahead of what we had the year before, and
three bring an enormous amount of skill, talent, it showed. James Sprague’s weekly emails helped sell

continued on page 80

Horological Times 5
 Letters to the Editor
Dear ELM Trust,
Thank you for your donation of the miscellaneous scrap pieces of sheet metal and other structural pieces. These
donations will greatly assist the students in the Paris Junior College Welding classes.

Sincerely,
Pamela Anglin
President
Paris Junior College, Paris, Texas

Gentlemen,
Gem City College would like to thank the ELM Trust for the generous donation to our school. We are pleased to
receive it and will keep you updated as to its use. This will make the education of our students rise to a new level
with updated items to use in training our students. Again, thank you.

Sincerely,
Ryan Hagenah
President
Gem City College, Quincy, Illinois

Dear AWCI,
Once again, thank you for your work on the symposium. It was pretty cool to see the building so full of clockmak-
ers and watchmakers. I was pleasantly surprised to see more clockmakers in attendance than I had seen in previous
conventions and/or symposiums.

Sincerely,
Michael Gainey, CC
Master Clock Repair, Columbus, Ohio

Dear AWCI,
You all did an outstanding job on the Symposium, as usual. Thank you for your efforts. It was obvious that all
enjoyed the time together in a friendly atmosphere and learning more about watchmaking and/or clockmaking.

Sincerely,

Ken De Lucca
Education Director, School of Horology
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC), Columbia, Pennsylvania

6 November 2023
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Here for
Table of
Contents

To AWCI,
Fourteen students of watchmaking at Paris Junior College and I traveled to AWCI central for the recent Symposium.
We want to publicly thank James, Jason, Janette, and everyone else who participated in the hospitality and organization
for this phenomenal experience.

As we have returned to our routine in class, we all agree that special mention should be made of the following: the
spirit of fellowship amongst the attendees; the free sharing of information; the selection of seminar speakers; the
well-organized classrooms and meeting rooms; the positive outlook of the attendees towards the future of our pro-
fessions; the communication of the strategic placement of AWCI in the education of watchmakers and clockmakers,
and the preservation of skills; and, of course, the amazing food we experienced during the conference.

As an instructor, the positive effect of the weekend on our classroom is immeasurable. All students of horology in at-
tendance were given the basis to confirm they made the right decision in pursuing this career choice. All because of the
preparation (hard work) you were all so kind to do.

My students wanted to also share their appreciation to the ELM Trust and AWCI Board of Directors for extending their
memberships through to the completion of their schooling.

Words cannot express how valuable the effect you are all having on our life’s work. We have a profession worth sustain-
ing and the work you do is important to us all. I am convinced now more than ever that there has never been a better
time to be a watchmaker or clockmaker.

Sincerely,
Stanley McMahan
Instructor Horology
Paris Junior College, Paris, Texas

Dear AWCI,
Thanks very much for your efforts to make the symposium a very pleasant experience for me as well as all of the others
in attendance.

Sincerely,
Jack Kurdzionak, CW21, FAWCI
AWCI Treasurer, Campton, New Hampshire

Dear James and David,

First of all, let me thank you for the wonderful Fall Symposium. It was informative and inspiring! My, what talent we
have at AWCI!

Sincerely,
Matthew Kluesener
AWCI member, Cincinnati, Ohio

Horological Times 7
AWCI’s
Build a
Watch
returns in
November!
Join AWCI’s watchmaking professionals in Cincinnati, Ohio, as they team up with Richter
& Phillips Jewelers on Saturday, November 11, 2023 for a day of watchmaking!

Our Build a Watch 2.0 includes a newly designed in-house watch case in stainless steel
or PVD your choice of 6 dials, and 6 different styles of hands, and is taught on our state-
of-the-art mobile classroom.

This is your opportunity to assemble a Swiss-made ETA 6497 movement, lubricate the
moving parts, install a dial and hands, and case up your very own watch before wearing
it home!

Register today at the following link: [Link]

Cost of the event is $1,245, and includes lunch for attendees.

If you have any questions, please contact AWCI Office Manager James Sprague at 513-367-9800, ext. 301,
or email at james@[Link]
 Click
Here for
Table of

educational calendar
Contents

Check out AWCI’s complete line We also have numerous classes for clockmakers,
of courses for watchmakers and including classes on:
clockmakers!
h American Time-and-Strike Movement
We invite you to browse our course catalog, www
h Advanced Clock Repair
.[Link]/course-catalog, which offers a myriad of
h Introduction to the Lathe
classes for watchmakers, including classes for begin-
ners, technicians, and, of course, experienced watch-
makers who want to sharpen their skills. See our catalog for more!
In the catalog, you’ll find classes on: We can use your help
h Introduction to Watchmaking We are always looking to expand our course catalog
h Quartz and educational resources as well as increase our team
of instructors. We have been brainstorming on new
h Vintage Watch Repair
courses to offer and searching for new instructors
h Tool Making
who will join forces with us. Your input is valuable.
h Precision Timing If there is a class you would like to collaborate on as
an instructor, reach out to us at education@[Link].
We look forward to receiving your requests and/
or inputs!

Horological Times 9
Click
Here for
Table of
Contents

Build your
very
own
watch!
Build a Watch is not only great for collectors and watch enthusiasts, it’s also perfect for sales staff and customer
service specialists. Why not have your staff join us for a day of watchmaking to learn more about the products
they sell, how to perform a quality service, and what it takes to properly complete a repair?

$1,245 Join AWCI’s Watchmaking professionals in Cincinnati, Ohio as they team up with Richter & Phillips Jewelers
Build a Watch
November
on Saturday, November 11, 2023 for a day of watchmaking. Our Build a Watch 2.0 includes a newly designed
in-house watch case in stainless steel or pvd, your choice of 6 dials, and 6 different styles of hands. The class

11
will be taught on our state-of-the-art-mobile classroom.
This is your opportunity to assemble a Swiss-made ETA 6497 movement, lubricate the moving
parts, install a dial and hands, and case up your very own watch before wearing it home.
Cincinnati, Ohio
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Register today at the following link: [Link]

November Build a Watch $1,245 All three days of this Build a Watch venture are sold out, with the Orlando Watch Company
accepting those interested in being on a standby list—in case of cancellation—and also
17–19 those who want to be on the store’s 2024 waiting list for Build a Watch events.
Those interested in joining the standby list or 2024 waiting list for the Orlando Build
Sold Out Winter Park, Florida
a Watch can contact the Orlando Watch Company directly at 407-975-9137 or via email at
Standby List Only timekeepers@[Link] to put their name on the list.
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

For more information go to: [Link]/buildawatch

To find out how you can bring one of these events to your store,
contact the education director, Jason Champion, CW21, at education@[Link]

The Theory of Horology Don’t miss out!

Buy now while supplies last!
The Theory of Horology is considered the “bible” by horologists—from the novice to the well-seasoned watchmaker and clockmaker. In addition to a
brief history of timekeeping, it covers the theory, concepts and practical aspects of mechanical watches and clocks. While not a how-to-repair guide, its
descriptions and detailed line drawings are effective and instructional. An eight-page section with exercises (and answers) is a helpful bonus.

$199.99
Hardcover, 8 x 11 ½" · 360 pages ·
Full color · Detailed line drawings
This book has become the “bible” for schools,
training centers, and even watch specialists.
“Everything about the theory of watchmaking
under one roof! Includes the latest elements
of watchmaking in a very clear form.”
~Antoine Simonin
Former Director of WOSTEP

Purchase your book online at [Link]/online-store

10 November 2023
 Click
Here for
Table of
Contents
Reserve your spot today. Contact the education director, Jason Champion, CW21,
at 866-FOR-AWCI (367-2924), ext. 303.

Prices reflect members’ discount! For additional information and/or prerequisites, go to [Link]/classes.
Contact us so we can help you find the best course suited to your skill level, expertise, and interests.

2024 IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!

REGISTER NOW TO ENSURE YOUR SPOT!

WATCH 100: $1,195 members

February Introduction to Watchmaking
$1,345 non-members A survey course for the new or prospective watchmaker covering the basic skills
and techniques used by the modern watchmaker. This class is perfect for anyone

19–23 Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21

AWCI Headquarters, Harrison, Ohio
thinking about entering the profession of watchmaking or for the individual who
just wants to gain a better appreciation for the art of watchmaking.

WATCH 180: $1,195 members This course covers the basics of a modern mechanical watch with some complication, such
February 26– Basic Watch Servicing
$1,345 non-members as a calendar or another feature. Some major focus points will be on oiling with precision,
timing analysis, troubleshooting and calendar lubrication and assembly. Includes common
March 1 Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21
AWCI Headquarters, Harrison, Ohio
repairs such as fitting a stem and crown, measuring, crystal fitting of simple round crystal, and
waterproof testing of the watch using the latest testing equipment.

WATCH 220: $1,195 members

March Modern Mechanical Chronograph
$1,345 non-members The purpose of this course is to teach the student all the fundamentals of modern
mechanical automatic watch repair that are most prevalent in today’s market. The
4–8 Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21
AWCI Headquarters, Harrison, Ohio
student will learn how to perform the various diagnostics in evaluating the condition
of the various components, cleaning, assembling, adjustments, dialing, and casing.

WATCH 100: $1,195 members

April Introduction to Watchmaking
$1,345 non-members A survey course for the new or prospective watchmaker covering the basic skills
and techniques used by the modern watchmaker. This class is perfect for anyone

1–5 Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21

AWCI Headquarters, Harrison, Ohio
thinking about entering the profession of watchmaking or for the individual who
just wants to gain a better appreciation for the art of watchmaking.

WATCH 200: $1,195 members

May
The purpose of this course is to teach the student all the fundamentals of
$1,345 non-members modern mechanical automatic watch repair that are most prevalent on to-
Modern Automatic Watches day’s market. The student will learn how to perform the various diagnostics
8–12 Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21
AWCI Headquarters, Harrison, Ohio
in evaluating the condition of the various components, cleaning, assembling,
adjustments, dialing and casing.

WATCH 210: $1,195 members

May
$1,345 non-members The purpose of this course is to teach the student all the fundamentals of mod-
Quartz and Quartz Chronograph Service ern quartz watch repair and quartz chronographs that are most prevalent on
today’s market. The student will learn how to perform the various important
13–17 Procedures and Diagnostics
Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21
electronic tests e.g. current consumption, coil resistance, lower working volt-
age, fault finding etc.
AWCI Headquarters, Harrison, Ohio

For additional details about specific courses in comprehensive syllabi form, including complete tool lists,
visit: [Link]/classes or contact the education director, Jason Champion, CW21, at 866-FOR-AWCI
(367-2924), ext. 303. For additional calendar events visit: [Link]/calendar.

Horological Times 11
 It’s That Time Again!
AWCI Membership Renewal
This year has been one full of excitement and education at AWCI, and we are
looking forward to what we have planned for 2024!

Look for your renewal form in this edition of the Horological Times, page 23.
In addition to the membership renewal form, members will also receive a
renewal notice in their email November 1, and will receive reminder emails
through the end of the year, so also be on the lookout for those!

We greatly appreciate your continued support and membership with AWCI, and
we also look forward to continuing to be your go-to professional organization
for horological education, assistance, news, and more in 2024!

AWCI annual membership renewals begin November 1, 2023.

If you have any questions regarding membership renewal, please contact AWCI Office
Manager James Sprague at 513-367-9800, ext. 301, or by email at james@[Link]
 Click
Education News: An Impressive Beginning: First-Time Instructors Impress First-Time AWCI Students Here for
Table of
Contents

An Impressive Beginning
First-Time Instructors Impress First-Time AWCI Students
By James Sprague

V eteran watchmakers and AWCI members Alena

Diaz and Christopher Wheeler are no strangers
to being students in the classroom at AWCI, but in-
respectively—were the primary instructors for the
class, as part of the effort by AWCI to bring more
adjunct watchmaking and clockmaking instructors
structing in front of a classroom is a different story. into the fold and free up Champion a little from a
Until this past month, that is. rigorous instruction schedule in order to develop
Both Diaz and Wheeler were adjunct instruc- more courses and teach more professional-level class-
tors for AWCI’s last Introduction to Watchmaking es at AWCI.
course of 2023 in October, becoming two of the For Diaz, who was recently sworn in as a member
newest members of AWCI’s adjunct instructor pool. of the AWCI Board of Directors at the annual Fall
They led a class of 11 students just beginning their Symposium in September, instructing the course was
journeys in horology on a weeklong exploration of a fulfilling and inspiring experience.
watchmaking fundamentals including movement “It was great seeing students get excited about
tech guides, cleaning and lubrication, endshakes, the watchmaking,” she said.
ETCACHRON regulation system, timing, dialing Wheeler said the experience of instructing at
and casing, and fundamental watchmaking nomen- AWCI not only was a privilege, but also reenergized
clature and best practices. and motivated him when it comes to his profession.
AWCI Education Director Jason Champion, “I had the pleasure of spending a week at AWCI,
CW21, sat in on the course, and assisted Diaz and where I assisted in instructing 11 enthusiastic students
Wheeler when needed, but the watchmaking duo— embarking on the Introduction to Watchmaking
from Seattle, Washington, and Louisville, Kentucky, course. Collaborating with passionate professionals

AWCI board member Alena Diaz (front of classroom) and AWCI member Christopher Wheeler (right of seated students)
instruct students during AWCI’s Introduction to Watchmaking course last month. The duo are the two newest adjunct
instructors for AWCI, and last month’s course was their first time instructing.

Horological Times 13
Click
Here for Education News: An Impressive Beginning: First-Time Instructors Impress First-Time AWCI Students
Table of
Contents

like Jason and Alena was a true privilege,” Wheeler considerate to a patient pace for those who struggled,
said. “Jason excels in simplifying intricate horology which I found kind.”
concepts for students, showcasing his exceptional A fellow student in the course, AWCI member
teaching skills. Alena’s fervor for horology is truly in- Ann Glasscock of Cincinnati, Ohio, felt much the
spiring, igniting a deeper curiosity in others.” same way not only about Diaz and Wheeler’s instruc-
Wheeler found his curiosity ignited as well tion, but AWCI in general.
through the weeklong course, he added. “[It was] impressive,” said Glasscock, who serves
“Teaching challenges us to convey our knowledge as an associate curator at Cincinnati’s Taft Muse-
effectively, demanding a deep understanding of the um of Art. “The instructors were very knowledge-
subject matter. For the first time in years, I found my- able, patient and willing to help … [and] learning
self engrossed in horology theory late into the evening, about other classes from the instructors, like engine
not just to rekindle my love for topics like tribology, turning, were exciting. Generally, just being around
but to explore innovative ways of sharing this knowl- like-minded people was great!”
edge with others,” he stated. “This straightforward yet AWCI member Tyler Born, who came from
demanding endeavor humbles me, fueling my aspira- Alpharetta, Georgia, for his first course at AWCI,
tion to become a better educator. shared similar sentiments about Diaz and Wheeler,
“The harmonious blend of art and science in along with the course.
watchmaking is an enchanting quality that must not “Thanks so much to all the instructors!” he said.
be underestimated,” Wheeler added. “This captivat- “You all did a great job, were really fun and welcom-
ing trait not only appeals to those in pursuit of a ing, and I learned a lot.”
fulfilling skilled trade but also has the potential to One student, Christopher Lindquist of Welles-
reignite the passion of seasoned practitioners. ley, Massachusetts, added that it didn’t feel fair eval-
Overall, for Wheeler, being able to assist in AW- uating Diaz and Wheeler’s performance given it was
CI’s effort of “Supporting and Advancing Horology their first course they had instructed—“I know how
through Education and Cooperation” was quite the difficult that is,” he said—but that they were very
exciting experience, and he looks forward to being impressive.
able to teach more as time goes on. “Even the basic discussions of screw tightening,
“I take great pride in being a part of AWCI’s mis- balance removal and timing were excellent,” Lind-
sion and eagerly anticipate working alongside profes- quist said. “Nothing beats having experienced eyes
sionals like Jason and Alena, who will play a pivotal checking your work and offering advice.
role in guiding our organization toward a dynam- “I know they’ll both deliver the skills!” Lindquist
ic leadership position in watchmaking education concluded.
during this exciting new era,” Wheeler concluded. AWCI’s first Introduction to Watchmaking course
Students, much like Wheeler and Diaz, felt much of 2024 takes place February 19-23, 2024 at AWCI
the same way not only about the course and its con- headquarters. The class size is limited to 12 students.
tent, but the instructors as well. Registration can be done at the following link: https:
“[They] were extremely helpful and informative,” //[Link]/event/https-awci-memberclicks-net
Tristen Casey, a budding watchmaker from Seattle, -feb2024/. There are no prerequisites to take the
Washington, said of Diaz and Wheeler. “[They were] course.

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

14 November 2023
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Education News: A Glimpse of the New Watchmaking Generation Here for
Table of
Contents

A Glimpse of the New

Watchmaking Generation
By James Sprague

As with any profession, there will come a time for

the current generation of watchmakers to pass
the horological baton to a newer generation.
achievement, and recommendations from their in-
structors or others.
Selecting the three awardees was a difficult deci-
And, with that passing of the baton, there will also sion, as all 12 applicants made strong cases for deserv-
likely be the question of whether that new generation ing the grant award. It was the largest pool of appli-
will be able to assume the responsibilities that come cants for the grant that AWCI has had in at least the
with keeping the profession alive and relevant. past five years.
If the three awardees of the 2023 AWCI Harold All the 2023 awardees took long, winding and
J. and Marie Borneman Greenwood Memorial Fund diverse paths from different backgrounds and profes-
Grant are any indication, the new generation of sions to their current place in the watchmaking world.
watchmakers will be just fine in taking the baton from But, those backgrounds, pathways and experiences
the current generation of watchmakers and keeping appear to have given them the tools to become suc-
horology vibrant well into the future. cessful in the world of horology.
AWCI and the AWCI Education Library and Duncan, for instance, has worked for the trans-
Museum (ELM) Trust selected three watchmak- port company FedEx for the past 19 years, before
ing students as the 2023 AWCI Harold J. and taking the plunge and following his dream of being a
Marie Borneman Greenwood Memorial Fund watchmaker by enrolling at the North American Insti-
Grant awardees in September—William Duncan, tute of Swiss Watchmaking in Fort Worth, Texas.
a watchmaking student at the North American It was a decision that didn’t come easy for Dun-
Institute of Swiss Watchmaking; Micah Minjarez, can, a Pennsylvania native and former Maryland resi-
a watchmaking student at Paris Junior College; and dent, and his wife, Nakia.
Samuel Mallow, a watchmaking student at North
Seattle College Watch Technology Institute. William Duncan
The annual grant is possible due to the Harold
J. and Marie Borneman Greenwood Memorial Fund
of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, which
was set up to assist watchmaking students. The foun-
dation distributes the interest earned by the fund
annually to the AWCI ELM Trust, which in turn
distributes those funds in the form of the grant to
watchmaking students who are enrolled at AWCI Re-
search and Education Council (REC) schools, apply
for the grant, and are recommended by their REC
instructor based on either financial need, exemplary
student achievement or both, as determined by the
instructor.
The trio each received a $2,000 grant to assist
with their educational financial needs and were se-
lected from a pool of 12 applicants by a committee
consisting of AWCI staff and past recipients of the
award. The selections were based on criteria such as
the student’s passion for horology, financial need, par-
ticipation in the horological community, academic

