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The BritishWatch &Clock Makers’Guild
TIMEPIECEThe Newsletter of the Guild
N U M B E R 6 9 ● M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 7
Founded 1907
President: The Most Hon. The Marquess of Northampton DL
End of an era as WhitechapelBell Foundry closes
Supporting the Industry for more than 100 years TIMEPIECE www.bwcmg.org
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry – makers ofBig Ben and the American Liberty Bell – isto close in May after almost 450 years inbusiness, marking the end of an era in bellmaking.
Based in a Grade II* listed building onWhitechapel Road, in the London Boroughof Tower Hamlets, it is the oldest manufac-turing company in Great Britain, datingback to 1770. It is one of only two bellfoundries left in the UK, the other beingJohn Taylor & Co in Loughborough.
The building, which has been home tothe company since 1739, has now beensold, but owners Alan and Kathryn Hughesare still looking for a buyer who could continue operation at another site.
Alan explained: ‘We have made the decision to close with a heavy heart, but in
response to the changing realities of running a business of this kind.
‘The Bell Foundry in Whitechapel haschanged hands many times, but it has always been a family business. My ownfamily has owned the foundry since 1904,but other families have run the foundrythrough its history.’
Alan says that discussions with company staff and other interested parties regarding the future direction, ownershipand location of the company are on going.They will complete work on all projectsthat are presently in hand during the coming months but will not be enteringinto new contracts for the time being.
The foundry primarily makes churchbells, although it also provides singletolling bells, carillon bells and handbellsand offers a complete range of accessoriessuch as framework, wheels, clappers, including assembly in Church towers. Itwas the manufacturer of Big Ben, whichmeasures 9ft in diameter by 7.6ft high,and rings from the Elizabeth Tower in theHouses of Parliament. It also produced theLiberty Bell, the famous non-religious symbol of United States independence.
Over the centuries, business has hadto adapt to meet changing needs. Withnew churches being built less frequentlyWhitechapel started to produced handbellsand doorbells. It also responded to a surgein orders for table bells following the popularity of the BBC period drama Downton Abbey.
Alan explains that the large bell business has been generally unaffected byperiods of financial depression, partly owing to the fact that from enquiry to
completion an order takes on average 11years – but on one occasion this was greatlysurpassed. An order was requested of Alan’sgrandfather in the 1890s, which his fatherquoted again for in the 1950s and he himself gave a quote for in the 1970s. The order was finally completed in 1998!
During World War II, the foundry wasused as a munitions production line making casings for the Ministry of War. Itwas particularly busy afterwards, replacingbells lost or damaged by fire in bombingraids across London.
The foundry’s long history spans thereign of 27 English monarchs and amongroyal visitors to the foundry were KingGeorge V and Queen Mary, who came towitness the casting of two bells for Westminster Abbey.
It also recently cast the Royal JubileeBells – eight bells which featured on theThames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
A final glimpse through the Foundry door. Photo courtesy of James Nye.
Top: The Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1739.Above: A more modern shot of the Grade II*listed building, formerly a coaching inn calledThe Artichoke which was damaged in theGreat Fire of London.
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Planning for the Future
The first few months of any year are a timewhen we look back at what we haveachieved and make plans for the comingyear.
Your Board is currently planning thisyear’s projects, and one of the things wewould like to see is increased involvementfrom our members. Like you, members ofthe Board are all working horologists, whogive their time at the end of the workingday (and sometimes during the day whenthey should be working) to carry out theirduties for the Guild, so it is always encouraging to hear from our members.
In the last issue of TimePiece we askedyou how we could improve the GreenBook and, so far, only one member hastaken the time to reply.
We had hoped that our membershipwould help the Board to improve the serv-ices we offer and to make the Guild evenmore relevant and useful to the trade. Dobecome more involved and let us knowwhat you think. You can email, write orphone Bob, Jayne or myself. Our contactdetails are on the back of every issue ofTimePiece.
At the moment, the Board is short-handed as one of our main officers, Treas-urer, Lionel Blowes, is ill. This is one ofthe busiest times of the year for the treas-urer with subscriptions coming in andtherefore Bob, Paul Roberson and myselfhave taken over Lionel’s duties until suchtime as he is well and able to take hold ofthe reins again.
Until further notice, it would be appreciated if any correspondence for thetreasurer could be sent to Bob. I am surethat everyone wishes Lionel a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeinghim up and about in the near future. Ifyou wish to send Lionel your own bestwishes please do so via the Secretary.
On the subject of subscriptions, itwould be helpful if everyone could paypromptly rather than for the secretary tohave to spend time reminding people andchasing late payment. It is extremely timeconsuming particularly with the treasurercurrently unavailable.
You may remember we reported in aprevious issue of TimePiece that the Guildwould be featuring in the storyline of thetelevision series Unforgotten.In earlyJanuary I hope you were all watching thefirst episode which featured a dead bodywearing a watch. The watch contained repair marks and this led the detectives toapproach The British Watch & Clock Mak-ers’ Guild to see if the repair marks couldbe identified by one of the members. TheGuild was mentioned, headed note-paperfeatured and the actor was wearing a Guildtie. Your Board had been approached bythe programme makers last summer andwas happy to help and at the same timeraise the Guild's profile.