Horological Times 15
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Table of
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“I recently decided to take the leap of faith and His fellow Green-
enter the world of horology by going to watchmaking wood awardee, Sam
school,” Duncan, who now lives in Dallas, said. “I am Mallow, a second-year
ambitious and want to learn more about watchmak- student at the Watch
ing and eventually own my own business. I have also Technology Institute at
taken a chance to pursue my dream of being a watch- North Seattle College,
maker. Taking a lesser role at my job and attending comes from just as di-
watchmaking school full-time was a difficult decision, verse a background.
but worth it.” Mallow, a native of
His manager at FedEx, Kathleen Esparza, agrees it Chicago, Illinois, was
was a decision that will be worth it for Duncan. a camera technician
“When I first met William, he had spoken of with Panavision—one
wanting to build watches,” she said. “A year later, I of the most renowned
Samuel Mallow
received a call from William stating that he was going cinematography com-
to school full-time and had to step down from his cur- panies that work with Hollywood film produc-
rent position. As a leader, you support the growth of tions—and it was through that job, incidentally, that
your employees. However, I did not want to lose his his interest in watchmaking began.
leadership and, therefore, I was able to accommodate “One day, while searching the Harold Washing-
his need to attend school full-time and remain in his ton Library (in Chicago) for lens and camera repair
current position with modified hours. I could not manuals, I came across Time and Timekeepers by Wil-
fathom losing him, when I had an opportunity to lis I. Milham,” Mallow said. “Like most, I had never
help him. considered the intricacies and almost magical science
“William has the drive and determination to be behind timekeepers. Fascinated, I borrowed the book
one of your great success stories and, with this schol- and found myself unable to put it down. From that
arship, he will be able to fulfill his dream and passion moment, my future changed. I began my journey to
of becoming a watchmaker,” Esparza concluded. become a watchmaker.”
Now that he is on that watchmaking path, it is That journey has taken Mallow to WTI, where
one that Duncan intends to finish. despite working two jobs—one of those being at Ben
“Although I am sure there will be challenges along Bridge Jewelers in Seattle, Washington—while at-
the way, I am determined to see this through and help tending school full-time, he has been able to maintain
others as I go,” he said. “I plan to finish school and a 3.8 grade point average along with being named to
work in the industry for three years, then start to pur- the dean’s list and president’s list.
sue my watch brand. I am excited and thankful for “Though my time is spread thin, my effort re-
this new career path, and I will do my best to ensure mains full and focused,” Mallow said. “I have even
that I am successful.” surprised myself this past year in my ability to contin-
Part of that effort to be successful, Duncan added, ue to strive despite near constant demands from my
is receiving the Greenwood grant award, as it will help schedule.
in adjusting his work-school-life balance to be more “This scholarship will allow me to invest more of
conducive in his horological endeavors. my time and energy into school with the help of my
“This scholarship will help a great deal in reach- peers and instructors,” he added.
ing those goals,” Duncan continued. “I am going to Mallow also hopes to spread some of that energy to
school, working at FedEx, and driving for Uber. Al- both current and prospective watchmaking students.
together, it is about 70 to 75 hours a week that I am “Being a small part of this community has only
obligated to do one thing or another. The scholarship fueled the fire to challenge myself and learn with every
will allow me to stop working as much, so that I can failure. I consider myself fortunate to sit at the bench
put my best foot forward in class and spend more time every day and learn, fail, and invent. Though I have
with my loved ones. I cannot express how much this had to sacrifice much to be here, I consider those sac-
would help me gain more work-school-life balance.” rifices well-worth the cost if they allow me to pursue

16 November 2023
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Here for
Table of
Contents
Sam Mallow
my passion and to uphold the working at the
tradition of watchmakers be- bench.
fore me,” Mallow said. “One of
my favorite parts of the week
is when prospective students
come to complete their bench
test, the final portion of their
application. I always take time
to introduce myself as a re-
source for them, someone who
can answer questions or try
to ease any worries they may
have.
“I also was asked to be a
spokesperson for our program
at WTI through a Washington Opportunity Grant looked forward to seeing and reading anything related
interview in my first year. I was interviewed about my to watches.”
experience as a first year [watchmaking student] in His newfound passions—and a dwindling passion
an effort to inspire Washington residents to apply to in his military service—led Minjarez to serve out the
WTI,” he continued. “I plan to continue this outreach rest of his military contract, not reenlist in the US
this next year in school and after I graduate. My legacy Navy, and begin researching how to become a watch-
in watchmaking will be to inspire by sharing my pas- maker.
sion for horology to others, and with the work I leave “I came across articles written about the watch-
behind.” making program at Paris Junior College and, right
His instructor at WTI, Jimmy Lin, believes Mal- way, I knew that the program was exactly what I was
low will be able to accomplish great things in horolo- looking for,” he said.
gy, given that approach. So, much like his fellow awardees Duncan and
“Upon entering the program, Sam had no prior Mallow, Minjarez picked up and moved across the
experience with watchmaking,” Lin said. “However, country to pursue his watchmaking dream this past
he soon established himself as a strong student. Sam summer.
learns new concepts quickly, is naturally inquisitive, “In June of this
and always seeks to improve the quality of his work. year, I left the Navy, sold
He is adept at taking on challenging class assignments my home on the West
like manufacturing, hairspring building, and escape- Coast, and moved my
ment adjustments. Sam is also sociable and cares wife, new baby girl and
about how other students are doing; this contributes dogs across the coun-
to a positive classroom environment. try to pursue my pas-
“Although still a watchmaking student, it is en- sion,” he said. “When
couraging to see that Sam already shows the traits nec- I met the instructor,
essary for long-term success,” Lin concluded. Mr. Stanley McMahan,
The third and final Greenwood grant awardee, I explained just how
Micah Minjarez of Paris Junior College, saw his pas- much the opportunity
sion for horology bloom during a military deployment to study in his program
to the Middle East while serving in the US Navy. meant to me. I was wor-
“I had a very good friend who was an avid watch ried since the class was
collector and he introduced me to the vast world Micah Minjarez already at capacity for
of watches. Immediately, I developed a passion for the Fall 2023 semester.
them,” Minjarez said. “In my free time, I began to re- But Mr. McMahan gave me hope. He opened an extra
search different brands, what calibers they used, etc. I bench for me so I could participate in his class!”

Horological Times 17
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Table of
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And while he is still relatively fresh in

his horological journey, Minjarez said he
is excited to be a part of what he views as
a “tight knit” watchmaking community.
“It is such an expansive field and there
are so many paths that lay at my feet,” he
commented. “I know what I want most
is to work where I can interact with the
people whose watches I am repairing. I see
myself working in a jewelry store or other
retail environment so I can have meaning-
ful, face-to-face time with customers.
“I want to contribute to the preserva-
tion of horology, to help share the passion
I have with others,” Minjarez continued.
“I also desire to work on restorations and
volunteer my time teaching people who are
interested in horology.”
Minjarez views watchmaking as not
just a career, but a noble pursuit—one he
greatly desires to be a part of.
“The author Douglas Adams once said,
‘To give real service you must add some-
thing which cannot be bought or measured
with money, and that is sincerity and integ-
rity,’” Minjarez said. “These words resonate
with me. They remind me of why I have
chosen to pursue horology. Being a watch-
maker gives you the opportunity to provide
real service; to earn the trust of a stranger
by breathing life back into their priceless
heirlooms. Having this chance to interact
with people, to learn their stories, to listen
and appreciate why something as simple as a ELM Trust trustee Justin Shiver (left) presents Micah Minjarez (right)
wristwatch carries such sentimental value to with the Greenwood grant award during the AWCI 2023 Fall Symposium.
them. The opportunity to be entrusted with
something so meaningful is the greatest honor.” future watchmaker who will contribute to our profes-
His instructor at Paris Junior College, Stan Mc- sion in a most favorable way.
Mahan, said he looks forward to Minjarez fulfilling “Micah is a multiplier,” McMahan continued. “It
such a pursuit. is obvious in every interaction that he has multiplied
“I have the great fortune of instructing Micah in all he has received in life and has the ‘right stuff ’ for
this first semester at Paris Junior College,” McMahan excellence and success. I personally look forward to
said. “It is evident that Mr. Minjarez stands out as a his future contributions to our profession.”

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

18 November 2023
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Education News: Student Education, Membership Bolstered Here for
Table of
Contents

Student Education, Membership Bolstered

By James Sprague

S everal efforts and decisions made last month

during the AWCI Fall Symposium are helping to
inject a new boost of momentum when it comes to
Students in a watchmaking/clockmaking school
in the United States will now receive a compli-
mentary two-year AWCI membership while they
student membership and educational endeavors with are enrolled in school, with the membership includ-
AWCI. ing all the benefits of a regular, dues-paying AWCI
One of those efforts was the decision by the member, including voting rights and access to the
AWCI Board of Directors, during its annual meet- digital edition of Horological Times and the AWCI
ing on September 30, to grant all students at AWCI library of horological texts and technical documents.
Research and Education Council (REC) schools a The complimentary student membership is not
two-year membership to AWCI at no cost. limited, however, to just watchmaking students at
To the AWCI Board of Directors, such an ac- REC schools. It was also decided that horological
tion is right in line with the organization’s mission of students apprenticing with a current watchmaker or
“Supporting and Advancing Horology through Edu- clockmaker—upon verification by AWCI—will also
cation and Cooperation.” receive the complimentary two-year membership.
“This comes with all the bells and whistles a “Being part of the organization is a real responsi-
beginning horologist needs,” read a statement from bility to be taken seriously,” the statement continued.
the AWCI Board of Directors and AWCI Education, “Our mission of ‘Supporting and Advancing Horol-
Library and Museum (ELM) Trust. “The ability to ogy through Education and Cooperation’ starts with
take specialized classes, networking opportunities, students.”
technical guides, and even voting rights, so (stu- The news has spread through AWCI and the REC
dents) can determine the future of the institute.” schools, with new student membership applications—

Students from both Paris Junior College and Gem City College field questions during a question-and-answer session
during the 2023 AWCI Fall Symposium on September 29. They, along with future horology students at AWCI REC schools,
will now have complimentary two-year memberships with AWCI.

Horological Times 19
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Table of
Contents

along with current student membership renewal re- “Thank you, the ELM Trust, and the AWCI
quests—coming in from North Seattle Community board for the wonderful news!” Lin wrote in an
College’s Watch Technology Institute (WTI), in ad- email. “We are excited to receive an award and look
dition to a clockmaking student in Ohio who appren- forward to improving our students' engagement with
tices with clockmakers Jerry Faier, CMC21, FAWCI, AWCI.”
and Brad Wellmann, CC21. Another way AWCI is hoping to improve student
That wasn’t the only boost that students and engagement not just with the organization, but with
horological education received from AWCI during horology in general, is by encouraging students, at
the Fall Symposium, however, as four REC schools the respective REC schools, to form AWCI Affiliate
—Paris Junior College, Gem City College, Veterans Chapters specific to those institutions.
Watchmaker Initiative and North Seattle Communi- Each REC school received an affiliate chapter
ty College WTI—each received a $10,000 gift from application, along with an outline of what needs to
the AWCI ELM Trust, to be used at their discretion take place to form an affiliate chapter, from AWCI.
for their horological education programs. “We would like to see each school form an affili-
“The ELM Trust is pleased to announce a check ate chapter of the AWCI,” read the statement from
in the amount of $10,000 has been made to [these] the AWCI Board of Directors. “This will also build
institutions for use in any horological endeavor,” read community and leadership skills.”
a statement from the ELM Trust. “[Their] continued For more information regarding the AWCI stu-
participation in the REC is appreciated and the value dent membership, or to obtain a student member-
[they] provide to the industry does not go unnoticed.” ship application form, contact AWCI office manager
Jimmy Lin, who leads the program at North James Sprague at james@[Link] or at 513-367-
Seattle Community College WTI, said the news was 9800, ext. 301.
an exciting jolt to both faculty and students.

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

Show off Your Passion for Horology-and AWCI!

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20 November 2023
 Click
AWCI News: 2024 AWCI Membership Renewal Underway Here for
Table of
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2024 AWCI Membership Renewal Underway

By James Sprague

It is that time of year again for AWCI members—

time to renew their membership for 2024!
AWCI’s annual membership renewal drive began
AWCI Industry Advisory Board (IAB), Research
Education Council (REC) and Affiliate Chapter
dues are also remaining the same for 2024.
this month, with members receiving an email with One change regarding membership is for stu-
their membership renewal information, and those dents, as the AWCI Board of Directors also approved
members who do not have email receiving the AWCI during its annual meeting to extend a free AWCI
membership renewal notice in the hard copies of this membership to students enrolled full-time in any
month’s edition of Horological Times. AWCI REC school, along with any students appren-
The great news for AWCI members is, despite the ticing with a professional watchmaker or clockmaker
3.7% inflation rate in the US as of October, AWCI who is verified by AWCI. Previously, the free student
membership dues are remaining the same as they have membership was only available to first-year students,
been for the past several years. while second-year students had to renew their mem-
The AWCI Board of Directors, at its annual board bership at a cost of $75.
meeting September 30 during the Fall Symposium, The AWCI Board of Directors also, during its an-
approved keeping the membership due structure the nual meeting, approved an initiative to draw new or
same as it has been. former AWCI members into the fold and grow the
“AWCI members receive several benefits. The first membership base.
and foremost is access to the Horological Times, our “Our new membership drive has started, and
monthly, award-winning magazine in digital format, we want you to be a part of it. AWCI is the pre-
with full access to back issues that cover everything mier organization dedicated to the horological arts,
from repeater watches to Renaissance clocks and ev- and is essential toward keeping the art alive,” read a
erything in between,” read a statement from the AWCI statement from the AWCI Board of Directors. “As a
Board of Directors. “Unlimited access to technical member, you’d be participating in keeping it alive,
repair guides, the Henry B. Fried Resource Library, but also gain access to the many benefits offered our
reduced pricing on classes, listing in the AWCI profes- members.
sional directory, and more is part of your membership Some say horology and its practitioners are dy-
as well.” ing, but the art and science of horology is gaining
A regular membership, with a free digital subscrip- worldwide popularity as independent makers grow
tion to the award-winning Horological Times—which and the brands increase output. The need for pro-
can be accessed online through AWCI’s website—re- fessional clockmakers and watchmakers is growing
mains at $150 annually, or $175 if members want the rapidly, and we are dedicated to advancing the indus-
print subscription to the magazine. try through outreach and education. We need your
Annual membership dues for seniors 70 through participation to accomplish this.”
79 remain at $135, or $160 with a print subscription The new membership drive offers those who have
to the magazine, while seniors older than 80 are $120 never been a member of AWCI before, or those who
annually, or $145 with the print subscription to the may have let their membership lapse since December
magazine. 31, 2020, a two-year membership at the introduc-
Lifetime AWCI members, as in the past, only tory price of $200, in addition to a welcome packet
need to pay $25 annually if they would like a print that would include—while supplies last—a welcome
subscription to Horological Times. gift of the following six books published by AWCI:

Horological Times 21
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Here for AWCI News: 2024 AWCI Membership Renewal Underway
Table of
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• The Museum of the American Watchmakers “We have members at all levels of skill and in-
Institute, by Henry Fried terest, and regardless of your level of interest, there’s
something for you, and you will help grow the next
• Watch and Clock Information Please, generation of horologists,” concluded the statement
by W.H. Samelius from the AWCI Board of Directors.
The 2024 AWCI membership renewal drive runs
• How to Build a Regulator Clock,
through the end of January 2024. Current members
by [Link]
will receive periodic renewal reminders in their email
• Military Timepieces, by Marvin E. Whitney during that period, or in the December 2023 and
January 2024 issues of Horological Times.
• The Best of J.E. Coleman, Watchmaker, Anyone with questions regarding their AWCI
by J.E. Coleman membership renewal, or in joining AWCI, can con-
tact AWCI Office Manager James Sprague at 513-
• The Ship’s Chronometer, by Marvin E. 367-9800, ext. 303, or via email at james@[Link].
Whitney

The group of books that will be a gift to new members of AWCI who join at an introductory rate of $200 for
two years, including titles from distinguished AWCI legends as Henry B. Fried, J.M. Huckabee and Marvin E.
Whitney.

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

22 November 2023
 Renewal Notice
We are excited about 2024 at AWCI!
2023 was a great year for AWCI, and we are planning on 2024 to be even better! With more
professional-level educational classes planned, exciting collaborations with some of the world's
best horologists, Build a Watch events, the 2024 Fall Symposium and more, AWCI is carrying
the momentum from this past year into 2024, and wants to bring members along with us!

You won’t want to miss out. Renew Today!

([Link]
You can choose Automatic Renewal, and your credit card will be billed automatically each year for your
membership dues. Note: You will not receive a renewal notice in the mail.

2024: Your annual dues continue to be only $150! This includes a digital subscription to Horological Times plus
all the other benefits you count on.
*If you would like to continue to receive a printed copy of Horological Times in the mail, be sure to upgrade your member-
ship to the Regular Plus HT membership, which is just $175 for US members and $205 for international members. The
mailed copy of Horological Times is now printed on matte paper, which makes it easier to read in well-lit environments.

To pay your dues with a credit card:

• Go to [Link] or check your email for the link that was sent to you.
• If you are viewing digitally, click on the “RENEW NOW” and complete the form. You will need to log in
with your username ##[Username]## and password. If you haven’t set your new password yet, you will need
to click on the “forgot password” link.
• Select your membership type.
• Double-check your contact information and update your directory listing.
• If you would like to have next year’s dues automatically paid, you can check the box for automatic renewal.
Your credit card information is not stored at AWCI. It will be securely stored with the credit card processor.

To pay your dues with a check:

• Contact us at memberservices@[Link].
• Or send us this page or a photocopy of it, mark your membership type, and put it in the mail with your check.
An email will automatically be generated when payment is processed or to notify you of any late payments.
Note: You will not receive a renewal notice in the mail.

RENEW NOW ([Link]

Name
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Membership Types
Regular includes digital HT subscription-$150
Regular Plus HT includes print and digital HT subscriptions-$175
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Student Rates, REC, Affiliate Chapter, or IAB, contact us at 513-367-9800, ext. 303
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 Your watch or clock is valuable.
Why take chances?
Your local AWCI Certified watchmaker and clockmaker are
dedicated to competent and professional service.

For more than 60 years, the members of the American

Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) have
been providing the highest quality of care and service
for watches and clocks. Please use our professional
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Find your local AWCI Certified watchmaker or clockmaker by visiting [Link].

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Phone: 513-367-9800, ext. 303 * Toll-Free: 866-367-2924 [Link]
 Click
AWCI News: Donations Drive Beginning to Reap Results Here for
Table of
Contents

Donations Drive Beginning to Reap Results

By James Sprague

At the beginning of 2023, the AWCI Board of

Directors (BOD) issued a call for assistance to
membership.
That call was issued by the board to help move the
organization toward achieving the objectives it set out
earlier this year, such as providing student grants for
the Fall Symposium, a revamp of the AWCI machine
shop and the desire to add an additional staff member
to AWCI headquarters.
Since that time, AWCI membership has been an-
swering that call, and have continued to do so in the
wake of the Fall Symposium in September.
At the annual AWCI BOD meeting September 30,
on the last day of the AWCI Fall Symposium, AWCI
President David Lindow announced that an AWCI The Sherline DRO 8-Direction Benchtop Mill that was up for
member—who wished to remain anonymous—had auction at the AWCI Fall Symposium. The auction winner
donated $2,000 toward achieving those objectives and was AWCI member Matt Clemens of Norwood, Ohio.
offered the challenge to other AWCI members to do- For anyone wanting to donate to the continu-
nate matching funds toward that initial donation. ing AWCI fundraising efforts for the machine
And donate members have. shop, the Fall Symposium student grant or a po-
Since the Fall Symposium, AWCI members have tential new employee, monetary donations can
donated a total of $1,900 toward that initial $2,000 be made at the following link: [Link]
donation, just shy of matching it. .com/donate/ .
Some of the donations came almost immediately Donations can also be made by sending a check
at the Fall Symposium, after Lindow announced the to the AWCI ELM Trust, and can be earmarked for
news of AWCI receiving a $2,000 donation. A QR the specific effort the donation is intended for in the
code advertisement was created by AWCI graphic memo line of the check. Check donations can be
designer Janette Torres-Gomez, which takes the in- made to the following:
dividual scanning the QR code with their cell phone
directly to the portion of the ELM Trust
AWCI website, [Link] C/O AWCI
.com/donate/ that allows patrons 701 Enterprise Drive
to donate to AWCI and specify Harrison, OH 45030-1696
what they would like their dona- All donations made to the ELM Trust, the
tion to be used for. [Link]
501(c)3 arm of AWCI, are tax-deductible regardless
Another donation was received by AWCI at the Fall of the specific effort the donation is for.
Symposium, as well, as AWCI member Matt Clemens
of Norwood, Ohio, won the silent auction for the Sher-
line DRO 8-Direction Benchtop Mill that had been of-
fered up for auction by another AWCI member.
Clemens had a winning bid of $2,001.01, out of
four total bids submitted, with those funds also going
to the donation drive. James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing
editor for Horological Times.

Horological Times 25
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26 November 2023
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AWCI News: Newest ‘Fellow’ Surprised by AWCI’s Highest Honor Here for
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Newest ‘Fellow’ Surprised by

Contents

AWCI’s Highest Honor

By James Sprague

F or charter AWCI member Laurence Blanchard,

CMW21, FAWCI, the trip to AWCI headquarters
at the end of September for the annual AWCI Fall
Symposium was for him to give a presentation on the
Bulova Accutron—nothing more.
That presentation, in reality, was just a vehicle to
get Blanchard and his wife, Janice, to AWCI to present
him with the organization’s highest honor—Fellow.
On September 28, during the 2023 AWCI Fall
Symposium’s welcome reception, Blanchard became
the 28th member of AWCI, in its distinguished 63-
year history, to receive the Fellow award, joining a se-
lect circle of horological legends such as Henry Fried,
Archie Perkins, George Daniels and others who have
been integral in the longtime success and mission of
AWCI President David Lindow talking about AWCI member
the organization. Laurence Blanchard, CMW21, FAWCI, before Blanchard’s
He was presented the award by AWCI President Accutron presentation at the AWCI Fall Symposium.
David Lindow, in front of the more than 100 attend-
ees who came out to this year’s symposium. After a standing ovation of roughly a minute from
Blanchard hadn’t initially planned to attend this those in attendance—some of whom also had some
year’s symposium, due to other commitments he and watering eyes—Blanchard accepted the award, while
his wife had made months prior, but an idea was thanking everyone who has supported him through-
conceived on how to get Blanchard to AWCI head- out his long career. He saved the best for last, however,
quarters by having him give an educational seminar as he thanked his wife, Janice, for her love and sup-
on the Bulova Accutron. Being a lifelong mentor port, and that he couldn’t have accomplished anything
and educator—Blanchard, after all, taught at AWCI in his horological career without her.
Research Education Council (REC) school Gem City Joining such a select group as that of AWCI
College, along with managing Bulova’s service center Fellows is the greatest professional honor Blanchard
in Broadview, Illinois, and writing several articles for has received, he said.
Horological Times through the years—he was more “With the exception of one or two, I have per-
than willing to squeeze in the majority of a day at sonally known or met all of them, and deeply appre-
AWCI headquarters to give a presentation. ciate the contributions they have made to horology,”
Unbeknownst to Blanchard, however, it was be- Blanchard said. “Professionally, it is the greatest honor
cause AWCI wanted to give something to him, and that has been bestowed upon me in our profession.”
he soon found himself speechless in front of those in The honor has also bolstered the 87-year-old
attendance as Lindow read off Blanchard’s vast accom- Blanchard’s desire to not rest upon his laurels but con-
plishments both in the watchmaking industry and tinue to do what he can to benefit not only AWCI,
with AWCI. but watchmaking as a whole.
“Yes, I was surprised,” Blanchard said of receiving “Personally, [it strengthens my] resolve to contin-
AWCI’s highest honor. “It took a few moments for ue giving back to our profession to the best of my abil-
the reality to sink in that, yes, this is really happening ity and resources,” he said.
to me!”