As you will see in this issue of TimePiece, Anthony Cousins is continuingto put pressure on Swatch over the spareparts issue. The Guild will continue to assist his case in any way possible as weconsider this is the best way forward atthe current time.
More and more people are finding thatthe lack of spares is beginning to bite. Thegeneral public is becoming aware of theproblem as they discover repairers arefinding it difficult to do the necessary workon their watches as spares become unavailable.
Do remember that the chairman andother Board members are available beforethe start of each meeting in the coffee shop at the Friends Meeting Houseto discuss anything you wish to bring tothe Guild's attention or just simply to havea chat. Members are welcome both in thecoffee shop and at any Board meeting. Welook forward to seeing you.
AN IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR MEMBERS PAYING THEIR GUILD SUBSCRIPTION BY STANDING ORDER
As you will all remember, after much discussion at the 2016 Annual GeneralMeeting, the Board increased subscriptions for this year to £52. This figure wasarrived at so that we could continue with our new look and improved TimePiece,Web Site, Green Book, and of course, the general expenses of the Guild.
Unfortunately, as this year's subscriptions are coming in, we are finding thatthose members who are currently paying by Standing Order have not contactedtheir banks to increase their payments to cover the increase. Unlike a Direct Debitwhich can be altered by the recipient, Standing Orders remain at a constantamount and have to be altered by the payer.
We would therefore request those members who have paid by Standing Orderto contact Bob to arrange to pay the balance of their subscription. The Boardwould not want to have to take the decision to withhold sending out issues ofTimePiece when the subscription paid has run out.
Because there is this anomaly between Direct Debits and Standing Orders, theBoard may well consider withdrawing the Standing Order facility next year toavoid this problem. Subscription payments can be made by cheque, bank transferor Paypal.
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The watch industry has had a rough ridethis last year with declining markets, inventory buy-backs and retrenchment ofstaff at the factories. But this was not reflected at the Geneva Salon InternationalDe La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) which isthe year’s first gathering of professionalswhere the finest luxury watch brandsrolled out their latest trends on 16 Januaryat the Geneva Palexpo.
In comparison with 2016, exhibitornumbers at the Salon rose by 25 per cent,visitor attendance rose by 10 per cent to16,000 including 1,200 journalists and,for the first time, 2,500 public visitors onthe last day.
Commenting on the new arrangementsfor visitors, Fabienne Lupo, MD of theSIHH said: ‘By opening the last day of theSalon to the public we are enabling existingand future clients to get to know the craft,and to explore not only the products butalso the history, know-how and skills ofthe industry...’
Last year was turbulent for theRichemont Group luxury watch brands.The first half year produced such appallingturnover results that the Group announcedan inventory buy-back from Hong Kongand their distributors in France followinga sales slump after extremist attacks inParis.
The Swiss Federal Customs Adminis-tration FCA reports Swiss watch exportstotalled nearly SFr 16bn between Januaryand October but of this, 8 per cent (SFr1.3bn), was re-imported in the stock buy-back.
The buy-back is a costly operation toprevent excess stock finding its way intothe hated grey market where discountingand auction sell-offs break down thefiercely protected retail price structures.
For its financial year ended 31 March2016, Richemont reported sales of€11.01bn. Operating profit for that year
amounted to €2.06bn and profit for theyear amounted to €2.23bn. In the follow-ing five months March-August sales fell13% but in figures just released the SwissFederation FH reports a less severe fall inDecember.
Patrik Schwendimann, analyst atZuercher Kantonalbank, told Bloomberg(global provider of financial, business andmarket news): ‘The worst is probably overfor Richemont and Swatch Group. Thelikelihood that the Swiss watch industrywill see growth in exports in the course of2017 has increased. It’s reassuring that salesgained traction in the most important quar-ter of the year.’
The SIHH is not a forum of conser-vatism and the classic forms can easily befound but its diversity is borne out by somevery off-beat and arresting designs. This iscentral to the primary identity of brandssuch as Christophe Claret, Urwerk or Hautlence. Some of these brands hark backto classic forms and others present a darksinister appeal with multilayered dials.
The mainstream 2017 SIHH exhibitingbrands were A. Lange & Söhne, AudemarsPiguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Girard-Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Parmigiani,Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, UlysseNardin, Van Cleef & Arpels and VacheronConstantin.
This year the Salon has had the highestexhibitor participation in its 27 year historyboosted very successfully by the Carré desHorlogers (The ‘Watchmaker’s Square’) –being 14 smaller unaffiliated brands butsharing the philosophy of class, individu-ality and superb quality. There are no‘watches for the people’ here and none ofthem are cheap.
Exhibiting in the Carré des Horlogerswere Christophe Claret, Grönefeld, H. Moser & Cie, Hautlence, HYT, KariVoutilainen, Laurent Ferrier, MB&F, MCT-
Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps,Ressence, RJ-Romain Jerome, SpeakeMarin and Urwerk. These makers are amixture of the very old and the very new.