Horological Times 27
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It was standing room only for Blanchard’s Accutron presentation.

And, in fact, Blanchard didn’t take much time to It’s such an approach, and attitude, from Blanchard
relish the honor, as the next morning at the first full that has resulted in such memorable service from him
day of the AWCI Fall Symposium, his seminar on the in the horological industry, and merited him receiving
Bulova Accutron led off the day’s several presentations. the AWCI Fellow award, per AWCI Education Direc-
While Blanchard expected attendees to be inter- tor Jason Champion, CW21.
ested in his presentation, it’s likely that neither he—or “Mr. Blanchard receiving the Fellow award is a very
AWCI—expected the response he actually received. well-deserved award,” Champion said. “His service to
It was standing room only in the AWCI watch class- the industry has been invaluable to many generations.
room for his Accutron seminar, with some attendees “Thank you, sir, for all you do,” he concluded.
even standing in the doorway of the classroom and
the adjoining AWCI machine shop to hear one of the
masters talk about the
popular timepiece.
Ever being the
mentor and educator,
Blanchard was pleased
with the response from
those in attendance at
his presentation but had
critiques for himself.
“Response to my
presentation, and com-
ments I received after-
ward, were very up-
beat,” he said. “I wish
I would have managed
the time allotted bet-
ter, so that there would
have been more time for
questions and answers.”
Blanchard with AWCI Education Director Blanchard with longtime friend and AWCI
Jason Champion and Blanchard’s wife, Janice. member Jim Lubic, CMW21, following his
Accutron presentation.

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

28 November 2023
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AWCI News: Annual AWCI Board of Directors Meeting Sees New Members, New Endeavors Here for
Table of

Annual AWCI Board of Directors Meeting

Contents

Sees New Members, New Endeavors

By James Sprague

T he annual meeting of the AWCI Board of

Directors during the 2023 AWCI Fall Sympo-
sium saw a few new members join the board, officers
When it came to AWCI’s 2022-23 fiscal year,
Kurdzionak reported how the organization enlisted
the services of a new accounting firm, Atlas CPAs and
installed, and some new endeavors to bolster AWCI’s Advisors PLLC, in August 2022, and that the accoun-
efforts approved. tant assigned to AWCI—Vena Daley—has been out-
The meeting wrapped up the educational/seminar standing in her work on AWCI’s behalf.
presentation portion of the Fall Symposium, and gave “She has worked diligently to reorganize and ra-
those in attendance an opportunity to sit in and ob- tionalize our accounting system,” Kurdzionak said.
serve the board and its function, along with providing “In future years, we will have a much clearer picture
comments. of the costs of each of the programs we offer, as well as
AWCI Treasurer Jack Kurdzionak led off the the revenue each one produces to help us learn how to
meeting by providing his treasurer’s report to the make each one operate as efficiently as possible.”
board, where he detailed how AWCI’s financial One of the other highlights of Kurdzionak’s report
position has been steadily improving since June to the board was how AWCI has reduced its outstand-
2020, when the board took steps to deal with the ing debt from $400,000, as it was in June 2022, to
COVID-19 pandemic. $175,000 in June 2023, and that the outstanding debt
“That effort has paid off handsomely in that had been lowered even further to $125,000 as of the
we have reduced our debt and our annual deficit, annual board meeting.
and we are still working diligently to entirely elimi- Also noted was that, in the past, AWCI had a
nate the debt and further reduce the annual deficit,” line of credit with its bank, First Financial, that was
Kurdzionak reported. “Both of those goals are possible closed in 2021 due to its annual fee of $500 and that
and with continued careful management, we should the line of credit gave a false sense of having funds
be able to eliminate the debt by the second quarter of on hand to pay bills. It was found that the line of
the 2024–25 fiscal year.” credit was actually a revolving credit account with an

The AWCI Board of Directors hard at work during the annual meeting.

Horological Times 29
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annual cost and a monthly in- New AWCI parliamentarian, Mike Creasey, swears in the
terest cost, but AWCI no longer AWCI Board of Directors officers for the 2023-24 year.
is dealing with that and owns
all of its funds in its checking
account, and the only interest
expense currently to AWCI is
what the organization pays on
its margin loan.
The interest on that margin
loan, per Kurdzionak, unfortu-
nately increased from 3.5% in
June 2022 to 7.25% as of the
date of the board meeting.
“The steady increase of the
interest rates has caused our
monthly interest payment to re-
main nearly the same at about
$1,100 a month,” Kurdzionak
commented, “although we have
reduced the principal amount of
the loan by over 50%.” He then proceeded to make a motion, seconded
He added that AWCI currently keeps the cash bal- by AWCI Vice President Aaron Recksiek, to have out-
ance in its checking account “at a level where we can going board member Justin Harrell, along with AWCI
meet all current payroll and accounts receivables. Any members Justin Shiver and Jacob Curtis, serve as the
extra funds in checking are transferred to pay down nominating committee for officers for the 2023–24
the margin account, whenever the bookkeeper sees year. That motion was passed, and Harrell, Shiver and
that we can spare the cash.” Curtis nominated David Lindow for president, Aaron
After his treasurer’s report, Kurdzionak made a Recksiek for vice president, Jack Kurdzionak for trea-
motion from the AWCI Finance Committee to the surer and Chris Carey for secretary.
board that any membership dues from future life- The proposed slate of officers for the 2023–24
time memberships be put into AWCI’s Dodson year was voted on by the board, approved unani-
Perpetuation Fund, and that each year, the amount mously and sworn in by incoming AWCI parliamen-
equal to that year’s dues be removed from the per- tarian Mike Creasey.
petuation fund and put into AWCI’s general fund Also sworn into their new roles with the board
as long as that lifetime member is alive. The motion were new IAB chair Patrick Mont, new REC chair
passed unanimously. Stan McMahan and new AWCI Board of Directors
After that was completed, Industry Advisory Board member Alena Diaz, who took Justin Harrell’s seat
chair Nick Butt made a motion to the board, which on the board as he was stepping down after serving
was seconded by board member Scott Walters, that his elected term on the board.
the board moved to accept Patrick Mont as the 2023- Other points of interest during the meeting in-
24 IAB chair, Paris Junior College horology instruc- cluded the board passing the following motions
tor Stan McMahan as chair of the AWCI Research which could have quite the positive impact on AWCI
Education Council, and board member Chris Carey in years to come:
as the AWCI Affiliate Chapter chair. The motion was
passed unanimously by the board. ■ The board approved a motion that AWCI
Kurdzionak then made a motion from the AWCI take the necessary steps to convert its federal
Finance Committee for the board to accept the pro- tax status from that of a 501(c)6 organization
posed 2023–24 AWCI budget, prepared by Atlas to a 501(c)3 organization, and engage
CPAs, with the motion passing unanimously and the the services of attorney Matthew Lake of
2023–24 proposed AWCI budget being accepted. Thompson-Hine law firm in Cincinnati,

30 November 2023
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Table of
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Ohio, to advise AWCI in the necessary ac- ■ A third motion passed unanimously for
tions to complete such a transition. A 501(c)3 AWCI to institute an endeavor to bolster
committee consisting of Kurdzionak, fellow new membership, with that motion being
board member Scott Walters, AWCI mem- that any new members to AWCI, along with
ber Jordan Ficklin and AWCI member Jay any previous AWCI members who let their
Dutton was also tasked with presenting to membership lapse before or as of December
the board any necessary changes that might 31, 2020, be able to join AWCI at an intro-
be needed to the AWCI Constitution and ductory membership rate of $200 total for
Bylaws, as recommended by legal counsel, two years, and in addition receive a welcome
by January 2024, in order to include those gift consisting of the following six books sold
changes on the ballot for the 2024 AWCI or published by AWCI:
election taking place in June 2024.
ƒ The Museum of the American
Watchmakers Institute, by Henry Fried
The board also amended the 2023-24 budget to
ƒ Watch and Clock Information Please,
include up to $20,000 earmarked specifically for legal
by W.H. Samelius
fees associated with the transition.
ƒ How to Build a Regulator Clock, by
[Link]
■ Another motion passed unanimously by the
ƒ Military Timepieces, by Marvin E.
board was the motion to allow all AWCI
Whitney
REC school students a complimentary two-
ƒ The Best of J.E. Coleman, Watchmaker,
year free membership to AWCI while enrolled
by J.E. Coleman
in school, with all the benefits of a regular
ƒ The Ship’s Chronometer, by Marvin E.
AWCI member—including voting rights. It
Whitney
was added that independent watchmaking
and clockmaking students, apprenticing with A certificate of appreciation was presented to
a professional verified by AWCI, could also outgoing AWCI parliamentarian, Paul Wadsworth,
obtain complimentary student membership. who has served in that role for the AWCI Board of

(From left) new AWCI board member Alena Diaz, new IAB chair Patrick Mont, AWCI President David Lindow, new REC
chair Stan McMahan and Affiliate Chapter chair Chris Carey are sworn in by AWCI Parliamentarian Mike Creasey.

Horological Times 31
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Directors for several years,

thanking him for his selfless
service and efforts support-
ing AWCI. Wadsworth is
still serving AWCI in anoth-
er capacity, as he is the chair
of the AWCI Education
Library and Musuem (ELM)
Trust.
AWCI’s graphic design-
er, Janette Torres-Gomez,
also received a certificate
of appreciation for her ef-
forts on the award-winning
Horological Times magazine,
and AWCI President David AWCI Office Manager James Sprague presents outgoing AWCI Parliamentarian Paul
Lindow also presented a Wadsworth a certificate of appreciation for his many years of service as parliamentarian
watchmaker’s lathe—which for the AWCI Board of Directors.
had been donated to AWCI—to AWCI member Aran currently AWCI’s youngest member, being only 16
Cunningham of Gahanna, Ohio. years old, and the presentation of the lathe to him
Cunningham, who attended AWCI’s Founda- was to provide him a vital tool for him to use on his
tional Clock Repair Skills course in June 2023, is continued horological journey.

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

32 November 2023
 Click
Column: Of Hidden Things: In the Clock Shop Here for
Table of
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Of Hidden Things: In the Clock Shop

Replacing a Suspension Spring
By Mike Carpenter, CC21, CC

H ello folks. Although you are reading this col-

umn now, I’m writing it prior to our yearly
symposium. I plan to keep this short as I’m pressed
Remove the clip so the final trimming and bending
of the hook can be done. A look at the pictures might
help explain it better than my description.
for time. I’m guessing James Sprague and Jason We will be discussing suspension springs in
Champion have their hands full as well. Having greater detail in a later column. I just wanted to
helped and worked on a few conventions in the past, share a time-saving tip for those who didn’t know
I can understand the daunting task it can be. about it! If anyone has any questions, suggestions, or
So, in the interest of keeping this short, I learned comments, I can be contacted at AWCI via email at
a little trick from Jerry Faier, CMC, FAWCI, about ClockDirector@[Link].
replacing a suspension spring or “feather” in a tra-
ditional American time-and-strike works. This is a
fragile part that often gets broken by clumsy use, or
perhaps it is missing completely. Either way, it must
be replaced with a new one. The new suspension
spring feathers are intentionally long, and must be
trimmed to the correct length for the clock to keep
decent time. Have you ever accidentally cut one too
short? Not knowing the exact length makes this job
a little more difficult and time-consuming.
The trick to getting the correct length can be
achieved faster by making a brass clip that can be
slid up or down the wire. The clip has a hook on the
end for the pendulum. This clip has two holes, with
a bend in the middle. It will stay in place but can
be easily moved to adjust the timekeeping. Once the
timing seems adequate, the hook location is noted.

This clip doesn’t look pretty, but it works. Use the hole This explanatory picture shows how the clip
punching tool we use for mainsprings, with the smallest works. It makes for quick adjustments without
diameter, to quickly create the holes. I left the end long to having to cut the suspension spring wire until
make it easier to hold for adjustments. it’s at the correct length.

Mike Carpenter is the clock director for AWCI.

Horological Times 33
To all AWCI Members:

We at Richemont North America would like to take this opportunity to share with you that we operate
a Watchmaking School here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and offer a number of programs in partner-
ship with the WOSTEP Organization in Switzerland.

Two of our offered programs allow students to get their degrees as a Watchmaker after successfully
completing their courses and beginning their careers as Technicians, where they support many of the
functions of Watchmaking. These current programs are:

• Encasing Technician Course - 4 months

• Certified Watchmakers Course - 2 Years

With that being said, we are delighted to announce that we are adding a third program—the Watch
Service Technician Course.

• Watch Service Technician - 1 Year

This new course focuses on servicing many of the contemporary calibers that come across a
Watchmakers Bench every day. Contemporary calibers that we experience every day in our
businesses, and could provide immediate assistance serving clients in your workshops. Once the
candidate successfully completes this program, Richemont can then provide training for an additional
6 weeks to certify service to the following Maisons:

Richemont N.A. is pleased to share that in addition to adding this to our catalogue of Training &
Education, we offer this Program free of charge to anyone you would like to recommend or sponsor.
The course and Maison Training is entirely free to those that qualify for this opportunity. Richemont will
cover the testing, interviewing process, and the actual program itself. You or your sponsored individual
would only need to take care of the lodging, meals, and other incidentals for approximately one year.
The next class will begin in April 2023.

Should you have any questions and are interested, please feel free to contact John Sokol via email at
[Link]@[Link] or at either of the numbers below:
Office 817-785-2293 Cell 646-660-2330
 Click
Feature: Timekeeping in the 17th Century Here for
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Timekeeping in the 17th Century

By Doug Blake
Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published in 2022 by The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, headquartered in
Plymouth, Massachussetts. The Society is committed to research on the lineal descent of the Mayflower Pilgrims and education about the
Pilgrims who traveled aboard the Mayflower in 1620. The Society provides education and understanding of why the Mayflower Pilgrims
were important, how they shaped western civilization, and what their 1620 voyage means today and its impact on the world. This article,
about the Pilgrims and their timekeeping, is reprinted with their permission in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday this month.

“Old Time the clock-setter.” sorts while the Mayflower Pilgrims resided there. Many
William Shakespeare, King John (1591-8) songs of the period mention bells indicating a time of
In the hustle and bustle of the modern world, it seems day, such as this round by Thomas Ravenscroft: “And
all too often our lives are dictated by the clock. We have seest thou my cow today fowler, And seest thou my cow
alarm clocks to wake us up. We clock in at our jobs today fowler the bells ring in to Mattens, the bells ring
and clock out for breaks. We set timers for cooking, in to Mattens. Bim bome, bim bome, a bome, bome.
exercise, and work. We carry cell phones and watches Bim bome, bim bome a bome, bome.” Mattens in this
that can tell us the time anywhere in the world down to case is referring to morning prayer service.
the second. Additionally, the concept of accurate time Towers were not the only place that contained
keeping has seeped into our vocabulary and the way time-announcing bells; most ships in the 17th century
we think. Phrases such as “in a minute” or “hold on a carried bells that were used for the same reason. On a
second” are commonplace. When looking back at his- ship, this bell was most often used to indicate the pas-
tory it is easy to imagine that the 17th-century world sage of time in order to keep watch. Every half an hour
was devoid of such adherence to the clock, but that is the bell was struck, and at eight bells the watch turned
only partially true. As we will explore, while the average over. In order to actually tell time for the watch, anoth-
person in the 17th century did not have access to the er time keeping tool was used, the hourglass, or in this
accuracy of modern time keeping, the world still had instance a half hourglass.
many methods and reasons for keeping time. Lastly, while expensive and fairly ornate, watches
The first and most obvious method of timekeep- and personal clocks existed in the 17th century. During
ing was the sun and moon. People have been marking the early part of the century these watches were more
the passage of time via the sun and moon for as long jewelry than functioning timepieces as the jostling and
as there have been people. Long-form timekeeping jolting of the piece made keeping accurate time quite
calendars for harvest and holidays most often revolved difficult. The watches themselves were quite intricate
around the lunar cycles and seasons. Even lacking any and beautiful and came in many forms from the mun-
specific instruments for measurement, the average 17th dane and simple to hand-painted pieces of art. When
century person could roughly tell when it was noon used to tell time, the watches only had the hour hand
by the sun being at its zenith. Early navigation instru- and some struck a sound every hour, much like their
ments such as the cross-staff and quadrant used the sun larger versions in the clock towers. Like any technology,
at noon to help calculate a ship’s latitude. Sundials and as clockmaking advanced the use of personal watches
similar instruments had been in use since antiquity. to actually tell time accurately became plausible, and by
Another method of timekeeping that would have the mid to late century, pocket watches as we think of
been familiar to most of the Mayflower Pilgrims was them began to take shape.
the clock/bell tower. Many towns and cities in the 17th Now that we have examined some of the more com-
century had bell towers to note the passage of time. mon methods of keeping time in 17th-century England
Some of these towers took it a step further and were in and the Netherlands, let us look at New Plymouth and
fact clock towers that could not only announce the time the Mayflower Pilgrims. Firstly, the Pilgrims were just
but tell it as well. These bells would be sounded when it as capable of seeing the sun in New England and mark-
was time for church services, for the opening and clos- ing time by its passing as they were in England and the
ing of markets and for town and city curfews. London, Netherlands. Many of the times listed in primary sourc-
Leiden, and Amsterdam all had bell towers of various es mention noon or sunrise and sunset as a marker of

Horological Times 35
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Here for Feature: Timekeeping in the 17th Century
Table of
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A clock watch on display at The Metropolitan Museum
of Art in New York, New York, with the movement by
Michael Nouwen, circa 1600-1610. Nouwen was a member
of a Flemish family of clockmakers that originated
in ’s-Hertogenbosch in Brabant, now a part of The
Netherlands. The front plate of Nouwen’s movement is
split in two, an unusual feature that makes it possible
to remove the wheels of one train of the watch without
disturbing the wheels of the other. These clock watches
also typically have pierced cases so one could hear the
striking of the bell, which is attached to the inside of
the case. The intricate piercing and engraving of the
metalwork makes this watch as much a piece of jewelry
or a display piece as it is a timekeeper. Watches of the
period, though nearly always technically cutting-edge,
were far from accurate and lacked a minute hand. The
female figure in the center of the dial, reminiscent of
Flemish personifications of summer, wears a crown of
grain stalks and carries a cornucopia in her right arm.
Photo courtesy of The Met open source.

time. For instance, while exploring Cape Cod, the au- after noon…” and “About one o’clock, Massasoit
thor in Mourt’s Relation remarks “We went ranging up brought two fishes that he had shot….” There are also
and down till the sun began to draw low….” Later on, times given at night, such as “About two o’clock in the
while describing town business the author states “About morning arose a great storm of wind, rain, lightning,
noon we met again about our public business, but we and thunder” It is important to note that all of these
had scarce been an hour together, but Samoset came hours are given as “about…” which emphasizes the
again.…” It is of particular interest that the author difficulty of early timepieces to keep overly accurate
mentions the hour specifically as a way to denote the time. Likewise, since clock faces did not display minute
passage of time, showing the concept of hours as a unit hands until later in history, these times are all given on
of time measurement was not utterly foreign. Lacking the hour.
any bell towers, Plymouth used different instruments in These are just some of the many examples of time-
their place. Isaack de Rasieres observed the Plymouth keeping in the 17th century. We cannot say with any
Pilgrims “…assemble by beat of drum…” for church certainty if any of the Mayflower Pilgrims brought a
service on Sabbath. Another unconventional timekeep- watch or clock with them, but the primary sources
ing method was used on Cape Cod where one of the make it clear that at least some thought of time passing
authors of Mourt’s Relation noted they “… kept a good in hours, and most would have been familiar with such
watch with three sentinels all night, every one standing things in England and the Netherlands. This post has
when his turn came, while five or six inches of match grown long and my time short, so I shall end as I began
was burning.” Since match cord will burn at a consis- with a quote from the Bard himself:
tent rate, it seems it was used in this instance as a way
See the minutes, how they run,
to tell time for the watch.
Lastly, at least one of the authors of Mourt’s Relation How many make the hour full complete;
had an understanding of hours, and either had a watch How many hours bring about the day;
or at least wrote and thought of time in this way. There How many days will finish up the year;
are numerous mentions of specific hours in Mourt’s How many years a mortal man may live.
Relation including the explorations of Cape Cod when ~William Shakespeare ‘Henry VI, Part 3’ (1592)

at “About ten o’clock we came into a deep valley…” Sources

and then later on “The next day, about eleven o’clock, Dwight B. Heath, ed., Mourt’s Relation: A journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth (Bedford, MA: Applewood
our shallop came to us and we shipped ourselves….” Books, 1963)
There are many other examples of times given during Note: The original Mourt’s Relation was published in London 1622.
the Cape Cod explorations and then the landing at Sydney V. James Jr., ed., Three Visitors to Early Plymouth (Bedford, MA: Applewood Books, 1963)
Plymouth. Later when describing the first voyage made Note: The quote is from a letter written c. 1628 by Isaac de Rasieres.
to visit Massasoit there are again many specific hours Thomas Ravenscroft, And Seest Thou My Cow from Melismata. Musicall Phansies. Fitting the Court, Citie,
given including: “Thither we came about three o’clock and Countrey Humours (London 1611)

Doug Blake is editor-in-chief of The Mayflower Quarterly Magazine and marketing and communications manager for the Gen-
eral Society of Mayflower Descendants.

36 November 2023
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Column: From the Archives Here for
Table of
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Working in the Clock Shop

Reversing Great Wheels
Previously published in Horological Times, December 2013
By Paul Corn

In our ongoing column “From the Archives,” we are reprinting past articles from Horological Times, which
horologists will still find relevant today. This article, published in the December 2013 issue of Horological
Times, was courtesy of Paul Corn. Corn is a retired clockmaker who successfully ran his shop, Fine Clock
Repairing, in Waldorf, Maryland, for more than 25 years. He has contributed several articles to Horological
Times in the past, and most recently spoke at the 2023 Horological Association of Virginia (HAV) Fall
Seminar last month.

R eversing the great wheels in American count

wheel clocks is an overlooked repair that is
seldom done. Yet, customers, most of the time, ask to
and think that this will repair the worn teeth. After
the great wheel makes one or more revolutions, the
worn areas that were hammered down are back again.
keep the clock movement as original as possible and Making new wheels for these types of clocks is not
I do explain to them that reversing the worn wheels practical; however, Timesavers sells a great wheel that
will keep the movement with the original parts. Most is 2-13/16" diameter and 84 teeth, part #11507. This
repairpersons seem to think a lathe is needed to cut wheel is a good replacement when needed, but does
down the staking that holds the retaining washer in not fit all movements. It also comes with a hole in one
order to do this repair, or the repair isn’t needed. I too of the spokes for the click rivet.
feel that a lathe is time consuming and it is difficult to Before working, always use adequate ventilation,
center some of the wheels, and also, metal is cut away wear safety glasses, and take proper precautions when
that will be needed later. working with machines and open flames.
The need to reverse great wheels is due to the
wear that occurs on the teeth over the past eighty or Fig. 1. Great wheel
hundred-plus years, Figure 1. The second wheel pinion with worn teeth.
will wear pockets in the teeth of the great wheel, but
the movement can still work with this wear. Over
time, the wear between the two pivot holes decreases
the depthing between the great wheel and the second
wheel pinion. This decrease will cause the pockets in
the great wheel to wear a little higher. However, when
the movement is bushed at the second wheel, great
wheel, or both, the center distance between the great
wheel and second wheel pinion will change. Now the
depthing is closer between the great wheel and second
wheel pinion, and there can be bumping between the
pockets in the great wheel teeth and the pinion. This
can cause intermittent stopping of the movement.
Some repairers will hammer down the worn gear teeth

Horological Times 37
Click
Here for Column: From the Archives
Table of
Contents

The great wheel is placed in a vice with the

mainspring side of the arbor facing up with wooden
chops holding the arbor on the winding side. One
must use wooden chops to hold the arbor to prevent
the arbor from being marred and to hold the arbor
firm, Figure 2.
To hold the great wheel assembly together, four
slits are formed on the staking shoulder to hold the
washer and great wheel on the arbor, Figure 3. Others
were formed with a round punch to displace the
metal, Figure 4. Some Ingraham great wheels have a
brass collar to hold the assembly together. To remove
the collar, it must be pried up, Figure 5. With other
Ingraham great wheels, the staking is on the steel
arbor, Figure 6. Fig. 2. Great wheel held in the vice with wooden chops.

Fig. 3. Staking shoulder slits to hold the washer and wheel on the arbor.

Fig. 4. Punched staking used to hold the washer and wheel on the arbor.

Fig. 5. Prying up the collar on an Ingraham great wheel.

Fig. 6. Staking on the steel arbor of another Ingraham great wheel.

38 November 2023
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Table of
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I made a two-in-one chisel

with half of the business-end
flat and the other half sharp.
The tool is a modified 3/8"
metal working chisel. One
will need to regrind the chisel
as shown, Figure 7. The flat
part of the chisel is used to tap
down the staking to remove the
washer and wheel. The sharp Fig. 7. View of the modified
part of the chisel is used to re- cold chisel.
form the old staking after the wheel is turned over and
the washer is in place.
To use the chisel, tap down all the staking using
the flat part of the chisel in a horizontal position,
Figure 8. One must use small taps to do this. If hard Fig. 8. Tapping down the staking using the modified chisel in a horizontal
taps are used, the staking could break. Place a single- position.
edge razor blade under the washer and pry up just
enough to place a small flat-blade screwdriver under
the washer and pry off the washer, Figure 9. Then
work the wheel off by hand; sometimes one will have
to tap the staking a little more to remove the wheel.
To save time after removing the wheel, clean off
any residue with a brush, if needed, and immediately
turn the wheel over and replace the wheel back on the
arbor, Figure 10. If the washer becomes bent while
removing, place the washer on a flat stake and flatten
it out with a hammer. Some of the washers are convex.
To redo the convex, place a ball bearing larger than
the hole in the washer and tap with the pipe that is
used to seat the washer. You only need a slight convex
to make the washer work, Figure 11.
Fig. 9. Prying off the washer using a flat-blade screwdriver.

Fig. 10. Great wheel removed, turned over, and ready for the washer to be Fig. 11. Using a ball bearing and a short section of pipe to re-form the
staked back on. concave in the washer.

Horological Times 39
Click
Here for Column: From the Archives
Table of
Contents

Replace the washer using a piece of

pipe 3" long and 3/8" inside diameter
to seat the washer. After the washer
is seated, tap the riveting shoulder to
restake, using the sharp part of the chisel
in a vertical position, Figure 12.
The click and click spring will need to
be removed. First remove the click and
its rivet. Make any repairs on the click
and rivet, and then install the click and
its rivet on the other side of the wheel.
Stake the rivet and check that the click
is engaging the ratchet.

Round Wire Click Spring

When the click spring is made of round
wire, the click spring will need to be
rerouted so it will work in the new
position. This requires removing the
U-shaped clip that holds the center
part of the click spring. Then lever up
the end of the click spring that is bent
over and through the hole in the spoke. Fig. 12. Restaking the riveting shoulder, using the sharp part of the chisel in a vertical position.
Sometimes these round click springs
are hard and will break when removing them. If this and the click spring are dressed down so that they
is the case, the click spring will require annealing won’t catch the mainspring.
on the end that goes through the hole. Then place
a 1/4 inch, 90° bend at the end of the click spring. When the Click Spring Is Attached
Drill two new holes, one for the click spring and one to the Click
for the U-shaped clip. Insert the click spring in the After attaching the click and rivet on the other side of
hole and re-form the click spring to make contact the wheel, one will need to drill a #53 hole and insert
with the click. Peen over with a hammer. To make a brass taper pin from the mainspring side. Tap the
the U-shaped clip, place a steel taper pin in the oth- taper pin in very tightly. Clip off the end on the main-
er new hole from the mainspring side of the wheel, spring side of the wheel and dress down the end of the
tap in hard and bend the taper pin over the click taper pin so the mainspring won’t catch.
spring, clip off most of the taper pin and bend the Bend the taper pin over to create a tab to hold the
rest around the click spring, Figure 13. After this is click spring and cut off the remaining piece of the ta-
done, make sure the burrs from the U-shaped clip per pin, Figure 14. This arrangement has a lanced tab

Fig. 13. Taper pin formed in a U-shaped clip to hold the Fig. 14. Taper pin bent over to create the tab to hold the
click spring in the midsection. click spring.

40 November 2023
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Table of
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that holds the click spring in the old Fig. 15. Holder used
position. This lanced tab will need to to hold taper pins or
be flattened flush with the gear spoke. other small parts.
After work is completed, all parts are
cleaned in the cleaning machine.
There are other arrangements
that the manufacturers used for click
springs. The purpose here is to show
the repairer how to reverse the great
wheel and reroute the click spring on
the most common American count
wheel movements. It only takes about
10 to 15 minutes to completely reverse
one great wheel.

Tip of the Month

All of us use taper pins for clock work,
and storage could be a problem. I
would like to show a way to store ta-
per pins, rivets, small bolts, nuts, and
other items that can be stored in med-
icine bottles. isn’t needed. The taper pins came with a label that
The holder for the bottles is made from a 2" x shows the part number and size. I cut out the labels
4" board that is 7" long. The holes are drilled with and tape them to the bottles. Also, I tape a taper pin
a 1-1/8" paddle bit. The holder shown has a 1/4" on top of the bottles so I know what size is in the
plywood bottom. My newer holders don’t have the bottles. I also have these holders to store other small
holes drilled all the way through; this way a bottom items, Figure 15.

Paul Corn, Paul Corn is an independent clockmaker and owner of Fine Clock Repairing in Waldorf, Maryland.

Horological Times 41
Introduction to
Watchmaking
This course is a founda-
tional course ideal for
someone who is a
collector, new to
watchmaking,
or wants to
know more
about how
a watch
works.

February 19–23, 2024

Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21
Cost: $1,195 for AWCI members · $1,345 for non-members
Class Schedule: 5 days, Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
A survey course for the new or prospective watch- Our Introduction to Watchmaking class is a week-
maker, covering the basic skills and techniques long full curriculum that walks you through a
used by the modern watchmaker. This class is number of watchmaking fundamentals, including:
perfect for anyone thinking about entering the movement tech guides, cleaning and lubrication,
profession of watchmaking, or for the individual endshakes, the ETCACHRON regulation system,
who just wants to gain a better appreciation for timing, dialing, and casing, as well as fundamental
the art of watchmaking. watchmaking nomenclature and best practices.

re
There a s If you have any questions, feel free to reach out
e isite
q u
no prer d to Jason Champion, our education director, at
class an
for this the
vide all education@[Link] or at 513-367-9800, ext. 303.
we pro the
n e e ded r f o
too ls tion
w ith th e excep
class, er’s
tchmak
of a wa
loupe. CI.) e at AW
able for purchas
(Loupe avail
Recapping the 2023

Fall Symposium
By James Sprague
 AWCI News: Recapping the 2023 AWCI Fall Symposium

T he third time, as they say, was a charm last month

for AWCI. The 2023 AWCI Fall Symposium was
held September 28-30, for the third year in a row, at
AWCI headquarters in Harrison, Ohio, drawing a
sold-out crowd of 120 horological professionals, stu-
dents, instructors, recruiters, hobbyists and others to
the three-day event that was chock-full of presenta-
tions, lectures, food and more. All the AWCI parking spaces were filled, so the
The idea for the Fall Symposium being held at AWCI lawn became an impromptu parking lot
AWCI headquarters came about in 2021, courtesy of as well.
former AWCI president Justin Harrell, in the wake of And, judging by this year’s symposium attendance,
the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way for AWCI mem- along with the guest speakers that gave presenta-
bership to get together in a more relaxed atmosphere, tions, the event is becoming a huge success and one
to learn, connect and reconnect with fellow members, that horological enthusiasts are marking on their
and not have to spend a lot of money to do so. calendars.
Since that point, and the initial Fall Symposium “You’re sold out because of the food last year!”
at AWCI headquarters in the fall of 2021, the annual wrote Stan McMahan, instructor at Paris Junior
event has grown in attendance and presenters, while College, upon the news of the Fall Symposium being
still maintaining low costs for attendees to participate. sold out.

An early lunch on day one of Larosa’s Pizza. Izzy’s World’s Greatest Ruebens. Tortilleria Garcia.

Attendees at the reception dinner. Brau Haus was dinner on day two. Velvet Smoke BBQ was the meal for the closing
dinner.

44
 While the food was definitely a draw for attendees, the robust
lineup of presenters likely played a role as well.
The opening day of the Fall Symposium featured various com-
mittee meetings earlier in the afternoon, followed that evening by a
welcome reception for attendees, where light food and drinks were
provided. Attendees were able to gather in the newly dedicated Alice
B. Carpenter Assembly Hall—the space that formerly housed the
Henry B. Fried Resource Library, before it was moved to another
location in AWCI headquarters—named after AWCI’s first, and so
far only, female president.
It was in the assembly hall, and after most attendees had eaten,
that AWCI President David Lindow presented the AWCI Fellow
award to AWCI charter member Laurence Blanchard, CMW21, of
Kokomo, Indiana, who had been nominated for the award based on
his tireless contributions to not only the watchmaking industry, but
AWCI as well.
David Lindow presented Laurence
Blanchard with the Fellow Award
during the symposium’s opening
dinner.

Blanchard shares his appre-

ciation for the Fellow Award.

Horological Times
Click
Here for
Table of
Contents

Laurence Blanchard making his pre-

sentation, “The Bulova Accutron.”

The reception was well-enjoyed by attendees, Following Blanchard’s presentation, attendees

and it came to a point where AWCI staff had to be- made their way to the assembly hall and filled it to
gin politely ushering attendees back to their hotels capacity to listen to AWCI member Jacob Curtis, a
for the night, due to the time and that the full slate watchmaker and clockmaker from Staunton, Virginia,
of educational presentations began at 9 a.m. sharp discuss his most recent project—designing and con-
the next morning. structing a regulator clock in the German style. He was
Day two of the symposium kicked off with AWCI’s followed by presenter Philip Peck, a master goldsmith
newest Fellow, Laurence Blanchard, giving a presenta- and watchmaker with Mitchell-Peck Goldsmiths
tion on the Bulova Accutron. His decades of expertise of Pennsylvania, who gave a lecture titled “Monkey
in working with the Accutron as Bulova’s service center Hands: Ideation and Relative Design in Construction”
manager in Broadview, Illinois, was highly sought af- that was very well-attended also.
ter by attendees, as he garnered a standing room only Attendees then broke for lunch, courtesy of
crowd in the AWCI watch education classroom. a longtime Cincinnati institution, Izzy’s World’s

Attendees help themselves to lunch on day two of the symposium, courtesy of Izzy's World's
Greatest Reubens.

46 November 2023
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Table of
Contents

Greatest Reubens, then headed right

back into the classrooms for the af-
ternoon’s seminars—the watchmakers
attending AWCI Education Director
Jason Champion’s presentation on “The
Humbling Watch,” while clockmakers
checked out AWCI member Stuart Lord’s
presentation on his building of a tall case
clock from scratch.
The illustrious Bernhard Stoeber, AWCI Education Director Jason Champion dissects the "Humbling
CW21, filled the assembly hall following Watch" for attendees during his presentation.
those presentations with one of his own,
titled “Speedmaster—The Evolution of
Calibers 321 and 861.” He then turned
the assembly hall over to the more than
20 horology students who had come to
the symposium, from both Paris Junior
College and Gem City College, for a
question-and-answer session with attend-
ees, which concluded the presentation
portion of the second day.

Bernhard Stoeber, CW21, during

his presentation on the Omega
Speedmaster.

Jason Champion explains how the question-and-answer session with students will work and
requests students to face the audience. Students received answers to many of their questions.

Horological Times 47
 Philip Peck (right) during his
presentation on day two.

At that point, the AWCI administrative of-

fices turned into a shopping area, as attendees
packed the Vendor Fair, which featured AWCI
Industry Advisory Board member Cas-Ker
Co., along with the National Association of
Watch and Collectors (NAWCC), the AWCI
Education Library Museum (ELM) Trust, and
other vendors. Day two ended following the
evening dinner, which was courtesy of The
Brau Haus, a German-themed restaurant from
the southeastern Indiana town of Oldenburg,
whose cuisine has previously been featured in
The New York Times.
The third and final day of the symposium
on September 30 kicked off with a presenta-
tion from AWCI member Stephen Franke of
his sympathetic restoration of a William Grant
AWCI member Justin Harrell (left) chats with clock, which stretched for two hours in the as-
prospective buyers during the Vendor Fair.
sembly hall to a packed audience.

Cas-Ker Company’s display at the Vendor Fair. Students look over the items for sale at Craig Stone, CW21, chats with attendees at
Philip Stoller's table during the Vendor Fair. the Vendor Fair.

48
 “The clock restoration presentation illustrated a lev-
el of excellence to aspire to,” said AWCI member Perry
Johnson of Franke’s presentation.
Longtime AWCI member Bob Ockenden, CC, fol-
lowed Franke up with his presentation on “The Quest
for Accuracy,” while at the same time, the second-annu-
al AWCI Micromechanics Challenge kicked off in the
watch education classroom.
Featuring 10 registrants vying for a new Bergeon AWCI lifetime member Jeffrey Miller, CMW, concentrates
Deluxe Staking Set as the prize for the winner—gra- while participating in the Micromechanics Challenge.
ciously donated by AWCI IAB member Jules Borel and
Co.—the competition found participants being tasked
with making a watch part. The winner of the competi-
tion was Philip Stoller, CMEW, CW, CC, the instructor
at Gem City College.
Lunch was provided on day three by Tortilleria
Garcia of Cincinnati, Ohio, and then attendees were
treated to one last seminar—AWCI board member Nick
Butt discussing the background of the various Chelsea
clocks found in the AWCI Orville R. Hagans History
of Time Museum—before the annual AWCI Board of
Directors meeting took place.
AWCI board member Nick Butt details the history of
some of the Chelsea clocks from the Orville R. Hagans
History of Time Museum at AWCI headquarters.

Gem City College Instructor Philip Stoller,

CMEW, CW, CC, chats with AWCI member Wes
Grau, CMW21, during a break in the action.

Stephen Franke gives his presentation on his clock

restoration.
 AWCI News: Recapping the 2023 AWCI Fall Symposium

Following the board meeting, the official events

of the 2023 AWCI Fall Symposium concluded with
dinner courtesy of Cincinnati, Ohio’s award-winning
Velvet Smoke BBQ, and dessert courtesy of Cincinnati’s
The Cheesecakery. In addition, AWCI member and
Horological Association of Virginia delegate Deanna
Lutz, along with Wanda Wallace, wife of AWCI mem-
ber Paul Wallace, each won the raffle drawing for the
two Mason Watch Collection watches that were donat-
ed by AWCI IAB member Mason Sales Inc.
Attendees dig into some Velvet Smoke BBQ for dinner
on day three.

“Last year was my first symposium, so that is what

I can compare it against,” Johnson said. “The food
was great (again), the attendance was higher includ-
ing more students, and there were way more presen-
tations. Speakers covered some of my favorite subjects
such as astronauts (Omega), the Navy (Chelsea) and
navigation (accuracy). I was up to speed on many top-
ics that were brought up because I had read about it in
Horological Times.”
New AWCI IAB chair Patrick Mont, of Providence,
Rhode Island, said the symposium was nothing but a
Wanda Wallace, one Deanna Lutz success in his book.
of the two lucky congratulated by
“Thank you so very much for making this year’s
winners of the raffle AWCI president, Dave
drawing for a Mason Lindow, for her win symposium another great success!” Mont wrote to the
Watch Collection of the raffle drawing AWCI staff. “Your efforts—large and small—did not
watch, donated by for a Mason Watch go unnoticed, and a great time was had by all.
AWCI IAB member Collection watch. “With [the staff we have] at headquarters, AWCI
Mason Sales Inc. has a bright future and I look forward to all that is to
Longtime AWCI member Michael Gainey, CC21, come!” Mont concluded.
of Columbus, Ohio, said it was great to see so many in AWCI Education Director Jason Champion agreed
attendance at this year’s symposium, including the mix with Mont that this year’s symposium was one of the
of both watch and clock people. most exciting, and well-attended, in recent memory.
“It was pretty cool to see the building so full of “The Fall Symposium this year was a smashing hit.
clockmakers and watchmakers,” Gainey said. “I was We sure appreciate everyone's presentations and the
pleasantly surprised to see more clockmakers in atten- efforts of so many,” Champion said. “Our facility was
dance than I had seen in previous conventions and/or full, and it was truly a blessing to see everyone here.
symposiums.” We sold out, and I hope we can get everyone here
AWCI member Perry Johnson, of Linn Creek, again next year.”
Missouri, was attending his second symposium, and he
felt it was even better than the prior year. James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing
editor for Horological Times.