‘Best in Show’ was Greubel Forsey whowill make just eight pieces per year of theirnew Grande Sonnerie wristwatch. Pricingat A$1.6m will bring a tear to your eye –and the price is without any priming fromprecious metals or rare stones.
Montblanc introduces three NewBronze Watches into its 1858 Collection.
Montblanc’s 1858 collection is namedfor the year in which the legendary watch-making maison Minerva (now Montblanc)was founded in Villeret, Switzerland.
Christophe Claret is one of the largerestablished makers exhibiting in the Carrédes Horlogers. The firm established its reputation making specials and complica-tions for other major brands but this lastfew years has emerged from the shadowsas a brand in its own right. The Maestro isthe latest in a series or ‘collection’ whichis establishing an unmistakable and individual stamp of nonconformist tech-nical excellence.
Martin Foster reviewed SIHH courtesy ofFondation de la Haute Horlogerie, organiser of the event.
SIHH – Geneva Salon 2017 The watch industry regainssome confidence Martin Foster FBHI
Far left: TheGeneva Salon’sOfficial Opening.
Left: IWC Da VinciTourbillonChronograph.
Richard Mille McLaren Chronograph.
French Lantern Clock A rare 1760s model with aremarkable sweep seconds Chris Hooijkaas
This photographic article is a modification of a feature from abook on Special Comtoise Clocks and Lantern Clocks by theDutch author, which was reviewed in TimePiece in the Novem-ber/December 2016 edition.
This unique lantern clock dates from around 1760 and isfrom the coastal region of France, Figure 1 & 2. Unsigned, theframe measures 16cm wide by 15.7cm deep and it is 18.7cm tall.The overall height and depth are 34cm and the diameter of thechapter ring is 21cm.
The clock features a pewter chapter ring on an even blackfront plate with a fret cut from brass sheet on top. It has an hourand minute hand as well as a sweep seconds hand The two brassfinials at the front are screwed onto the pillars, Figure 3. Theframe is screwed with pointed iron legs at the bottom, typical forthe region, Figure 4. The bell sits on a half round bell support.
The sweep seconds is most remarkable. It is very rare to usethis in lantern clocks and I believe this one to be unique. Thehand is on a short arbor with a six-leaf pinion at the end, arrowon Figure 5.
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Figure 1. The clock features a pewter chapter ring.
Figure 2. The mechanism.
Figure 3. The finials. Figure 4. Pointed iron legs typical of the region. Figure 5. Six leaf pinion.
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This pinion is turned by the teeth on the inside of the ratherlarge second wheel of the going train, Figure 6. The spokes ofthis wheel have a special form with a bend, Figure 7. When thesecond wheel turns, its teeth on the outside will move the anchorwheel, and at the same time the teeth on the inside drive thearbor of the seconds hand. I have not seen this in any other clock.
Other special features that are worth a mention are:● The tapering arbor of the third wheel, a feature that is oftenseen in early clocks, Figure 8.● The octagonal arbor of the front great wheel, Figure 9.
● The way the teeth are marked on the wheels, Figure 10.● The very large great wheels (diameter of 11.5 cm, Figure 11.● A recess in the arbor of the anchor, required to allow space forthe fly, Figure 12.● The crude shape of the pendulum suspension, Figure 13.
For more information on this and other lantern or Comtoiseclocks you can contact Chris via his website:
www.HooijkaasBooks.nl
Figure 6. Second wheel of the going train.
Figure 8. Tapering arbor.
Figure 9. Octagonal arbor.
Figure 10. Teeth marking.
Figure 7. The spokes have a bend. Figure 11. The great wheels.
Figure 12. A recess in the arbor.
Figure 13. The crude shape of the pendulum suspension.
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A Vintage Trench Watch Restoration and repair of a 100 year old exampleRobert Horan MBHI
Vintage watches are always full of surprisesand this 100 year old example did notdisappoint. The initial inspection didn'tlook promising; water had found its wayinto the movement via the stem (whichalways seems to be the most commonentry point). As you can see in Figure 1,the water ingress had resulted in signifi-cant rust stains on the dial side of themovement, along with some heavy rustingto the keyless works. The top of the move-ment was in much better condition, Figure 2; however, that initial impressionwas short lived. When I inspected thetrain I discovered wear on both pivots ofthe centre wheel, Figure 3. Further disas-sembly reveals hairspring damage alongwith both balance staff pivots being worn,Figure 4. After documenting the work-scope, I contacted the customer with thedetails and to ask for his approval beforeproceeding. The customer gave me the goahead and I started the restoration process.
My first task was rust removal. I useda glass fibre brush on the mainplate andit did an excellent job of removing therust, leaving a nice finish. Rust stains onplates and bridges always look worse thanthey are, after all these parts are made ofbrass. Although the keyless works lookedreally damaged, the rust was limited tothe keyless cover and I was able to salvageit with a combination of the fibre brushand some sodium bicarbonate. There remained some slight pitting, but a detailed inspection revealed that the coverwas still functional so I kept it. Next up:re-pivot the centre wheel.