50
 Click
Technical Discussion: The Parts and Processes of a Rose Engine in the Modern Shop Here for
Table of
Contents

The Parts and Processes of a

Rose Engine in the Modern Shop
By G. Phil Poirier
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a four-part series of articles from G. Phil Poirier, metalsmith, goldsmith and master gem cutter, which
were originally presented at the annual Sante Fe Symposium in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Introduction
The many design possibilities of using a rose engine
start with understanding the many techniques and
processes available for the rose engine and to the
modern designer and jeweler. Numerous accessories
were originally designed and built for the rose engine
during the 17th through 19th centuries. This paper
will go into the details of how these tools and acces-
sories are used in conjunction with the rose engine for
making modern jewelry and objet d’arts, including
details regarding the methods of cutting both the tra-
ditional metals and the modern metals, such as stain-
less steel, titanium, and niobium. Also discussed will
be the future of guilloché or mechanical engraving.
In my 2015 paper1 I wrote about the history of the Fig. 1. Trade rose engine, circa 1885.
lathe, its evolution into the ornamental lathe, which
was used for decorating wood and ivory beginning in
the 16th century, and its further evolution into the
rose engine designed for use on silver and gold in the
late 18th century. This became known as the “trade
rose engine.” We also covered its sister engraving ma-
chine, the straightline, and saw many examples of
the engravings that each could perform. This present
paper will concentrate only on the trade rose engine,
how it works, and what it can do for the studio jew-
elry designer and the manufacturing jewelry designer.
It is almost impossible to find anything written on
this topic throughout history. Very little was ever writ-
ten down as this knowledge was kept amongst only
those craftspeople who practiced the art. It is my goal
to start disseminating the information that I have
learned about engine turning over the last 20 years Fig. 2. Trade rose engine, circa 1930.
for the benefit of all artists and craftspeople, with the for use on precious metals during the middle of the
hopes of the creation of new and intriguing designs. 18th century. It was rapidly deployed in the jewelry
and watchmaking industries in the area of south-
The Trade Rose Engine western Switzerland. The trade rose engine was pri-
The trade rose engine, Figures 1 and 2, was an evolu- marily used for the mechanical engraving known as
tion of the ornamental turning lathe and was developed guilloché, also referred to as engine turning.

1. G. Phil Poirier, “Art, History, and Processes of Guilloché Engraving,” The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry
Manufacturing Technology 2015, ed. E. Bell et al. (Albuquerque: Met-Chem Research, 2015).

Horological Times 51
Click
Here for Technical Discussion: The Parts and Processes of a Rose Engine in the Modern Shop
Table of
Contents

The key difference between the earlier rose

engine ornamental turning lathe, Figure 3, and
the trade rose engine is that the trade rose engine
typically has low-amplitude and high lobe-count
rosettes.
Amplitude is the distance between the peaks
and valleys of a rosette. The lower amplitudes of
the rosettes, Figure 4, were better suited to jewel-
ry-scale items by minimizing the negative effects of
amplitude (see also Figure 33).
The high lobe counts were also beneficial to the
style and scale of jewelry items and were especial-
ly beneficial to those in the watch industry. Lobe
counts of 120 or more allow the watchmakers and
clockmakers to divide the minute hand arc with
multiple cuts. High lobe counts are also very useful Fig. 3. High-amplitude rosettes of an ornamental turning lathe.
on large items such as picture frames and hollow-
ware.

The Trade Rose Engine Machine

How a Rose Engine Works
Figure 5 shows a graphic illustration of a rose engine
in rocking mode, front view. Multiple rosettes are
mounted to the barrel, which turns freely around
the spindle and is locked to the spindle with the in-
dex lever. By rotating the barrel and rosettes around
the spindle, the relationship of the rosettes to the
workpiece can be changed. The barrel rotation is
performed by using either the index lever or the
crossing worm.
In this illustration the headstock is spring-load-
ed towards the left using the rocking spring. This
Fig. 4. Low-amplitude rosettes of a trade rose engine.
forces the rosette against the touch, which is fixed,
causing the entire spindle assembly, which includes
the rosettes, barrel, crossing plate, worm, and index
lever, to rock gently left to right as the spindle is ro-
tated by way of the drive belt. As the spindle is rotat-
ed, the rosette will pivot to the right when the touch
reaches a rosette peak and, conversely, the spindle will
pivot back to the left when the touch reaches a val-
ley in the rosette. The workpiece is held in a chuck,
which attaches to the spindle nose.

Axis of Cutting
The axis available for cutting on a rose engine is ra-
dially around the spindle axis. This can be utilized to
cut concentrically on the face of a surface held per-
pendicular to the spindle, or axially around a cylinder
held parallel with the spindle, Figures 6 and 10. The
Fig. 5. The rose engine and its parts, front view.
spindle can be rocked, Figure 7, or pumped when

52 November 2023
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Fig. 6. The two surfaces (shaded) that can be cut with a rose engine.

Fig. 10. Close-up of pumping cuts (left) and rocking cuts (right).

working on the face or sides of a cylinder.

When the spindle of the rose engine is set up for
Fig. 7. Rocking motion.
a “pumping” motion, the barrel and rosettes are held
under spring tension and the touch is in contact with
the side of the rosette, Figure 8. The rosette has a
pattern of lobes machined along the side surface of
its periphery. The pumping motion comes from the
touch resting against the waves or lobes machined
into the sides of the rosette, Figure 9. As the spindle
is rotated, the cam action of the touch and rosette
push the spindle in and out, or axially.

The Cutting Tools

There are two families of cutters used with a rose
engine. The first family of cutters is the station-
Fig. 8. The pumping spring forces the axial movement of the spindle. ary or fixed-point cutter, primarily used for guil-
loché-style engraving. The second family of cutters
is the flycutter and its cutting frame. Flycutters are
typically used for high-relief patterns along with
die-making processes. Their cutting frames hold
the flycutter on a specified axis. These can be hori-
zontal, vertical, or universal. The universal cutting
frame allows for the flycutter to be set at any angle
relative to the workpiece.

Fig. 9. The touch engaged on the side of the rosette.

Horological Times 53
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Here for Technical Discussion: The Parts and Processes of a Rose Engine in the Modern Shop
Table of
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The Fixed-Point Tool and Its Use

Fixed-point cutters are typically made from high-
speed steel or carbide and are ground into many dif-
ferent shapes, depending upon use.
The standard guilloché cutter for face and cylin-
drical work is shown in Figure 11, far left. It has a
150-160° included angle on its tip. The working re-
lief angle ranges between 20-30°. When ground from
carbide, a very slight negative relief is added to the Fig. 11. Shapes of fixed-point cutters and the front relief angle.
cutting edge when cutting silver or gold. This negative
relief helps with longevity of the cutter edge and leaves
a bright cut in the metal. Greater amounts of negative
relief are required for titanium and stainless steel.
Once the cutting is started, the cutter must remain
in perfect condition until the work is completed. If the
cutter dulls or chips, the work cannot be continued. It
must be scrapped and restarted from the beginning as
it will be visually obvious that the cuts do not match.
The quality and brilliance of a guilloché cut are high-
ly dependent upon the quality of the ground tool. A
highly polished cutter will yield a highly polished and
brilliant cut in the metal.
The historic method of shaping and grinding the
fixed-point cutters was with the use of a goniostat,
Figure 12. The goniostat was used with sharpening
stones and/or abrasive-charged glass or granite. The
tool was fixed to the goniostat, the cutter and relief
angles were set, and the entire assembly would then
be slid over a plate charged with abrasive powder.
Successively finer grits would bring up a pre-polish, Fig. 12. The goniostat.
and then a polishing powder would provide a high
finish on the tool.
Modern methods of grinding carbide cut-
ters to shape include universal cutter grinders
and engraving tool grinding machines with
diamond laps. The modern grinders all have
one thing in common, which is a rotating abra-
sive wheel or lap. With these machines the an-
gles are set for both profile and relief, and the
carbide-tipped cutting tool is then brought
into contact with the abrasive wheel or lap.
The abrasive wheels and laps are impregnated
with diamond grit, in the range of 260-600
grit, for roughing out the shape, then 1200 grit
for pre-polish. The polish is accomplished us-
ing 50,000-100,000 grit diamond on a ceramic
wheel or lap, Figure 13.
Fig. 13. Polishing a cutting tool with a ceramic lap and 50,000 grit diamond.

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Fig. 15. Side view and top view of the cutter and guide.

Fig. 14. Tool slide.

Once the cutter is ground

and polished to the required
shape, it is then mounted onto
the cutter tool slide adjacent to
the guide. The guide is a bull-
nosed tool, which is also highly
polished and designed to ride
on the surface and burnish the
workpiece while controlling the
depth of the cutter, Figures 14,
15 and 16. The cutting tool and
the guide are then adjusted for
cutting depth.
The depth of cut is adjusted
to achieve a specific pattern. For
traditional guilloché engraving,
it is important to maintain the
same depth of cut for each of Fig. 16. Top view of cutter and guide.
the many successive cuts, oth-
erwise the workpiece will need
to be scrapped. Modern styles
of guilloché engraving might
include cutting to differing
depths, in which case the guide
is adjusted for each cut.
Given the broad angles of
the cutting tool, it’s apparent
that a slight change in depth
results in a greater width of
cut, Figure 17. Both depth and
width of the cut play major
roles in pattern development.

Fig. 17. Depth of cut (DOC) and its effect upon the width of cut.

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Flycutters
Another commonly used method to cut metal in the
rose engine is with the use of flycutters. Flycutters are
milling devices which have the cutters attached to a
rotating wheel, shaft, or spindle. There are many types
of flycutters and their respective cutting frames. The
cutting frames hold the flycutter wheel or spindle to a
specific orientation relative to the workpiece. As such,
the horizontal cutting frame will hold the flycutter in
a horizontal position, the vertical cutting frame will
hold the flycutter in the vertical position, and the uni-
versal cutting frame is fully adjustable through any
angle of orientation relative to the workpiece.
The simplest type of flycutter is a drilling tool,
also known simply as a drill, with an eccentric cutter,
Figure 18.
Flycutter styles include single or multiple car-
bide-insert milling cutters in the shape of a wheel with
the inserts around the periphery, Figure 19.
Flycutters can be used to cut metal dies, Figure
20, which are then used to form the workpiece. The
progression of cutting starts with light plunge cuts as Fig. 18. Drill with an eccentric cutter.
the rose engine is put into motion. After each revolu-
tion the flycutter is moved in small increments into
the die material until the desired depth is reached.
Note that the rose engine can be operated in either
the pumping or rocking mode for this process, which
will yield different results on any given rosette.
Upon completion of the die, a thin piece of metal
(copper, silver, gold, etc.) is sandwiched between the
die and the selected polyurethane and placed into
a hydraulic press, Figure 21. The hydraulic press is
then activated, which forces the thin workpiece met-
al into the die. The pressure required to form the
Fig. 19. Various flycutters with single and multiple carbide inserts.

Fig. 20. Die-making with the use of a flycutter. Fig. 21. Die made by pumping the rose engine and its results in niobium after forming in the
hydraulic press..

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metal depends upon the thickness of metal, type of

metal and detail level of the die. Thick, hard met-
al requires higher forces to form the metal, where-
as thin and/or soft metals form with lesser forces.
Similarly, higher forces are required to form the
metal into finely detailed areas of the die, whereas
lower forces are used when the die has soft, flowing
features with no fine details.

Chucks
The workpiece must be securely held to the spindle
nose of the rose engine. There are many methods
and tools to accomplish this objective. The most
Fig. 22. Three-jaw chuck with “pie jaws” or full circle jaws.
common method used to hold the workpiece to the
spindle is to use a multi-jaw chuck. Three- and four-
jaw chucks are available with “pie jaws,” or full-cir-
cle jaws, Figure 22, which are capable of securely
holding thin discs of precious metal. When properly
made, these pie jaws allow for the full support of
the metal from around and from behind the thin
disc. Step jaws may be used for thicker, less flexible
parts but will allow too much flex with thinner met-
als. This flex prevents the depth of cut from being
maintained throughout all of the successive cuts.
Other chucks include two-jaw chucks, Figure
23, with interchangeable plates which are cut to fit a
specific size or shape of workpiece.
Glue chucks or wood chucks with shellac are
also commonly used to hold the workpiece to the
spindle, Figure 24.
Many of the two-jaw chucks allow for the Fig. 23. Two-jaw chucks with eccentric slides.
off-center or eccentricity of the workpiece, Figures
23 and 25. This can be utilized when creating pat-
terns which overlap or have different centers.

Fig. 25. Titanium workpiece on a glue plate held and adjusted to center with the two-jaw
Fig. 24. Glue chucks or Jett Sett chucks.
eccentric chuck.

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Leveling chucks, Figures 26 and 27, are benefi- tered, within a thousandth of an inch (a couple hun-
cial when the workpiece must maintain precise align- dredths of a millimeter) or less. The leveling chuck
ment. Some processes demand the face and sides of allows for precise axial and radial alignment of the
a workpiece be held axially parallel and radially cen- workpiece.

Fig. 26. Leveling chuck.

Fig. 27. Leveling chuck.
The Cutter Slide and
Movements
The cutter and guide are held in
a slide that is mounted to, and
moves upon, a larger main slide
that is traversed via the lead-
screw. The leadscrew is turned
via the main slide drive ratchet,
Figure 28. This ratchet, Figure
29, is swung between stops which,
when set, restrain the movement
of the leadscrew to a specific and
repeatable distance.
This distance is set depen-
dent upon the depth of cut and
the pattern required. Deeper cuts
typically will be placed further Fig. 28. The main slide and its parts.
apart, whereas shallow cuts are
usually placed closer together.
When deep cuts are placed close
together, the overall surface lev-
el will end up lower, which has
advantages for enameling. When
cuts are shallow and widely
spaced, the result is a larger quan-
tity of original flat-surface area
between cuts. It’s important to
keep the backlash out of the slide
by always moving the ratchet in
the same direction while moving
the cutter to the first and subse-
quent locations. Fig. 29. Parts of the slide.

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Starting the Cut When the cutting has progressed to the final ¼"
The slide is brought up to the workpiece and locked (6.35 mm) of center, the common approach is to take
in position square to the workpiece surface to be cut. the touch off of the rosette and cut simple circles.
It’s important that the tangent screw and its arc slide This is due to the effect of amplitude as the cutting
are also set perpendicular to the workpiece. If the cut- gets closer to the center of rotation. As the cutting
ter meets the workpiece at less than, or more than, proceeds closer to the center of rotation, the ratio of
a 90º angle, the cut will be imperfect, Figure 30. If the amplitude to the pitch (distance between peaks)
the cutter and guide meet the workpiece at an acute of the rosette becomes extreme, Figure 33. This is
angle, the cutter will cut much deeper than intended. caused by the fact that the amplitude stays the same
Similarly, if the cutter and guide meet the workpiece while the pitch of the rosette becomes smaller with
at an obtuse angle, the guide will touch the workpiece each successive cut.
before the cutter and no cut will be made. Most rosettes will yield an extreme zigzag effect
When working on domed pieces, the cutter and near the center of the workpiece, which appears as a
guide are kept perpendicular to the work, Figure 31, less-than-ideal cut. Rosettes designed with very small
by way of the tangent screw, Figure 28. The tangent amplitudes (<0.015") are capable of engraving very
screw swings the cutter slide through an arc of motion close to the center of rotation, whereas rosettes with
(centerless arc slide in Figure 28), which orients the large amplitudes are unable to engrave close to the
cutter perpendicular to the workpiece. center of rotation.
Cutting typically proceeds from the outside of the
work towards the center, Figure 32, although it is not
always necessary to cut in this direction.

Fig. 31. Keeping the cutter perpendicular to the cut.

Fig. 30. Showing the correct orientation on the left, an acute angle in the middle which cuts
too deeply, and an obtuse angle on the right where the guide touches the work and prevents
the cutter from cutting.

Fig. 32. Images of progress from outer edge towards center. Fig. 33. Showing the effects of amplitude when approaching the center of rotation.

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The Crossing Plate and the Worm

There are many ways to change the relationship be-
tween the rosettes and the workpiece, thereby creating
new patterns. Certainly, the most common method is
the use of the crossing plate, Figure 34.
The crossing plate is also referred to as the division
plate. It is fixed to the barrel of rosettes, which togeth-
er are free to rotate around the spindle and which is
locked to the spindle motion with the index lever. The
index lever is fixed to the main drive wheel. Its role
is to assist in the development of patterns by chang-
Fig. 34. The crossing plate and its parts.
ing the rotational relationship between the barrel of
rosettes and the workpiece. This is accomplished via plate is then moved one index notch of the 72-index
two possible methods. The index lever may be used zone. The second cut is then made, after which the
to index the crossing plate in prescribed amounts of cutter slide is traversed a set amount on the main slide
rotation, or the worm may be used for any amount of and the crossing plate is again re-oriented one notch of
rotational change not prescribed by the crossing plate. the 72-index zone. The cuts proceed in this manner,
The crossing plate has several zones of index notches re-orienting the crossing plate after each cut. By mov-
on its periphery. The notches are located and indexed ing the crossing plate one notch, the rosette is re-ori-
to the crossing plate with the index lever. The zones of ented relative to the workpiece by 1/72 of a circle or, in
notches are typically marked on the plate with num- this example, half of the rosette lobe count, which has
bers such as 48, 60, 72, 96, 120, 144, 192, 240, 300, 36 lobes. The result is similar to that shown in Figures
336, and 360, Figure 37. These numbers denote the 35 and 36. This is traditionally called a barleycorn
fraction of a circle between any two of the notches pattern.
from the same series. As an example, in the 72 series of Note that each cut in this example is a sinewave
notches, rotating the crossing plate one notch is equal which is a single complete cut around the center of ro-
to a rotational change of 1/72 of a circle, or 5º of an- tation. The perceived pattern when completed appears
gular movement. This is called “phasing” and is read- to be many interlocking or overlapping arcs.
ily applied to pattern creation. Phasing re-orients the If the crossing plate is rotated two index notches
rosette pattern relative to the workpiece. For example, in the 72-index zone, the physical change is equal to
using a 36-lobe rosette, starting from the outside of 1/36 of a circle or 10º of angular rotation. Similarly,
the workpiece, the first cut is made. The cutter slide is when indexing one notch in the 144 series of notches,
traversed a set amount on the main slide; the crossing the relational angular change would be equal to 1/144

Fig. 35. Titanium cut with a 36-lobe rosette and phased with each Fig. 36. Barleycorn box, mastodon ivory with a barleycorn pattern cut
successive cut, creating a barleycorn pattern. into the side of the box. (Courtesy Daniel Brush, 1984).

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of a circle or 2.5º per notch. Two notches in the 144 An example of a pattern which uses the worm
zone would be 1/72 of a circle or 5º. See Table 1 for an would be the “moire” pattern, also referred to as the
example of notch zones and their relationships. “sine” pattern. These patterns are where the rotation-
The use of the worm is another method to change al relationship is changed between each successive
the relationship of the rosettes to the workpiece. It al- cut in varying quantities. After each cut the worm
lows for any desired amount of rotation of the barrel. would be adjusted by the following increments:
This way we can create patterns with non-identical ¼ turn, ½, ¾, 1, 1-¼, 1-½, 1-¼, 1, ¾, ½, and ¼.
movements. The worm is engaged to the barrel by Continuing on, the direction of the worm would be
way of a wormwheel. Most rose engines use either a changed and moved -¼, -½, -¾, -1, -1-¼, -1-½, -1-
120- or 180-tooth wormwheel. This gives a rotational ¼, -1, -¾, -½, -¼.
movement of 3º or 2º, respectively, for each full turn Another similar pattern uses a set of numbers
of the worm. It also translates into smaller angular such as the Fibonacci series. In this case the worm
movements when the worm is turned by fractions is first turned clockwise after each successive cut in
of a whole turn. As an example, a one-quarter turn the following amounts: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 8, 5, 3, 2,
of the worm would rotate the barrel and change the 1; then the worm is turned in the opposite direction,
relationship between the rosettes and workpiece by counterclockwise -1, -2, -3, -5, -8, -13, -8, -5, -3, -2,
three-quarters of a degree on a 120-tooth wormwheel -1. The result would look similar to Figure 37. Both
or one-half degree on a 180-tooth wormwheel. moire and Fibonacci patterns are almost identical.

Table 1. The angular movement in degrees of the barrel and

rosettes relative to the workpiece when the index zones are used
Notch 1 2 3 4 5 6
Zone Notch Notches Notches Notches Notches Notches
72 5 10 15 20 25 30
96 3.75 7.5 11.25 15 18.75 22.5
120 3 6 9 12 15 18
144 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15
240 1.5 3 4.5 6 7.5 9

Fig. 37. Titanium cut using the worm in a Fibonacci-like numerical

sequence.

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The Touch mounts on either side of the spindle. By placing the

One of the many variables to pattern creation is the touch in the touch tool mount on the opposite side
radius of the touch in relation to the radius of the lobe of the spindle, the cut will be a mirror image of the
on the rosette, Figure 38. Most rosettes consist of a rosette, Figure 40.
series of shallow concave scallops around the periph- The amount of engagement of the touch upon the
ery of the rosette. If the radius of the touch is half the rosette can also be altered to develop additional pat-
radius of the rosette lobe, then the resulting cut in the terns. The touch can be accurately adjusted into con-
workpiece is in the form of a sinewave, Figure 39. If tact with the rosette by using a leadscrew on the touch
the radius of the touch is less than half the radius of holder. This allows for incremental amounts of touch/
the lobe, the result will be a series of concave scallops rosette engagement. Setting the adjustable touch with
similar to the rosette itself. Whereas, if the radius of zero amount of engagement, the pattern cut would re-
the touch is greater than half the radius of the lobe, sult in a circle. By adding a small increment of engage-
the result will be a series of convex shapes, in effect, ment, the pattern cut would be mostly circular with
opposite the shape of the rosette or the mirror image small bumps where the touch engaged just the tops of
of the rosette.2 the rosette. By continuing to add a little engagement
Another variable, which again multiplies the after each cut, the full rosette pattern would eventually
number of patterns possible per rosette, is the loca- show in the cut. This process can be reversed to gradu-
tion of the touch. Most machines have touch tool ally fade the rosette cut back to a simple circle.

Fig. 38. The touch radius vs. the rosette lobe radius. Fig. 39. Changing the radius of the touch and its effect on the
cut.

Fig. 40. The touch on the opposite side of the spindle.

2. George Daniels, Watchmaking (London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., 1981).

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The use of a touch is not limited to only one touch Most elliptical chucks also have the added advan-
and one rosette. Multiple touches can be utilized to en- tage of having an integrated double-eccentric chuck.
gage multiple rosettes. This can enhance the cut pat- The double-eccentric chuck, also known as the
tern and yield a much more complex cut pattern. compound-eccentric chuck,4 allows the workpiece to
be moved off-center on one or both axis slides. This
Elliptical Chucks and Eccentric Chucks allows the creation of numerous patterns with radi-
The elliptical chuck, Figure 41, also referred to as ating circles or ellipses. John Holt Ibbetson explored
the oval chuck, is capable of turning a wide range of this style extensively and published many examples
ellipses with different axial proportions, from very and methods used in 1817.4 Figures 43 and 44 show
narrow ellipses to very wide, almost circular ellipses. examples of elliptical and eccentric cutting using the
This chuck is attached directly to the spindle nose of compound-eccentric chuck.
the rose engine and can be combined with any of the The orientation of the ellipse can be adjusted or
rosettes on the barrel or run without the extra shap- changed with the worm and wormwheel on the ellip-
ing of the rosettes. It can be used in both rocking tical chuck. This axis of change can also be utilized to
and pumping modes. create new patterns.
An ellipse can be de-
fined as a planar curve that
surrounds two focal points.
The distance between the
two focal points defines
the amount of elongation
of the ellipse. The elliptical
chuck has an adjustment
thumbwheel used to set
the elliptical eccentricity
of the main chuck slide,
which is, in other words,
the distance between the
two focal points. When the Fig. 41. The elliptical chuck. Fig. 42. Showing a moderate amount of elongation with the use
adjustment sets a small dis- of the 96-lobe rosette.
tance between the two fo-
cal points, an ellipse would
be cut with a small amount
of elongation to the ellipse,
Figure 42. When the ad-
justment is made for more
distance between the two
points, the ellipse becomes
more elongated.
When engraving el-
lipses, it is extremely im-
portant to set the height
of the cutter to the exact
center of the spindle and
maintain the cutter at cen- Fig. 43. The elliptical chuck in combination with the compound- Fig. 44. The elliptical chuck used in combination with the compound-eccentric
ter, otherwise the ellipse eccentric chuck. chuck and the index wheel on a piece of titanium.
will be slightly askew, or twisted, and successive cuts
will interfere with the previous cuts.3

3. John Jacob Holtzapffel, The Principles and Practice of Ornamental or Complex Turning (London: 4. John Holt Ibbetson, Specimens in Eccentric Turning, 3rd ed. (London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green
Holtzapffel and Co, 1884). and Longman, 1817).

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There are many more styles of chucks and cut-

ting frames far too numerous to cover and beyond the
scope of this paper. That said, using the chucks, cut-
ters, and variables described so far, the number of pos-
sible patterns is virtually limitless. A list of variables
available for pattern development might look like this:

• Cutter style and shape

• Depth and width of cut
• Step-over of cutter slide
• Rosette or rosettes
• Touch radius
• Touch placement
• Touch engagement Fig. 45. Two hobs made to emulate guilloché.
• Crossing plate sequence
• Worm sequence truly replicating the brilliance and optical effects of
• Axial and/or radial eccentricity true hand-cut guilloché.
• Elliptical eccentricity
Modern Methods and Materials,
With the numerous possible combinations of these Future Developments
variables, it is easy to see that the number of patterns is Modern CNC milling machines have been used to cut
almost limitless, Figure 45. precious-metal pieces similar to what’s available with
the use of a rose engine. The modern machines succeed
Mass Production at some of the techniques but not all that are tradition-
During the beginning of the 20th century, the demand ally accomplished on a rose engine.
for guilloché items skyrocketed. This placed demands In the case of guilloché-type engraving, the rotary
on the production of work to satisfy the marketplace. tools of a modern CNC mill or lathe will leave a very
Several methods of speeding up the process and mass fine repeating mark in the tool’s cut path. Under close
producing guilloché-like patterns were invented. The microscopic inspection, the channels cut with rotary
first was to use a diamond point to scratch the pat- tools leave tool marks which appear as numerous radi-
terns into the metal rather than cut the patterns with al marks across the kerf left by the tool. These marks
a traditional engraving cutter. A benefit was that the reduce the brilliance of the cut. Pieces made this way
diamond point was much easier to manage when en- can still look quite good, and some are so good as to be
graving the patterns into metal. This meant that less difficult to differentiate between one cut with a fixed-
training was needed for the machine operators. The point tool and another cut by a rotating tool. In the best
drawback was that the diamond points cannot remove of cases, discerning eyes can see the difference as the
metal, only plow it aside, so depths are consequently properly executed hand-cut guilloché will always have a
very shallow. This, in turn, demands that the width of brighter cut due to its action.
the engraved line had to be very narrow. Narrow cuts A possibility in the quest to alleviate the tool
tend to be less bright than wide cuts, so the optical marks left by a rotating tool would be the develop-
effects on these pieces were less brilliant. ment of a CNC machine that could precisely mimic
Die making was also a method of speeding up the the rose engine. In this case the machine would be
process and mass producing a guilloché-like pattern designed for use with a single-point fixed tool. This
in metal. Water-hardening steel was chucked up into idea would require a table with X and Y axis move-
the rose engine and engraved with a pattern. It was ment, and a Z axis coupled with an axis of rotation
then hardened and tempered and used as either a hob, concentric with the Z axis, which we might call the
which would then produce a master die, or used as a “C” axis. This C axis would keep the cutter always
die to coin directly into the metal, leaving the pattern facing into the direction of cut with the tool’s front
raised, Figure 45. Again, this technique was effective cutting edge perpendicular to the direction of trav-
towards the goal of greater production but failed at el. The software would also need to be developed to

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Tarnish reduces and impairs

the beautiful optical effects
of an engraved workpiece.
Transparent enamels were
developed in Switzerland
around 1780 soon after the
first guilloché was cut in sil-
ver and gold. The transpar-
ent enamels were needed in
order to cover and seal the
engraved workpiece and to
preserve the optical clarity
of the silver or gold, which
Fig. 46. Examples of CNC-cut engraving (left) and guilloché (right). would otherwise tarnish.
Using modern metals such
allow for all of the variables of a mechanical rose en- as titanium or stainless steel also solves the problem of
gine. A few craftspeople and engineers have explored tarnish and its ruinous effects on the engraved pattern.
this area with interesting results. One engineer who has The anodized colors of titanium also add a dynamic
had success with this idea is Leonardo Di Benedetto in element to the designs; as you move the piece the light
Spain. He has designed a CNC machine with X, Y, Z, reflects off of the different angles of the engraved lines,
and C axes along with the control software specifically creating subtle shifts in color.
for engraving styles. One contemporary craftsperson who uses a rose en-
The software allows the user control of the depth gine with modern materials and styles is Peter Gilroy
of cut and entry/exit ramps to simulate hand engraving. of Taos, New Mexico. The process used in creating his
The C axis keeps the tool edge perpendicular to the di- titanium bolo tie with 18-karat inlay, Figure 47, was as
rection of cut while the Z axis is used for depth. Figure follows: the primary shape of the piece was cut out on a
46 shows two examples of the results on watch rotors. CNC mill, the part was then glued to a chuck and guil-
One hardship of teaching this material, which has loché engraved on the rose engine with the workpiece
been made clear to me over the years, is the price of far from the center point, thus creating an asymmetric
admission. Young designers who want to utilize these composition. The titanium was then given a dark gray
mechanical engraving machines sadly find that the patina and polished, followed by CNC milling the slot
rarity of the machines demand high prices for the few for the gold inlay.
that come up for sale. The lack of easy access to these
rare machines is partially to blame for an overall lack
of new ideas and techniques by young designers. A
modern version based on CNC controls could reduce
the cost of entry, and may open new doorways of pat-
tern development.
The recent use of the rose engine on modern metals,
and with modern designs, is a new area of exploration
which has yet to be fully exploited. A few designers are
currently using the rose engine with space-age materi-
als such as titanium, niobium, and stainless steel. Some
have created new and unusual rosettes that generate in-
teresting and unique patterns. One artist uses the rose
engine to create intricate textures made by overlapping
the cuts at differing angles to each other.
Several of the modern metals have the bene-
fit of resisting tarnish. Tarnish and its effect upon
precious-metal engraving has always been a problem. Fig. 47. Bolo tie in titanium with 18-karat inlay by Peter Gilroy, 2015.

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The process used in creat-

ing the gorget, Figure 48, was
as follows: the workpiece was
first chucked into a CNC mill,
the Grand Teton Mountains
were engraved and the periph-
eral profile machined. The
engraved lines created an easy
reference line to start and stop
the guilloché engraving. The
part was then glued onto a
chuck and mounted to the rose
engine, the eccentric slides were Fig. 48. Titanium gorget by Peter Gilroy, 2015.
adjusted to locate the center of
rotation (the circle describing the sun) and the sun’s
rays were then guilloché engraved and anodized
gold. The mountains were masked off so that they
could later be anodized blue. Similar processes were
utilized in the titanium bolo tie with mountains and
sunburst, Figure 49. After anodizing, the final as-
sembly was done by laser welding titanium compo-
nents to the pieces.

Conclusion
By looking back and understanding the history of
mechanical engraving machines and mechanical
pattern making, we can better understand ways
of approaching new designs. The rose engine has
tremendous potential as a designing tool with its
many possibilities of pattern development. A few
craftspeople and artists have started to rediscover this
machine tool and its vast potential to add value and
intrigue to their jewelry designs. Further development Fig. 49. Titanium bolo tie by Peter Gilroy, 2015.
of these processes might yield new machines with
further design capabilities.

Acknowledgements
I wish to thank Peter Gilroy for his fine examples of
modern titanium pieces, and Daniel Brush for his fine
example of a barleycorn-patterned box. Also, many
thanks to Brooke Barlow for her assistance in creating
the many samples shown.
And a big thanks to Eddie Bell, Janet Haldeman,
Jessica Cast, and all of the Santa Fe Symposium staff.

G. Phil Poirier is a master gem cutter and goldsmith residing near Taos, New Mexico. Having discovered the art of metalsmithing
in a high school art class, Poirier has studied metalsmithing for over 35 years and has worked with masters in the fields of
goldsmithing and lapidary.

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Antique Watch Restoration

By Archie Perkins
A must-have collection!
These books contain valuable information detailing
comprehensive techniques for manufacturing components and
restoring antique wrist and pocket watches.
“Antique Watch Restoration, Volumes I & II are comprehensive
books that contain plenty of hard-to-find, useful, practical
information. These are the first books I consult when searching for
a solution to part-making in restoration.”

Henrik Korpela
Korpela & Hofs Watchmaking Competence Centre
Le Locle, Switzerland
[Link]/online-store
Don’t have these books? Purchase them today at [Link]/online-store/

$99.99 $99.99 $84.99

Plus Shipping and Handling Plus Shipping and Handling Plus Shipping and Handling
Antique WAtch RestoRAtion

Archie B. Perkins
Mr. Perkins, the author of Antique
Watch Restoration, Volume 1, has more
than 70 years of experience in the
watchmaking and clockmaking trade,
starting at age fifteen. Archie has spent
more than 40 years, part time and full
time, making wheels and pinions and
other parts for antique watches and
clocks, and has restored antique and
complicated watches.
A watchmaking and clockmaking
instructor for Denver Public Schools
for 32 years, Archie was elected
“Vocational Educator of the Year” by
the teachers’ union in 1981. He also
conducted basic and advanced lathe

III Archie B. Perkins

courses for the American Watchmak-
ers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI).
Additionally, he served on the AWCI
Board of Directors from 1985 to 1988.
He has achieved the distinguished titles
of Certified Master Watchmaker and
CMW, FAWI, FNAWCC, FBHI
Archie B. Perkins

Fellow of the American Watchmak-

ers-Clockmakers Institute, Fellow of
the National Association of Watch and
Clock Collectors, and Fellow of the
British Horological Institute.
For 25 years, Archie wrote the monthly
column, “Technically Watches,” for
AWCI’s Horological Times. Many of his
articles were also published in the Brit-

Vol. III
ish Horological Journal, Watch and Clock
Review, and the National Association of

FPO
Watch and Clock Collectors Bulletin.
Archie was co-author of The Watch-
maker’s Staking Tool, published by K
and D Staking Tool Co., 1987. He also
wrote The Modern Watchmakers Lathe
and How to Use It, published by AWCI
in 2003.

Horological Times 67
Click
Here for
Table of
Contents

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Make sure your AWCI member

profile is current!
AWCI has been receiving many calls from watch and clock owners across the country who are seeking AWCI
horologists to repair or restore their beloved timepieces. Many are looking for horologists who work on spe-
cific brands, and we have been referring them to those horologists.

With this increased volume in calls, we want to remind AWCI members to make sure their member profile—
the one listed in AWCI’s professional directory, which we refer to when finding a recommendation for the
callers—is up-to-date.

If you specialize in a certain brand of clock or watch, make sure it is listed in your member profile. You
can update your member profile by logging into AWCI’s website at [Link]
/login and clicking on “My Profile.” At that point, you’ll be able to edit your profile and add or delete
anything you need!

Keeping your profile current is a great way to benefit from AWCI’s Professional Directory, as we are averaging
roughly 10 to 20 calls or emails a day from watch and clock owners seeking someone they can give their
business to!

If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact AWCI Office Manager James Sprague
at 513-367-9800, ext. 301 or via email at james@[Link].

68 November 2023
 From the Workshop
By Jack Kurdzionak, CW21, FAWCI

Ten Busy Days Continued

Last month’s column chronicled the first segment Fig. 1
of our journey to Switzerland to study with Henrik
Korpela at the K&H Watchmaking Competence
Centre. On Monday morning, Jerry Sussman and I
walked the two kilometers from our lodging to the
school arriving right on time at 9 a.m. We spent some
time meeting with Henrik, his colleague Michael, and
the other seven students who were going to be studying
there for the week. Four students were with Michael in
one classroom and five were with Henrik in the sec-
ond classroom. Michael’s group would spend the week
studying how to make a flyback hammer for a vintage
chronograph from a piece of steel. Our group included
Praveen Kannan from California, Doug Skinner from
West Virginia, Anastasios Sousounis (Tasos for short)
from Greece, Jerry Sussman and me.
After the introductions we went to our respective
classrooms. Henrik, Figure 1, gave us an overview of what
we were going to learn and how we would independently
work on these three projects. Each of us would fabricate
three parts but not concurrently. Someone would be cut-
ting an hour wheel while others were making a yoke. Each
of us would be able to work with the equipment required
to make the part, just not everyone working on the same
project at the same time. At week’s end, everyone made
three new parts and each of them could have been used as
a replacement part for the watch they were made for.
Specifically, the three goals for our group’s studies this
week were to duplicate a yoke for an ETA 6497, design
and make a yoke without a sample for an antique Swiss
pocket watch, and finally make a complete hour wheel
for an ETA 6497—not by matching one, but by cutting
it to the exact dimensions as shown on a large drawing of
the part. After lunch, Henrik continued explaining and
demonstrating the uses of the machinery that we would
be using for the week—the profile projector, a Schaublin
70 lathe with its bench full of accessories, a milling pan-
tograph, plus all sorts of hand tools to help us shape and
finish the parts we were making. That finished up the
first day’s work and we were ready to return on Tuesday
at 8 a.m. to begin working independently.

Horological Times
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Beginning Tuesday morning,

Jerry and I worked as a team so that
we could simultaneously work on
each part. Jerry brought his exten-
sive experience with the machine
shop equipment, while I brought
my long experience working with
watches, so a team effort made per-
fect sense in that our experiences
complemented each other. Henrik
provided a flat piece of brass stock
and a yoke from an ETA 6497. We
cemented the sample yoke to the
brass stock with vibration-resistant
Loctite 480 to begin copying the
part, first by drilling the hole for
the pivot and then carefully sawing
the brass stock using the sample
part as a guide. After sawing, we Fig. 2
carefully filed the stock to make
it closely match the original yoke still cemented to the actually reproducing the part to use as part of a repair,
brass. Then it was time to heat the cemented part until fabricating the part from steel stock would be appropri-
the bond between them was broken. After more careful ate. That completed our work on Tuesday.
filing to clean up the edges of the new part, it was time Wednesday morning brought the next project,
to reduce the thickness of the new part from 1.00mm to which proved to be the most time-consuming. That
about 0.60mm by rubbing it on abrasive paper, Figure involved making an hour wheel from a 9.0mm round
2, while continually checking the thickness of the part piece of brass stock. I have read numerous textbooks
in several places until it was finished. The final test that explain how to cut horological wheels (gears),
for this part consisted of installing it on an ETA 6497, but none of them explained it as well as Henrik did
to be assured that it would function properly in both for us. I immediately realized that making a single
winding and setting positions, which it did. Although replacement wheel is time-consuming and requires
the original was made from steel, the brass replacement one’s total attention. Good equipment and the under-
worked well and would most likely function for years standing of how to use the equipment are both ne-
if used in actual service. Because we were only learning cessities. Without over-complicating the process, here
the technique, the brass stock was adequate. If we were are the basic steps we took to make our hour wheels.
We fit the brass stock into the collet and checked it
Fig. 3
for truth with a dial-indicator as the head stock was
slowly turned. Then we faced off the end of the stock
without leaving a small cone or high spot in the mid-
dle, so that a central hole could be accurately drilled to
an ID 0.10mm less than the final dimension without
the drill drifting off center. The outside diameter of
the stock had to be brought to the exact dimension for
height of the teeth to be correct.
After that, we were ready to gradually form the
pipe for the hour wheel by taking numerous small cuts
from the stock so that the OD and length of the pipe
were as specified in the drawing, Figure 3. Henrik
told us that the hour wheel was already trapped in the
brass stock and all we had to do was remove the metal

70 November 2023
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surrounding the hour wheel. That was analo-

gous to how a 19th-century sculptor explained
the process by saying, “There is a beautiful an-
gel in that block of marble, and I am going to
find it. All I have to do is to knock off the out-
side pieces of marble, and be very careful not
to cut into the angel with my chisel.” That was
an interesting way to describe the processes of
machining a part or carving a block of marble.
Cutting the teeth required some precise
adjusting of the milling cutter and the center-
ing microscope and programming the dividing Fig. 4
head, Figure 4, to cut exactly 40 teeth. The cut-
ter had to be aligned perfectly perpendicular to
the lathe bed in order to cut radial teeth. Then
the centering microscope, Figure 5, was set up
in the tail stock using the previously cut hour
wheel pipe as the centering standard. With the
microscope, we could precisely view the profiles
of the teeth we were cutting. The dividing head
had a crank that when turned a preset amount,
the headstock would advance exactly 9° (1/40)
of a turn to precisely cut the next tooth. The
final setup involved lightly cutting the first
tooth multiple times, until the cutter reached
the proper depth to form one side of the tooth
profile. Once that initial cut was made, the
cutter was withdrawn and the headstock was
advanced one step to cut the next tooth, while
carefully observing the process with the profile
microscope to see that the single tooth formed Fig. 5
was just as it should be. Now we were ready to
make the next 38 cuts, Figure 6.
Here is where Jerry and I took a time-sav-
ing shortcut, approved in advance by Henrik.
During the first part of our setup, we left
enough stock extended to have sufficient ma-
terial to make more than one hour wheel with-
out duplicating the tooth-cutting procedure.
After all 40 teeth were freed from the brass
stock, we parted the first hour wheel from the
stock. Because the remaining stock already
had 40 teeth cut in its perimeter, all that had
to be done was remove enough stock to form
the pipe, and then part off the second hour
wheel from the remaining stock. The final fin-
ishing of the hour wheels involved removing
any burrs from the teeth, making the wheel
flat and true, and broaching out the pipe so
Fig. 6
that it fit perfectly over the cannon pinion.