Centre wheel re-pivotingNot often do I see wear on both pivots ofthe centre wheel. Curiously the remainderof the train was fine, even the mainspring
arbor – where the highest force is generated– had no wear, which led me to believethat the centre wheel damage resulted froma lack of lubrication. The top pivot wear isminimal, and oddly half the pivot height,but as Figure 3 reveals, the bottom pivothad suffered the most. The top pivot wearat less than half the pivot length, tells methat the barrel bridge bushing is too short,as you can see in Figure 5.
Given that the depth of wear is minimaland that the existing bushing needs replac-ing anyway, I decide to refinish the pivotby reducing its diameter to match the wornsection, and making and installing a newthicker bushing. The slight reduction inpivot diameter was negligible as far as thestrength of the pivot was concerned, andby re-sizing the bushing to the correctheight, the force from the mainspring barrel was distributed over a larger surfacearea, helping to prevent a recurrence. Theresults are shown in Figure 6. The heightof the bushing was now correct when compared to the original design. With that
out of the way, I flipped the centre wheeland started work on the bottom pivot andarbor.
As we see in the photo, the bottompivot had significant damage and must bereplaced, this included a new arbor for thecannon pinion. The work consisted of cutting away the existing arbor and pivot,drilling the centre wheel pinion, and making a replacement arbor from high carbon steel.
The centre wheel was mounted in thelathe, a tail stock runner keeping the pinion aligned while I cut away the wornsection with a graver. In addition to keeping the arbor centred, the runner hadthe advantage of preventing the wheel fromworking its way out of the collet.
Figure 7 shows the set up in the lathewith most of the old arbor cut away. Oncethe arbor is cut off, I installed my pivotrunner (centring plate) in the tailstock,then I drilled the hole in the pinion. Thepivot runner ensures perfect alignmentand centring of pinion and drill, Figure 8.
Figure 1. Dial side, water damage. Figure 2. Top of movement, no visible damage.
Figure 3. Severely worn centre wheel pivots. Figure 4. Balance staff pivots. Figure 5. Top pivot centre wheel, bushing halfthe height.
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I don’t draw the temper from the pinion, preferring to use a carbide drill. Imodify a fluted drill to a pivot drill shape.This helps me control the feed rate of thedrill and prevent breakage. Carbide drillsare very hard and will cut most anything,which is great, but with this ability comesa brittleness and ease of breakage. A slightside load or if the drill catches in the holeit will snap off; not something you wantto happen. Removing a broken jammedcarbide drill bit is not so easy, so best totry and prevent breakage by modifying thecutting tip and drilling carefully andslowly.
With the hole drilled to a depth ofthree x the diameter of the replacementarbor, the centre wheel is removed fromthe lathe, and I made the replacement arbor. The results are shown in Figure 9and with a bit of final polishing and ad-justing, the centre wheel is now repaired,Figure 10. Next task – a new balance staff.
Balance staff replacementThankfully I found a new staff, saving methe time of having to make one. As pernormal practice, I cut away the rivet onthe original staff, Figure 11. By cuttingaway the rivet, I made sure that the balancearm hole was not damaged or stretched,either of which can cause problems. I havea Platax tool, which claims to allow staffremoval without the requirement of cutting away the rivet. However I only useit for roller table and staff removal afterthe rivet has been cut away.
The staff is tempered steel. It is fastenedto the balance arm with a riveted sectionwhich is hammered and compressed, mak-ing the riveted section even harder thanthe staff itself. Expecting that this hardenedsteel rivet will be sheared off or driventhrough the balance arm hole, withoutcausing any damage, is not a risk I accept.Even though this balance arm is made ofsteel, I doubt the arm is harder than therivet. This is even more of a concern wherea balance arm is made of gluycdur or brass.
It only takes a few minutes to cut awaythe rivet, and this is the accepted standard
practise, so that’s what I follow. With thenew staff installed, the roller table is fitted,then the balance is checked in the truingcalipers, the poising adjusted and the hair-spring fixed and installed.
With all the faults repaired, the move-ment was fully assembled, lubricated,wound, put on the analyser, and the beatand rate adjusted. The work was a successand the movement ran very well. I expectthat with regular service it will give theowner years of enjoyment.
With vintage watches I plan on majorissues that need to be fixed and I am carefulto allow some room for flexibility in thecost of the work, depending on my findings.
Water ingress is often a problem, andmany times the initial ‘look’ of the rusteverywhere is not as bad as it appears, oncecleaned up. I always document what I see,disassemble and inspect all the pieces under a loupe (it’s easy to overlook a wornpivot, especially before cleaning) and gaincustomer approval before starting the job.
A few digital photographs sent to thecustomer, along with your write up, go along way towards promoting good will.And, when the work is done, the same exercise is guaranteed to impress the clientwith before and after photos, or size comparison. Customers are always impressed with the small size of the parts
and are also able to appreciate the skilland talent needed to do the work.
It can be a challenge to turn a reason-able profit on these jobs. In many cases itis because the watch is not very valuableto start with, and there is a limit to whatthe customer will spend.
The positive aspect of these types ofjobs, besides building up a good reputation with your clients, is that theserepairs keep your skills as a professionalwatchmaker honed. It doesn't take a longbreak from lathe work or hairspring manipulating to lose that sharp confidentedge, the confident edge we worked sohard to learn and develop during ourtraining.
www.roberthoran.eu
Figure 6. Old versus new bushing height. Figure 7. Lathe set up centre wheel. Figure 8. Drilling with the centering plate.