Horological Times 71
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The final check on the wheel was testing it in the move- Fig. 7
ment to see that it functioned as well as a factory-made
part. Not only did it function well, one would be chal-
lenged to see that it was custom-made rather than from
the ETA factory, Figure 7.
The third project was to set up an antique Tavannes
pocket watch movement in the profile projector. Henrik
had previously removed the sliding pinion yoke from
the movement. We had to design a functional yoke and
make a 10X scale drawing of that missing yoke. Next,
that drawing was transferred to the milling pantograph
which allowed us to trace the drawing, Figure 8, with
a stylus while the milling cutter was simultaneous-
ly milling a piece of flat brass stock, Figure 9, as we
moved the stylus around the drawing. The pantograph and had our pictures taken before saying our goodbyes
was set up to reduce the drawing by a factor of 10, so to all our classmates.
that the milled part would be close to the exact size One very pleasant surprise we had during the week
required. Once the rough shape was milled away, then was the Guesthouse owner invited all of us from both
the hand finishing took over until the new yoke fit the classes, on Thursday evening, for some hors d’oeuvres
movement and functioned. By this time, it was Friday in the first-floor lobby of our lodgings. It was a very
afternoon and time to review our projects, Figure 10, nice time to socialize away from the busy schedule we
before cleaning up the workshop and making certain had in the classroom.
all tools were back where they belonged. The gradua- On Saturday morning, because the train line
tion ceremony appropriately took place in the machine from Le Locle was still out of commission due to the
tool room where we received our certificates, Figure 11, damage from the July windstorm, we had to take a

Fig. 8

72 November 2023
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Fig. 9 Fig. 10

crowded bus to the Neuchatel train station. When we and drinking. Some of them managed to bring a gro-
boarded the train it was already nearly 100% full of cery store shopping cart aboard, filled with beverages
travelers, many of whom were on their way to a major to bring to the festival. Although they were noisy, they
annual street celebration in Zurich. That was when were not rowdy and caused no problems other than
we learned that this celebration usually attracts over occupying every available space on that train. The
a million people ready to party with music, entertain- conductors, who customarily check the passengers’
ment, food from street vendors, and fueled with large tickets, just squeezed past everyone as they walked
amounts of adult beverages. There were so many rev- through the cars without checking for tickets. When
elers on the train they filled the seats, the aisles, and the train arrived at the main station in Zurich, the
the vestibules between the train coaches. The party revelers left and we were on our way to the Zurich
began as soon as they boarded the train with singing airport and our flight home to Boston.

Fig. 11

Horological Times 73
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An Alternative View
The following is a letter I received from AWCI board member, Chris Carey, in response to the September
article, “The Watch that Killed Waltham.”

Hi Jack,

I have several comments about your article “The Watch that killed Waltham” (September 2023 Horological Times).
As you do mention in the article, the 400 was not the watch that killed Waltham but perhaps a symptom of what
killed them. If the symptom is that Waltham did not pursue innovative wristwatch designs like automatic winding,
shockproof and waterproof advances, then I may agree. I do not agree about the machinery. You also mention
that Waltham’s American competitors Hamilton and Elgin had modern Swiss machinery, yet they failed as well. In
fact, Waltham’s machinery kept on producing timepieces and instruments for the aerospace industry for Waltham
Precision Instrument Company up into the 1970s. The nail in the coffin for Waltham was the ownership. The owners
and the stockholders had no interest in making watches, but only in making money. More money could be made by
propping up the stock and selling the company over and over. Also, money was made by going bankrupt and then
disposing of a large inventory. As you know, they even sold the rights to use their name in 1957. The name is still
being used today. The machinery made little difference, if any at all. Really, Waltham failed in the ‘70s, along with all
the Swiss, when the industry was turned on its head by technology.

In reality, I believe that even if Waltham had focused on producing cutting-edge wristwatches in the early part of
the 20th century, like the Swiss, they still would not have survived. American businesses are not interested in making
watches and can make more money in other areas. As an aside, during WWII, Waltham made watches and clocks
that were essential to the war effort. We sent our timepieces to England and even to Russia. These timepieces
worked reliably, and many are still being used today, not in military service. American watch companies were not
allowed to sell watches to the public during the war, and we lost our market to the Swiss.

Sincerely,
Chris Carey
Watertown Watch and Clock

Chris’s grandfather, Pat Caruso, left high school in Contemplation and Thanksgiving
1927 and immediately went to work at Waltham Suddenly, we are nearing the end of another year. As
Watch, where he remained for the rest of his career. this month ends, we have a special opportunity to stop
During his nearly 50 years there, he became intimately for a couple of days to enjoy our special American
familiar with most of the departmental operations, the holiday, Thanksgiving. It is a unique opportunity to
employees and the management of the company. In appreciate our family and friends and whatever good
his later years he was the go-to person for any question things we have received in our lives.
regarding Waltham, and he generously shared his vast
knowledge with anyone who took the time to ask him. My best wishes to you for a Happy Thanksgiving.
Grandson Chris is admirably carrying on the tradition
of service begun by his grandfather, Pat.

Jack Kurdzionak, watchmaker and watch material specialist, owned a Boston-area watch sales and service shop for 40 years.
He has a BS (Northeastern University, 1967) and has studied at ETA, WOSTEP, BHI, SGUS, and AWCI, and works for Eckcells
Watch Materials.

74 November 2023
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Industry
NEWS
Table of
Contents

By Donna Hardy

Vortic’s Colorado Watch Company

K nown for upcycling American pocket watch-
es into one-of-a-kind wristwatches, Colorado-
based Vortic Watch Company recently announced
a new venture, Colorado Watch Company. The
new brand is debuting with two wristwatches that
are faithful to Vortic’s American-made aesthetic.
The two models, the Field Watch and the GCT
Watch, were available for preorder at a discount on
Kickstarter from September 26 through October
26. Using Kickstarter to support their new brand in
the early stages, cofounders R.T. Custer and Tyler
Wolfe aim to initially raise $250,000.
The Field Watch is 40mm with a white or metal
dial and a steel or DCL black case, retailing for $995. The GCT Watch (black dial) and the Field Watch (white and metal dials) are the two
watches making their debut with Colorado Watch Company.
The 42mm GCT Watch comes with a black dial and
a steel or DLC black case, retailing at $1,395.
The dials, cases, and most other metal compo-
nents, including the crown and buckle, will be made
in Vortic’s factory in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2022,
Vortic received a $250,000 grant from Colorado to help
develop new jobs within the state’s advanced-manufac-
turing sector. At that time Custer said, “The biggest
thing that grants like this give us is credibility,” Custer
says. “We want to become the American watch com-
pany. To do that, we can’t just be a watch company.
We have to be a manufacturing company that focuses
on watches. That’s the differential that Tyler and I talk
about all the time.” Custer and Wolfe gave the me- R.T. Custer (left) met with media and the public in September to showcase Vortic’s
manufacturing facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.
dia and general public a special tour of the factory in
September to demonstrate how they have built it over “We’re excited to showcase the manufacturing capabil-
the past decade. ities we’ve built here in Colorado across the 10 years of
According to Custer, both new watches are at least running Vortic, and we’re stoked to share what’s possi-
87% American-made. The black rubber straps will be ble given our new collaboration with Fine Timepiece
manufactured in Minnesota, and the sapphire crys- Solutions,” Custer says.
tals will be made in New Hampshire. Colorado Watch
Company will employ the services of Fine Timepiece Photos courtesy of Vortic.

Sources
Solutions to assemble the watches in Arizona.
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

Donna Hardy is a contributing editor for Horological Times.

Horological Times 75
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Table of
Contents

Important Watch Auctions

Daniels Watches Smith asked Daniels to include his name on the
Sotheby’s will offer two significant watches made by dial, making it not only double-signed but also the
Roger W. Smith, student of the late watchmaking first wristwatch to bear the Roger Smith brand name.
master George Daniels, during part one of its annual Smith’s full name is also on the case back along with
Important Watches sale on November 5. the last two digits of the year of completion. Sixty
Smith made the first one, a white-gold edition watches were made for the Millennium series, ex-
from Daniels’s Millennium series, while he was still cluding one prototype that became Daniels’s go-to
working for Daniels in 2001. Later Smith worked watch. Fifty-three of them were made in yellow gold
with Daniels again and produced the yellow gold and seven in white gold, including the last series
Co-Axial anniversary watch, which was completed model, which is estimated to sell for more than $1
in 2012, a year after Daniels’s death. million at auction.
Daniels is widely considered the most accom- Daniels’s first co-axial anniversary watch will also
plished and influential horologist of the past 250 years, be auctioned at Sotheby’s. It included a single-wheel
and took Smith on as his apprentice. Smith helped version of Daniels’s original double-wheeled co-ax-
Daniels produce the Millennium series, a celebration ial escapement—which Smith developed just be-
of Daniels’s legendary co-axial escapement, which led fore taking on the commission—plus, a new British
to more accurate mechanical timekeeping. The final movement made just for the series.
model became Smith’s own personal watch for nearly Says Smith of the watches: “They are the perfect
a decade before he sold it to a collector in 2008. bookending to my story with George.”

(Left) The last wristwatch from Daniels’s Millennium series, estimated to fetch over $1 million at auction.
(Right)The Co-Axial Anniversary watch designed by Roger W. Smith.
Photos courtesy of Sotheby’s

76 November 2023
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Time & Space: Watches

from the Collection of
Glen de Vries
Chicago-based auction house Hindman
will conduct the auction Time & Space:
Watches From the Collection of Glen de
Vries. Expected to earn millions, the col-
lection of over 100 timepieces belonged
to late tech tycoon Glen de Vries, who
was aboard Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin
in 2021 and one month later died in a
plane crash. de Vries was cofounder and
CEO of Medidata Solutions, which rev-
olutionized clinical trials and medical
research. The single-owner watch col-
lection includes rare models from F.P.
Journe, Richard Mille, and A. Lange &
Söhne. de Vries was drawn to sophisti-
cated complications such as tourbillons,
perpetual calendars, and flyback chro-
nographs.
“The opportunity to tell the story of
this visionary businessman, philanthro-
pist, and thought leader as a collector
adds a new dimension to celebrating the
life and impact of Mr. de Vries. His pas-
sion for horology and art come together
in this compelling group of objects,” said
Hindman’s managing director of the A. Lange & Söhne datograph up/down lumen watch in 950 platinum
New York region, Gemma Sudlow. from the de Vries collection is estimated by the Hindman auction
house to bring $120,000–$180,000.

Sources
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

Donna Hardy is a contributing editor for Horological Times.

Horological Times 77
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Table of
Contents

Eco Descriptors Banned in EU

T he European Union’s Parliament and Council
have reached a provisional agreement on new
rules that would ban misleading advertisements and
Of course, this measure is meant to curb “gre-
enwashing,” which has become rampant in the ad-
vertising of all kinds of products. Merriam-Websters
give consumers better product information. describes greenwashing as “the act or practice of mak-
The rules will ban most companies from using ing a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more
eco-descriptors such as “environmentally friendly,” environmentally friendly or less environmentally
“eco,” “climate neutral,” and “carbon neutral.” Terms damaging than it really is.” Business News Daily adds,
which have been bandied about by many watch brands “Greenwashing is when an organization spends more
in the past few years. time and money on marketing itself as environmen-
The rules must be approved by the full European tally friendly than on actually minimizing its environ-
Parliament and Council, with a vote expected this mental impact.”
month. If the rules are approved, member countries The news comes as the Federal Trade Com-
will have until 2026 to enact the guidance. mission (FTC) is revising its Green Guides, which
dictate how US marketers should communicate
The deal calls for: environmental claims to consumers. The Jewelers
Vigilance Committee and other industry partners
• A ban on generic environmental claims if
the trader cannot demonstrate an excellent recently submitted suggestions for modifications to
environmental performance. the guidelines.

• A ban on sustainability labels that are not

based on certification schemes or estab-
lished by public authorities.
• A ban on claims based on emissions-off-
setting schemes, which are typically called
“carbon neutral” or “climate neutral.”
• A stricter set of rules for claims of future
environmental performance, which will be Sources
allowed only if they are accompanied by a [Link]
realistic implementation plan and feasible [Link]
-greenwashing-and-improve-consumer-information-on-product-durability
targets. They must also be reviewed by inde-
[Link]
pendent third-party experts, and their find- [Link]
ings will be made available to consumers. -greenwashing-and-improve-consumer-information-on-product-durability

Donna Hardy is a contributing editor for Horological Times.

78 November 2023
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Table of

In Contents

Summary By Donna Hardy

Retro-Bot Watch Winder The Watch Library

Chrome Calibre’s new Retro-Bot’s Foundation
aluminum body houses a SwissKubik The Watch Library is a new charitable
watch winder, which can be controlled foundation “committed to preserving
via the designated app, or by connect- and promoting the world's watch-
ing the device to a computer. Available making heritage.” In September, it
in five different colors, it is modeled introduced a new digital platform
after vintage robot toys of the 1950s containing more than 320,000 ar-
and 1960s. chival documents that are available
Red LED eyes, yellow LED mouth, for the public to access. The docu-
and an orange LED chest plate glow ments come from sources such Europa
when a switch is turned on and can be Star, the International Watchmaking
turned on or off independently from Museum (MIH), HSNY, and others.
the winding mechanism. Retro-Bots, The Watch Library Foundation is or-
which stand a foot tall, can be con- ganized as a charitable organization in
trolled from a Bluetooth app. Not ex- Switzerland.
pected to ship until the second quarter The Foundation was established
of 2024, the Reto-Bot’s price will be The Retro-Bot watch winder. in 2021 and granted charitable status
approximately $2,600. Photo courtesy Chrome Calibre
by Switzerland in 2022. It hopes to
improve the functionality of the da-
Sources
To submit a watch to Timex tabase now that it’s open to the pub-
[Link]
/today-in-gear-09-20-2023/ ReWound just fill out an online form lic, as well as add additional sources
to receive a pre-paid shipping label.
[Link] and archives.
-head-to-kickstarter/ Once Timex has received a watch, it For more information, see page 83.
issues a 20% off coupon for a future
purchase on [Link]. Each watch Sources
Timex’s ReWound [Link]
received will be inspected, cleaned,
Program -you-search-more-than-320000-archival-documents-dating
and refurbished before it is put back -to-1650
Timex ReWound, a program for recy-
on sale. Watches that cannot be resold [Link]
cling watches, has recently launched
will be broken up for parts.
in the United States. Watches from
any brand will be accepted, and
Timex says it will either upcycle Sources
[Link]
them to create new products or put -timepiece-heading-to-the-trash/
them on sale on the Timex ReWound [Link]
site, [Link]

Donna Hardy is a contributing editor for Horological Times.

Horological Times 79
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Table of
Contents
President’s Message (cont. from page 5)
the event out, but pulling everything together so he it at the meeting. So long a fixture at board meetings,
could do it fell at the feet of Chris, who put in a lot of we could not imagine it without him. While Mike
hours making it happen. He’s another we can’t thank Creasey stepped up and volunteered to take the
enough. position, Paul is irreplaceable. Paul also serves as the
Our annual business meeting had a lot to chair of the ELM Trust, where his work has paved the
celebrate too, but I’ll leave most of that for you to way for so much good it would take a full magazine of
read elsewhere in the HT. One moment really stood words to begin to tell the tale.
out, however, and it became quite emotional. Paul If you missed the meeting this year, don’t miss
Wadsworth stepped down from his position as AWCI it next. You’ll need to make plans and sign up early
parliamentarian. Paul has been indefatigably serving though, as it will likely sell out even faster in 2024.
AWCI for over 40 years. Into his 80s now, he seems to By the way, the dates for next year’s meeting will be
want to slow down, but you would not have noticed September 26–28. Get it on your calendar.

Do you enjoy spending time with other

watchmakers and clockmakers?
Join Your Local
Affiliate Chapter
for more information log on to
[Link]/about-us/affiliate-chapters
Florida Massachusetts Minnesota North Carolina Texas Wisconsin
Florida Horological Massachusetts Minnesota Clockmakers Guild North Carolina Capital Area Watch & Clock- Wisconsin Horological Society
Association, Inc. Watchmakers-Clockmakers Ivy Booth, President Watchmakers Association makers Guild Allan J. Smiles, CMW21, President
Chris Wiles, CW21, President Association, Inc. 612-719-0161 Mack R. Shuping, CW21 Treasurer Glen Morehead, President 402 W. Main St
239-671-3203 Chris Carey, President Iboothrn68@[Link] Winston Salem, NC Rob Putney, Secretary Ashland, WI 54806-1510
chriswiles1@[Link] Watertown Watch and 336-287-8402 Pflugerville, TX ashjewel@[Link]
Clock Company Dean Ziegenbein, Secretary 336-768-1857 (fax) 979-260-8734 715-682-3155
Michael Taylor, CW21, Director 82 Trapelo Road 4651 152nd Court mshupingwm@[Link] [Link]@
michaeltaylorcw21@[Link] Waltham, MA 02452 Apple Valley, MN 55124-6801 [Link]
617-244-3779 952-454-1247 Pennsylvania International Rep
Richard LeBeau, CMW21 Treasurer chris@ ziegedw@[Link] Watchmakers Association of Virginia
Saint Petersburg, FL [Link] Pennsylvania Horological Association
727-347-3758 New York James Zimmerman, President of Virginia
SSastar7@[Link] Nick Butt, Secretary Horological Society of Mike Creasey, President
York, PA
nickvincent88@[Link] New York 717-845-8219 mike@[Link]
Indiana John Teifert, President Fathertime1@[Link] The Chronometer Club
Indianapolis New York, NY Mark Pellman, Vice President
Michael Griner, CW21,
Horological Association info@[Link] Deanna Lutz, Second Vice President
Jason Samm, President President
[Link]
101 E Sycamore St Bob Stone, Secretary Panama City, FL
Kokomo, IN 46901 rhstone@[Link] 850-866-4303
jsamm@ Stan Palen, Treasurer michael@[Link]
[Link] spalen@[Link] thechronometerclub@[Link]
[Link] [Link]

80 November 2023
 AWCI Welcomes
New Members
Stanley Adelstein FL Ben Gamache NH Michael Schlotterbeck AL
Nathan Bobinchak IL Igor Georgiyev MI Nicholas Schumacher PA
David Brown CA Joe Koran OH Rene Selva NC
Maxwell Conser WA Doo Sik Lew NY Nicolas Simerl MD
Jacob Denick FL Jaskiel McDowell NH Leo Suarez PA
Joshua Dupuis SC Rory McEvoy PA Angel Surita FL
Dean Emmons SC Domenico Pappalardo GA Raymond Valentine OH
Joel Fulton OH Vince Positano IL

ELM Trust Donors

Justin Shiver Joshua Dupuis Paul Zimmerman
Chris Carey Michael Schlotterbeck Nicholas Simerli
Stuart Lord Todd Cunningham Maurice Frazier
Robert Ockenden Stanley McMahan Brian Merkley
Joe Koran David Brown

“Without volunteers AWCI cannot thrive; they are the heart and soul of who we are
and the only way we can move forward in reaching the needs of our members.”
˜David Lindow

President of AWCI’s Board of Directors

[Link]/VOLUNTEER [Link]/volunteer
david@[Link]
570-229-1678

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Horological Times 81
Basic Watch Servicing

February 26–March 1, 2024

Cost: $1,195 for AWCI members · $1,345 for non-members
Class Schedule: 5 days, Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The purpose of this course is to teach the student Some of the major focus points will be on oiling
the basics of a modern mechanical watch with with precision, timing analysis, troubleshooting,
some complication, such as a calendar or another calendar, lubrication, and assembly. This class
feature. The size of the movements used will be will include common repairs such as fitting a stem
smaller than those used in the Introduction class and crown, measuring, crystal fitting of simple
and the 21st Century class. They will consist of round crystal, and waterproof testing of the watch
both new and older regulation technologies. using the latest testing equipment.

Prerequisite—completed either Introduction to Watch Repair or 21st Century Watchmaking.