Figure 9. Centre wheel next to new arbor.
Figure 10. Repaired centre wheel. Figure 11. Rivet cut away on balance staff.
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Business Profile Günter Dähndel on the internationaldevelopment of MyTime Watches
Günter Dähndel comes from Germany, has lived in France andSpain for many years but has a broad Scottish accent – an eclecticand unusual mixture especially for a watchmaker of 30 yearsstanding!
He is now settled in York from where he runs Mytime Watchesspecialising in the repair and restoration of unusual and compli-cated antique and vintage watches and making his own watches.
Günter was brought up in a small German town, north of Frankfurt, called Oberursel, but his love for horology didn’t startuntil he began to study mechanical engineering.
‘I first became interested in horology after my father retired.He began making clocks and I enjoyed helping him. As my lovefor clocks and watches developed, I started to look for ways of educating myself in the subject,’ he explains.
However, Günter’s first job was very different from the horological career path he eventually chose to follow.
‘My first job was as a vintner making fruit wines and alcoholicdrinks. I didn’t really start to think about horology as career untilI started an education in mechanical engineering in 1978 – andeven then I was working on vehicle restoration, particular motorcars.’
Günter is self taught attending training courses in Englandincluding the Rolex course in Bexley and visiting some importanthorological factories in Switzerland. He started to work on watchesand clocks in the early 1980s.
Moving to the UK in 1985, specifically to the Isle of Arran, iswhere the Scottish accent comes from. Once there, Günter soon
established his workshop. Business was sufficient, despite the factthat there were only 4,000 inhabitants on the Island.
He explained: ‘Although I wasn’t on the mainland, I foundthat I had enough work to enable me to continue furthering mycareer by gaining a broad knowledge of all types of timepieces.’
In 2000, it was time for a move again – this time to the sunnierclimes of Girona in Catalonia, Spain.
‘I wouldn’t say it was easy to work as a repairer/restorer inCatalonia, but I worked hard to gain the trust of collectors andhorologists and managed to run a successful business doing primarily trade repairs. I found the work interesting and had theopportunity to work on many different and unusual items andcomplicated mechanisms on both watches and clocks.’
After 14 years, Günter was ready for a change again and decided to move back to the UK. He now has a specialist workshopat his York home which sees him repairing and restoring a varietyof antique and vintage wrist watches, chronographs and pocketwatches. There’s more than enough work to keep him busy andhe often has to handmake missing or broken obsolete parts.
A typical day, he says, could see him tackling anything frommaking a replacement for a missing bezel or a striking rack for arepeater pocket watch to spending time on the construction work of one of his new watches, with paperwork,perhaps, at the end of the day. ‘I would say that 75 per cent of my
Günter in his workshop.
Experimenting with different dial styles and elements.
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time is now spent on restoration work and the remaining 25 percent on construction.’
Günter is very keen to pursue his own interests and has already made one prototype gents watch, a modified, manuallywound, Junghans 620.50 movement with jewel barrel arbor ina EN58J marine grade stainless steel and a mineral glass case.
His interest in Junghans watches goes back to the early 1970sjust before they stopped producing their own in-house move-ments. He is a fan of their current Meister Chronoscope andMax Bill watches which define the type of wristwatch style heprefers and elements of which he likes to incorporate in his owndesigns. He is presently working on plans to make three aviationwristwatches.He said: ‘I hope to soon arrive at the point where I will be ableto concentrate solely on making my own watches and phase outthe repair side of my work.’
Günter says his horological inspiration, without any doubt,is the late George Daniels, who he met briefly. He also admires
watchmaker Roger Smith and was lucky enough to visit him someyears ago at his Isle of Man workshop.
‘Both of these watchmakers have been a strong inspiration onmy watchmaking career – and I was very lucky to meet both.’
Outside of horology Günter hobbies include aviation, he ownsa pilot’s licence and half a plane!
www.mytime-watches.com
Günter’s workshop houses a variety of specialist horological equipment.
Sketching out the geometry for a new watch case.
Drilling for the case tube.
Machining a stainless steel case.
The movement of a quarter repeating ring watch after restoration.
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Book Review
Britten, a BHI Bronze Medalist and Worshipful Company of Turners’ Silver Medalist, was well placed to compose thismost useful volume, drawing as he couldon a London trade that still made a fewfine watches and chronometers and whichwas the centre of a most capable repairtrade.
The book has 158 illustrations and allthe drawings are adjacent to the text whichthey clarify.
To be able to put the work in contextthe reader should appreciate that whenwritten, spare parts, if available, usuallyneeded to be fitted and finished. Repairerswere expected to re-pivot where they couldand make from new where they could not.The author devotes the first 41 pages to
Author: F W BrittenOriginally published 1929, numerous editions and revisionsISBN 0902028 642Available froom: Horological Booksellers,Amazon, Ebay.Price: Various
turning in the lathe covering such topicsas wristlet balance staffs and cylindershells. He assumes the availability of roughmaterial but it takes a little longer to startfrom stock in many instances.
Ten pages are devoted to the turnswhich he recommends for staffs, cylindersand repivoting which he calls drilling arbors. The devices, drills and techniquesall work.
Page 59 begins the section on watchcleaning and the selection of oils and herewe find the only mention of the sort ofbench a repairer should have. He sug-gests... ‘the old style Clerkenwell bench,mahogany, with a chest of drawers fixed,is most convenient; height about 3ft 4in.
He suggests cyanide be used for clean-ing brass, steel screws being removed first.Cyanide works by dissolving the surfaceand less destructive methods are more appropriate today. The oiling tips are mostuseful for those few who still deal withEnglish watches.
Few now tackle cylinder watches butin 1929 they were common in both pocketand wrist form. Britten devoted 11 veryinformative pages to their repair. Anothercurrent ‘bete noire’ is pin pallet movementsand three pages are devoted to these.
On page 77 we find key wind watchesstarting with the fusee. This section is quitecomprehensive explaining the adjusting
rod, stopwork problems, chain repairs andproblems with the fusee. Geneva watchesbegin on page 87.
The next section deals with correctingbad depths, something rarely encounteredon moderm movements. He suggests thetopping tool to adjust oversize wheels butthe reviewer considers much practice isrequired to use one effectively.
Twenty pages, 97 to 117, are devotedto the English lever escapement which inits full plate form can be a difficult under-taking but Britten explains a number oftechniques for analysing its functioning.His useful tool for polishing pallets can bedeveloped for other uses. Repairs to theduplex can also be difficult (a nightmare?)but are explained most clearly betweenpages 117 and 120.
Space precludes dealing with the othertopics in anything like enough detail so alist of these will have to suffice: the main-spring; wristlet watches ending with theRolex Oyster, Breguet and flat springs; theverge; assembling a repeater; thechronometer and its escapement; trainswheel and pinion counts; nickel drumclocks; repairing eight day clocks; convert-ing 30 hour clocks which contains a possibly unique description of how to join30 hour ropes.
Also included are 400 day clocks, carriage clocks, quarter repeating carriageclocks, french strikers, pin pallet escape-ment (‘Brocot’), dead beat escapement,pendulums, making a regulator clock,quarter chimes, repairing turret clocks,cuckoo clocks, calendars simple followedby perpetual, fitting a gathering pallet,portable clocks balance controlled and finally motor clocks (vehicle). It is inter-esting to note that what is now called thedash board was once called the switchboard.
This remarkable little volume containsmuch that would be learnt during a formalapprenticeship with a capable master soin these days of short courses and distancelearning it should be on every horologist’sbook shelf.
Note the top shape of the gravers, manyhorologists have them far too obtuse.
If you have a horological book or DVDyou would recommend we would love tohear from you.Contact: Jayne Hall, [email protected]
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NEWSSTART THE CLOCK– FUND ALMOST MET
Over £1,000 has been raised so far forprostate cancer, thanks to the soaring salesof the new H4 DVD.
All profits from the DVD will be passedon to the charity in memory of brilliantwatchmaker Derek Pratt who startedbuilding a working replica of Harrison’sH4 navigational watch. Unfortunately hedied of the disease before the project wascomplete and Charles Frodsham & Cotook up the mantle and finished the projectin 2014.
Every stage of the reconstruction wasfilmed and the new 75 minute DVD, whichhas received excellent reviews, is the result.
Barbara Darby, who has produced theDVD, says she is delighted with the response so far, with copies going to allfour corners of the world including USA,Australia, Ireland, Brazil, Sweden, Holland,Norway, Canada and Italy.
To purchase a copy, priced very reasonably at £12, you can order on linedirectly from Barbara’s website –bdvideos.co.uk or by phone on 01959523339. You can see a taster clip on theGuild website and a review by TimothyTreffry FBHI.
Barbara’s website also includes detailsof Martin Matthews’ two DVDs – FourGenerations of Watch Case Making andEngine Turning which have also seen asurge in sales since the H4 DVD was released, which is a boost for the Matthewsfamily.
A crowdfunding campaign to restore animportant Vuilliamy flatbed turret clockat St Luke’s, West Norwood, has less than£9,000 left to raise.
Commitments and actual receipts now total over £26,000 of the £35,000 needed.James Nye, who is leading the fundraisingproject says there are some very good signals that this will be achieved in thefirst quarter.
He said: ‘The global fundrasing campaign started this time last year, securing support from major donors andinstitutions. The crowdfunding started atthe end of October.’
It is expected that work will now beginin the spring to overhaul the 1825 clock.A new automatic winding system will beinstalled, along with remote monitoringequipment. The lion’s share of the fund isneeded to reglaze and repair the four damaged dials.
If you would like to help go to:www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/stlukesclock/
Jonathan Betts has been elected to serveon the Institute of Conservation’s presti-gious Board of Trustees – a position he willhold until 2019.
A registered charity, ICON is the professional body for the conservation ofcultural heritage, raising awareness of thesocial and economic value of caring forheritage and championing high standardsof conservation.