Course objectives
The student will learn about:
• The definitions and a brief history of the mechanical chronograph and • Modern oiling procedures
its various components • Etachron and the Swiss Gate adjusting procedures
• The basic features and functions • Timing and Adjustments
• The functioning and special care of the calendar system • Fitting a stem and crown
• The systematic approach of disassembly and problem diagnosis • Measuring and fitting a round crystal and crystal gasket
• Modern assembly procedures • Water testing the case

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Jason Champion, our education
director, at education@[Link] or at 513-367-9800, ext 303.
 NEWS
Click

Affiliate Chapter
Here for
Table of
Contents

Horological Society of
New York (HSNY)
The following information was obtained from The Horologist’s Loupe, submitted by
Melody Benloss, Recording Secretary & Associate Librarian, HSNY, Copyright ©2023.
Published by the Horological Society of New York, Inc.; all rights reserved.
A. Lange & Söhne and Its Very
Own Way of Watchmaking
At the October lecture of the Horological
Society of New York, Wilhelm Schmid,
CEO of A. Lange & Söhne, explained
how the vision of Dresden watchmaker
Ferdinand Adolph Lange, who laid the
cornerstone of Saxony's precision watch-
making industry when he established his
manufacture in 1845, still defines the phi-
losophy of A. Lange & Söhne today. After
A. Lange & Söhne and its methods of watchmaking were the topic of
his great-grandson Walter Lange had the the October lecture at HSNY.
courage to relaunch the brand together
with the industry expert Günter Blümlein
in 1990, A. Lange & Söhne quickly worked
its way up to the top of the watchmaking
world again.
Since its new foundation, developing
and producing movements has been the
Saxon manufacture’s special expertise. Ev-
ery timepiece that bears the brand’s logo is
equipped with a manufacture movement
crafted in-house. Over the years, this has
resulted in 71 distinctive masterpieces in
a relatively short time. Each one combines
traditional elements with groundbreak-
ing innovations and is distinguished by
an extremely high level of craftsmanship.
Attendees discovered what factors have
contributed to this extraordinary achieve-
ment and what future strategies A. Lange
& Söhne is pursuing.

HSNY Establishes a Partnership A digitized version of The Horologist’s Loupe, 1945.

with The Watch Library
Foundation nership aims to further the mutual interests of both
The Horological Society of New York (HSNY) an- organizations and continue to promote horology.
nounced in late September that it has established a The Watch Library Foundation, whose mission is to
partnership with The Watch Library Foundation preserve and enhance watchmaking heritage towards
based in Geneva, Switzerland. a wide audience, includes the digitizing and mobi-
An initiative that began in 2021, HSNY’s part- lizing of resources and archives from a myriad of
nership program aims to champion like-minded watchmaking museums, brands, institutions, media,
nonprofit organizations around the world. The part- retailers, suppliers and libraries.

Horological Times 83
Click
Here for AWCI News: Affiliate Chapter News
Table of
Contents

The platform, for example, has over 900 digi- Horological Association of Virginia
tized and searchable pages of HSNY’s The Horolo- (HAV)
gist’s Loupe, one of the oldest continuously running The Horological Association of Virginia (HAV) held
horological publications in the world. Additional its Fall Seminar on October 22, at the Ivy Creek
sources with digitized material include Europa Star, Foundation Education Building in Charlottesville,
Virginia.
the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, Swiss-
The seminar had three educational sessions, be-
time, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and Radio ginning with a session on the Herschede Tubular Bell
Télévision Suisse, with more to come. movement given by Paul Corn. That session was fol-
By utilizing the capabilities of today’s tech- lowed by Dean Sarnelle, who gave a presentation on
nologies, The Watch Library Foundation aims to graver sharpening.
demonstrate how shared data and knowledge can After lunch and the HAV board meeting, the sem-
foster innovation and creativity and thus feed the inar wrapped up with a presentation by R.K. Elswick
on the servicing of an 8mm headstock.
imagination of experts, current and future profes-
sionals and watch enthusiasts alike. HAV Officers
President: Mike Creasey • mike@[Link]
HSNY OFFICERS Treasurer: Stan Palen • spalen@[Link]
President: John Teifert
Vice President: John Davis
Director of Public Relations: Carolina Navarro • carolina@[Link] Minnesota Horological Society
(MHS)
The Minnesota Horological Society met October
Kentucky Horological 5 at the Hopkins Pavilion in Hopkins, Minneso-
Society (KHS) ta, with the program being a show-and-tell session
At the annual AWCI Board of Directors meet- about a tool that members have made or modified,
ing on September 30, during the 2023 AWCI Fall and discussing how they made it and how they use
Symposium, the board unanimously approved it in repairing.
the application from AWCI member Christopher
Wheeler, of Louisville, Kentucky, for the inclusion
of the newly formed Kentucky Horological Society
(KHS) as an AWCI Affiliate Chapter, after examin-
ing the chapter’s constitution, bylaws and member-
ship count.
The chapter is looking at holding its inaugural
meeting in late October or early November in the
northern Kentucky area near Cincinnati, Ohio. For
more information or how to join, contact President
Christopher Wheeler at watchmaking@[Link].

KHS Officer
President: Christopher Wheeler • watchmaking@[Link]

Chart showing the temperatures at

which oxidation colors of steel change.
Below 575°F will give bluing colors.

84 November 2023
 Click
Here for
Table of
Contents

The September meeting, which in the program MHS Officers

was on bluing, both hot and cold, for clock hands President: Ivy Booth • 612-719-0161 • iboothrn68@[Link]
and screws by Dan LeVesque, was recapped and the Treasurer: Susan Wood • 612-727-1752 • anvilclock@[Link]
September meeting minutes were also approved. Secretary: Dean Ziegenbein • 952-454-1247 •
The MHS also planned to hold an auction on ziegedw@[Link]
October 26, with items up for bid such as watch
movements, pocket watch cases and movements,
watch and clock tools, and a jeweler’s bench.

Mark Jefferis shared the lathe head stock spur drive

chuck he created to turn the laurel wood for arbors and
pinions.

Cold bluing pen and Cleaner-Degreaser and Perma Blue

from Birchwood Casey can be applied several times to
get the darkness desired.

Sample of non-blued and original blued hand to use as a

comparison of color match.

Brownells version of Oxpho-Blue Cream and Liquid cold

bluing products.

Hotplate with added steel gear as a flat heat sink to give

even temperature to parts being heated for bluing.

Horological Times 85
Click
Here for Feature: A Vintage View
Table of
Contents

A Vintage View:
Sessions
By James Sprague

T he Sessions Clock Company began operations

in 1903, after William E. Sessions and his fami-
ly purchased a controlling interest in the E.N. Welch
Company, a clock manufacturer in Forestville,
Connecticut. They joined an illustrious group of clock
manufacturers in Connecticut at that time, includ-
ing the E. Ingraham Company, the Ansonia Clock
Company, the New Haven Clock Company, the Seth
Thomas Clock Company, the William L. Gilbert
Clock Company, and the Waterbury Clock Company,
who produced the vast majority of mechanical clocks in
the US from the mid-19th century to 1950.
The company began producing clock movements,
cases, dials, artwork and castings for their mechanical
clock line in 1903, and between then and 1933, pro-
duced a total of 52 model lines of Sessions mechan-
ical clocks including regulator, tall case and mantel
clocks. Such Sessions clocks from this period are still,
to this day, highly sought after by clock collectors.
In 1930, Sessions expanded their clock produc-
tion to electric clocks and timers for radios, in ad-
dition to their mechanical brass clock movements.
Some of those electric clocks are pictured in this
1955 Sessions alarm clock magazine advertisement. Image courtesy of Pinterest
The electric Sessions W Model was widely used
by other casting companies for their own clocks, and and formed the New England Clock Company.
in 1935, Sessions began to focus its clock production In 1960 one of Sessions’s buildings was sold to the
primarily on electronic clocks. The company also Bristol Instrument Gears Company, and while the
added the production of timers for televisions in the company still operated as Sessions until 1969, it end-
early 1950s. ed up in liquidation, and 1970 saw the end of the
Unfortunately, in 1956 the company was ab- company, as its remaining buildings were sold to
sorbed by a company interested in the Sessions tim- machine-parts manufacturer Dabko Industries.
ing devices, and in 1959 William E. Sessions, grand-
son of founder William K. Sessions, left the company Source
Pinterest

James Sprague is the office manager for AWCI and managing editor for Horological Times.

86 November 2023
 Modern Mechanical
Chronograph

March 4–8, 2024

Instructor: Jason Champion, CW21
Cost: $1,195 for AWCI members · $1,345 for non-members
Class Schedule: 5 days, Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
701 Enterprise Dr • Harrison, OH 45030

The purpose of this course is to teach the stu- Prerequisite:

• Having at least three years in
dent all the fundamentals of modern mechanical
mechanical watch repair
automatic watch repair that are most prevalent
• WATCH 190: 21st Century
on today’s market. The student will learn how
Watchmaking
to perform the various diagnostics in evaluat- Standards course
ing the condition of the various components, • Reading pages 169-188
cleaning, assembling, adjustments, dialing, and of the book The Theory
of Horology prior to
casing.
attending the course.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Jason Champion, our education
director, at education@[Link] or at 513-367-9800, ext 303.
Classifieds
help wanted for sale wanted to buy
DIAMOND BAY JEWELERS LEVIN 8MM COMPLETE LATHE WANTED FOR PARTS
FULL-SERVICE WATCHMAKER Bodine motor control, o/h pulleys, L&R Tempo and Watchmaster
Desired Qualifications: Cleaning Machines
Watchmaking Program Graduate (or soon to be)
Heavy slide, Grinding att., Vertical mill, [Link]
For additional information Contact Collets, +++ Accessories, Good Condition. Dale Sutton 609-374-5880 or
Jorge Rysko or Sebastian Rysko Call Details. $5,500 service@[Link]
941-223-9329 Rick Strickland 828-200-0925
Email Resume to diamondbayhire@[Link]

ATTENTION RETIRED WATCHMAKERS

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HONEYWELL All watches benched tested.
Call us before you sell your parts, tools, and
watches. We have helped over 200
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When you join Honeywell, you become a member of our berkon@[Link] their accumulations. When you’re really ready
to sell, we’re ready to buy!
global team of thinkers, innovators, dreamers and doers who Call 615-943-6362 (Leave Message) or Phone 229-928-9092 or 727-327-3306.
make the things that make the future.
Additional information: Text 615-943-6362 Ask for Jeff or Nancy.
[Link] Email: jeffnancy@[Link]
Job ID: 69021243

WANTED
Check out Serving the trade since 1938!
Collets and other accessories
for Schaublin 70.
Help Wanted ads at ✦ Referance & Repair Books ✦ Oils & Lubricants Contact AWCI headquarters
[Link] ✦ Clock & Watch Keys ✦ Dials ✦ Weights
✦ Mechanical Movements ✦ Battery Movements 513-367-9800
click on ✦ Hands ✦ Pendulums & Accessories ✦ Cable
✦ Mainsprings ✦ Clock Glass ✦ Case Parts
✦ Bushings & Accessories ✦ Hand Tools
Education/Careers—
Careers/Jobs—Job Search ORDER ONLINE
24/7 AT
[Link]!
services
ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT SERVICE
Paper catalogs available...
We are Factory Authorized Service for:
FREE WITH ANY ORDER! • Greiner VIBROGRAF
[Link] PHONE: 610-689-9541 FAX: 610-689-0567
• TICK-O-PRINT & L&R
We service all makes of ultrasonics, all makes of watch rate
TOLL FREE PHONE: 1-800-345-4101 recorders, and related equipment. 25 years experience.
1860 Weavertown Rd. Douglassville, PA 19518 190 Deepstone Drive San Rafael, CA 94903
Used Equipment Bought & Sold
For Information
415-479-8960
[Link]

Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Check out our educational videos!

[Link]/HorologicalTimes [Link]/AWCInstitute [Link]/awci/videos

Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram!

[Link]/MyAWCI [Link]/americanwatchmakers

88 November 2023
services tradespeople 2023 CLASSIFIED POLICY
DENNIS KAYE AWCI HT classified advertising fees/rates and minimum
SERVICING ACCUTRON Advanced Clock Repair Services schedule remain the same as last year. We request that
108 Corgy Drive • Cary, NC 27513 you put all classified advertising on a credit card. We
Tuning fork, watches and clocks, Call or text 540-SERVICE (737-8423)
accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discov-
for jewelers and watchmakers. Now Restoring All Standard Watch Dials er. If you require a physical invoice and 30-day terms,
Restoring Porcelain • Painted • Silvered your rates will be higher due to the additional costs
LARRY BLANCHARD Watch • Pocket Watch • Clock Dials incurred in labor, supplies and carrying charges.
Platform Escapement Repair
217-855-6835 Atmos Parts & Service
Kundo / ATO Coil Repair
HT Classified Rates for 2023:
Large Stock of Electric Motors For Credit Card Payments… For Paper Invoicing…
DIAL REFINISHING CO. FAST SERVICE, All Types Clocks Serviced • $1.10 per word • $1.20 per word and
FINEST QUALITY, Prompt Reliable Service . . . Guaranteed™ • Classified “Display” ads • Classified “Display”ads
quantity works welcome. with art borders: $47.50 with art/borders: $52.25
Authorized Parts & Service for:
Specialize on changing dial feet Seiko • Pam Advertising • Melody in Motion per col. inch (2.25" wide) per col inch (2.25" wide)
positions to fit the quartz movement. Call or Visit at [Link] • Blind ads – add’l $15.00 • Blind ads – add’l $16.50
Send your works to: KIRK DIAL OF SEATTLE per ad per ad
112 Central Avenue North, Kent, WA 98032
253-852-5125 Minimum Schedule: 3-Month Minimum
Advertising studies show it takes over 3 viewings for
MAINSPRINGS readers to recognize specifics in your ad.
FENDLEY & COX WHEEL AND PINION SPECIALIST Clock and music box - All sizes.
Custom made. Brass gear blanks. Deadline: 30 days before the first of the
1530 Etain Rd., Irving, TX 75060 Timewise (formerly TANI Engineering) month in which you plan to run your ad.
RICHARD COX, CMC, FNAWCC, CMBHI Ph: 330-947-0047, E-mail: twclock08@[Link]
972-986-7698 / [Link] Note: If you place a recruitment ad on the [Link]
Career Center as a combo online/HT ad, there’s no need
to resend the ad to us. The website system is automatic.
SERVICE/SALES OF TIMING AND Watch Parts Fabrication:
CLEANING MACHINES To Place Your Ad:
I make all types of movement parts: Vintage to Email: Advertising@[Link] Fax: 513-367-1414 or
Vibrograf, L&R, and Watchmaster
Over 20 years experience modern. MATT HENNING CW, 413-549-1950 Call: 866-FOR-AWCI (367-2924) • 513-367-9800
Quick repairs & reasonable prices [Link]
[Link]
Dale Sutton 609-374-5880 or
service@[Link]

Horological Times Advertising Policy & Editorial Policy

Advertising Policy for the Horological Times
The publisher reserves the right to approve all advertising copy and reject any advertisements not in keeping with the publisher’s standards. The publisher may, at the publisher’s sole discretion and for any reason and without notice, decline to publish
or republish any ad, in which case any fees submitted or paid for such ads shall be returned or rebated to the advertiser. The publisher reserves the right to edit all copy. The advertiser and/or agency agree to assume liability for all content of advertise-
ments printed. The advertiser will also accept responsibility for any claims or suits arising therefrom brought against the publisher. Printed articles may also be used by the publisher without permission expressly sought, or payment made, on
[Link], the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Facebook page, or via other media.
Editorial material and letters of opinion are invited, but reflect the opinions of the authors only and do not represent the views of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI), its directors, officers or employees. AWCI reserves
the right to edit all submitted materials and is under no obligation to accept any submitted materials for publication. The approval procedures are available from AWCI and at [Link]. The appearance, reference, or advertisement of any
product or service in this publication shall not be deemed an endorsement of such products, methods or services by AWCI, its directors, officers, or employees.
Publisher’s Standards
AWCI makes a concerted effort not to publish any advertisement which promotes or depicts practices not in harmony with our professional Standards & Practices for Watchmakers & Clockmakers. The advertisement of generic parts, tools, and
materials is allowed when such advertisement does not possess any trademarked image, brand, or name. Advertisers can refer to the items by name, function, quality, size, and description. Genuine parts can be advertised as such in accordance
with the advertiser’s relationship and agreement with the manufacturer.
We encourage advertisers to reach out to our members and market goods and services which will help them to professionally service their clients and represent themselves in a way which will “reflect positively on him or her, on the
AWCI, and the entire watch and clock repair industry, including all of its participants.”

– AWCI Code of Ethics

Horological Times 89
 directory
Click
Here for

awci
Table of
Contents

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX BOARD OF DIRECTORS FELLOWS

Affiliate Chapter Directory 80 Officers * Robert F. Bishop
David Lindow: President Laurence A. Blanchard
AWCI Courses david@[Link] * James H. Broughton
513-367-9800, ext. 303 9-11 * Fred S. Burckhardt
Aaron Recksiek, CW21: Vice President * Alice B. Carpenter
arecksiek@[Link] * Joseph L. Cerullo
British Horological Institute
[Link] 26 Jack Kurdzionak, CW21: Treasurer David A. Christianson
jkurdzionak@[Link] * George Daniels
Chris Carey: Secretary Wes Door
Cas-Ker Co.
1-800-487-0408 67 Ccarey@[Link] Jerry Faier
* Henry B. Fried
* Josephine F. Hagans
Clocks Magazine Immediate Past President
* Orville R. Hagans
[Link] 26 Justin Harrell, CW21 * Ewell D. Hartman
jharrell@[Link] * Harold J. Herman
Eckcells * J.M. Huckabee
[Link] 68 Directors * Gerald G. Jaeger
Chris Carey: Affiliate Chapter Chair Jack Kurdzionak
Jules Borel & Co. ccarey@[Link] * Benjamin Matz
1-800-776-6858 ...inside front cover * Robert A. Nelson
Alena Diaz
alenadiaz23@[Link] * Hamilton E. Pease
NAWCC * Archie B. Perkins
[Link] 67 Stan McMahan: REC Chair Robert D. Porter
stanleymcmahan@[Link] Antoine Simonin
Richemont Patrick Mont: Industry Advisory Board (IAB) Chair * William O. Smith, Jr.
[Link] 34, ...inside Back cover montclock@[Link] * Milton C. Stevens
Dennis Warner
Scott Walters, CW21
Witschi Electronic Ltd. * Marvin E. Whitney
watchmakerwalters@[Link]
[Link] 26
*Deceased
World Watch Parliamentarian American Watchmakers-
[Link] 32 Mike Creasey Clockmakers Institute
mike@[Link] 701 Enterprise Dr.
Harrison, OH 45030
Ph: 866-FOR-AWCI
513-367-9800
Fax: 513-367-1414
awci@[Link] • [Link]

WE THANK THE IAB

AWCI would like to thank our Industry Advisory Board members for their ongoing support of the institute and the industry.

Standard Members
Platinum

Bronze

90 November 2023
Richemont owns several of the world’s leading luxury companies in the field of luxury goods,
with particular strengths in jewelry, luxury watches and other luxury accessories.

We are seeking talented and qualified Watchmakers to work for our brands located
throughout the United States and Canada in our Boutiques and Service Centers.

Responsibilities
 Must be qualified to perform services which include Complete Maintenance and Quick Services on
calibers that include
o Quartz
o Mechanical
o Automatic
o Chronograph
o Complications
 Diagnosis
 Case Preparation
 Achieve and maintain Production and Quality Objectives

Qualifications
 Accredited Certification
 Experience working with luxury brands preferred
 Strong attention to detail, with the ability to handle multiple tasks
 Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
 Strong diagnostic skills
 Good customer service and communication skills
 Knowledge of SAP System would be a strong advantage

We offer competitive compensation, on-boarding program, benefits and relocation assistance. To be

considered, please submit your resume and profile on [Link] or by fax to 817-283-2304.
AWCI’s Benefits Are Evergreen Take Advantage of these Benefits
Education &
Certification
AWCI’s top-notch
education will help get
you where you want to
be in your career. Now you
have access to all the excellent
webinars presented by Tom
Schomaker, Jason Champion,
Bernhard Stoeber, Ken De Lucca,
David LaBounty, and others! AWCI’s
dedication to education continues
[Link]
and will grow in the future. Invest in
yourself and your career! Certification
is available for watchmakers and
clockmakers. For more information,
contact Jason Champion, CW21:
Jason@[Link]; 866-FOR-AWCI
(367-2924) or 513-367-9800, ext. 303.

Affiliate Chapters
Learn at your local guild from respected horologists
and meet other horologists in your area. Networking is
important for business and personal relationships!

Henry B. Fried Library

Borrow from 3,500 books, from Archie Perkins to Henry
B. Fried. FREE to all members.

Books & DVDs

Members receive a 10% discount on books and DVDs as well as
t-shirts, posters, and more!

Tech Guides
15,000 tech guides at [Link].

Find a Professional Directory

It’s easy for clients to find you when they use AWCI’s directory, which gets
12,000 searches per year.

Horological Times
Improve your craft as you learn from the technical articles. Find out the latest developments
in the industry. Keep up with the institute and its activities. Use the classifieds to find a job, hire an
employee, and buy or sell equipment. Use display ads to promote your products and services to HT’s
targeted audience.