It represents nearly 3,000 individualsand organisations and its membership incorporates not only professional conser-vators and conservation scientists, butmany others who share a commitment toimproving understanding of, and accessto, the country’s cultural heritage. Most oftheir members are UK-based but many alsowork internationally
Jonathan has been involved in conser-vation since his student days in the 1970swhen he studied technical horology andclock and watch restoration and conser-vation. He has over 30 years’ experienceat NMM Greenwich both as a Senior Conservation Officer and Senior HorologyCurator.
A council member of the AntiquarianHorological Society for more than 20 yearsand a member of the Court of the Clock-makers Company for over 15 years,Jonathan also acts as a horological advisorto a number of heritage bodies includingthe National Trust.
BETTS JOINS ICON – JONATHAN VOTED ONTO PRESTIGIOUS CONSERVATIONBOARD
Roy Harris was installed as Master of theWorshipful Company of Clockmakers at aspecial installation ceremony in January.
Roy left school at 15 and undertook afive year mechanical engineering appren-ticeship with the National Coal Board. Hewas then employed as an Inspection Qual-ity Control Engineer by the LindustriesGroup, working on the construction of theHinckley Point B reactor and mainly thedevelopment and manufacture of rigidweld pipes for the Rolls Royce RB211 engine.
His love of horology started after hemoved into the world of further education
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first as a Lecturer, but later as Section Headand Senior Lecturer.
During this time he decided to enrolon the British Horological Institute’s Distance Learning Course. After complet-ing the final year, in which he achieved amark of 96 per cent in the practical, Royset up a part time business which, in 1996,became his full time occupation.
Buying and restoring antique clocks ofall descriptions, he has exhibited at majorfine art and antique fairs throughout theUK. Over the past ten years he has spe-cialised in marine chronometers andlantern clocks which has resulted in himbuilding up a loyal clientele.
Roy and his wife Sandra, who is also aLiveryman of the Clockmakers' Company,live in a North Cotswolds Area of Outstanding National Beauty conservationvillage, a world away from the City of London. His other interests are fly fishing,gardening, music and dance.
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Industry Action Fund Swiss judge agrees to Cousins’ request to limit the caseAnthony Cousins
I am once again pleased to give you another positive update on the actionbrought against Cousins by Swatch in theBern Court.
When our Swiss lawyers studied theclaim Swatch made they formed an opin-ion that Swiss law does not allow such acase to be dragged to Switzerland and thatthe real reasons Swatch had made the claimwas to try and intimidate us, to drain ourresources, and to delay things for as longas possible. We are optimistic that the BernCourt will take a very dim view of such legal tactics.
In our response to the Court we detailed all the arguments that support thisopinion, and requested a ruling from theJudge that he suspend hearing the full caseuntil he had decided whether or not thecase was admissible at all. Logic dictatesthat it makes no sense to spend hundredsof thousands of pounds on legal fees anddays of court time arguing about EU com-petition law, only to find out afterwardsthat the whole case was not admissible.
On receipt of our request the judgeforwarded our arguments to Swatch andasked for their response. UnsurprisinglySwatch did not agree with our challenge,dismissed it out of hand, and requestedthat the judge give us very limited time topresent our response to the entire case.
However it seems that our argumentsabout the legitimacy of Swatch’s actionsare well enough founded and need to beconsidered, because the judge has now issued an order in line with our request,and against Swatch’s preferred procedure.This order greatly simplifies and speedsup matters.
In my opinion, this decision clearlyshows that the Bern Court does not hesitate when it comes to ensuring thatthe rules are followed fairly, and to furtherensure that the minnows have a genuineopportunity to defend themselves whenattacked by the whales. I am grateful tothe judge for his actions in this regard.
The practical upshot of all this is thatwe will get a much quicker decision from
the Swiss court on where the full case willbe held. If our points of procedural lawwin the day, then ultimately the case willreturn to the English courts where it willbe considerably easier to argue a matter ofEnglish and EU law. If the Swiss Courtdoes not agree with our arguments, thenwe will have the more difficult option ofarguing the matter in a foreign languagesome 600 miles away from home.
What Swatch should by now havelearned from all this is that whatever legaltactics they employ, Cousins resolve remains as strong as ever when it comesto obtaining a ruling that their parts embargo breaches English and EU competition law. We continue to do everything we can to support our tradecustomers in their efforts to provide theend consumer with quality services at afair price.
Anthony CousinsManaging Director
Cousins Material House Ltd
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MEMBERS MEET YOUR BOARD
The following members of the trade have applied for membershipof the Guild and have had their application accepted. SAMANTHA MCATEER LLANDYSUL (STUDENT)KES CROCKETT BIRMINGHAM (STUDENT)SIMON COLSTON CAMBRIDGE (STUDENT)MARK TODMAN DURHAM
JONATHAN GOLDSTON MANCHESTER
RYAN LODGE WOKING
KELLY CLARKE BOWERS GIFFORD
DAIR MO MANCHESTER
PAUL WRIGHT MANCHESTER
RAYMOND WOOD NORTHWOOD
ANTHONY CLEAL HIGH WYCOMBE
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS BRIGHTON
PAUL CRADOCK, FORMER GUILD SECRETARY, HAS BEEN MADE A
HONORARY MEMBER IN RECOGNITION OF HIS DEDICATED SERVICE
OVER MANY YEARS.
MEMBERS’ MARTBUY, SELL, SWAPWantedGreiner Ultrason UU or UU2 cleaning machine and accessories.Any condition. Contact: Gunter DahndelTel: 07549 951084. Email: [email protected]
WantedI am looking for a second hand Schaublin 70 or a 102 lathe in goodcondition. I’m happy to travel to any location to view.Contact: Alan BurtoftTel: 07740 086542Email: [email protected]
Annual General Meeting
Notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Board of Directors (The Council) of the British Watch & Clock Makers’ Guild will be held in Friends House,
173 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJon Thursday 11 May at 4pm
The normal Council meeting will be held at 2pm followed by the Annual General Meeting at 4pm.
AGM AGENDA 1. To read or take as read Notice convening meeting. (Previously published) 2. To read or take as read Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting. (Previously circulated) 3. To receive or take as read the Director’s Report for the year ended 31 December 2016. (Previously published) 4. To receive or take as read the Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2016. (Previously published) 5. To elect Officers. 6. To elect members of the Council. 7. To receive any motion for increase of Guild membership subscriptions. 8. To agree the appointment of Solicitors for the ensuing year. 9. To agree the appointment of Accountants for the ensuing year. 10. To receive any motion of which due notice has been given.
Robert Moir Honorary Secretary
Members of the Guild’s Board of Directors at their recent meeting.Back row (left to right) Roy Hunt, Shuajb Berisha, Howard Vyse,Angus Matheson, Christian Dannemann.Front row (left to right) Bob Moir, Robert Ball, Chris Papworth,Paul Roberson.
RAF CLOCKSTOLEN
A clock used in the RAF OperationsRoom during World War II was stolenfrom Hook Memorial Hall, Goole,East Yorkshire on 1 February.
Guild members are asked to keeptheir eyes peeled for the distinctivetimepiece which is similar to the onepictured left. The missing clock hasthe word ELLIOT on the backplateand the dial is marked Keith Ander-son. Contact Jenny on 07790 508983if you have information.
14
Our work methods are especially designed to assistyou in giving the very best to your customers.
30 Rose Street, Wokingham Berkshire, RG40 1XU Tel: 0118 375 8883 Mob: 07917 406486 Email: [email protected] www.orawatch.co.uk
Shuajb Berisha MBHI Watch and Clock Specialist
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For some the future can seem bleak. Financial worries, mixedwith health concerns can bring depression and despair.
need of help. The trustees, all of whom have many years of experience in the trade, meet regularly and personally oversee all applications.
in the trade and you want their future to seem brighter, please contact us, or pass them our details. Help to make a difference in their lives.
The Secretary, 19 Illett Way, Faygate, W Sussex, RH12 0AJ020 8288 9559 [email protected]
The National Benevolent SocietyOf Watch And Clock Makers
Your Trade CharityHereTo Help
Helping Those Who Served The Trade
1 0
15
Adam PhillipsClock/Watch Case Repairs
35 years experience as a Goldsmith
I make and repair all types of watch cases, from antique pocket watches to modern wrist watches.
www.watchcaseworks.co.uk Adam Phillips 07767 678926
Church and Public Clock SpecialistsReports and quotations are undertaken free of charge
and without obligation within the UK
Tel/Fax: 01768 486933Email: [email protected]: www.clockmaker.co.uk
WHAT THE BEST DRESSEDMAN IS WEARING
NEWLY DESIGNED GUILD TIES (AS FEATURED IN TV’s UNFORGOTTEN II)
Just £17.95, including postageand packaging.
Contact Bob Moir, Guild Secretary, to order yours today!
Antique Clock & Watch DialRestoration and Repair
Bracket/Longcase/Wall Clocks &Watches– Dial Re-Painting and Re-Silvering
Carriage/French Clocks & Watches– Dial Re-Enamelling and Painting
Contact: Mark Rowe MBHIWest Dean Trained BADA Certified
Tel: 020 8605 0331Email: [email protected]
www.theclockgallery.co.uk
PAINTED DIAL RESTORATION
Robert B. Loomes FBHI
Family business since 1966. Prompt turnaround.
4 Saint Mary’s Hill, Stamford, PE9 2DWTel: 01780 481319
Email: [email protected]
THE COMPLETE GILDING SERVICE TO THE HOROLOGICAL TRADE
Refinishing & BurnishingSatin & Polished Gilding
Replacement of Missing Pieces(Over 30 years experience)
RAY WALTON (SILVERSMITH)CREEK CREATIVE, 1 ABBEY STREET,
FAVERSHAM, KENT, ME13 7BETEL: 01795 538674
www.raywaltonsilversmith.co.uk
High Quality Barograph Charts Drum size 3 1⁄2” high x 3 11⁄16” diam.Mon or Sun start. Inch calibration
1 years supply (52 charts) £16.00 inc p&p2 years supply (104) charts) £26.00 inc p&p
Send cheque with order made payable to L. A. BLOWESL. A. Blowes, PO Box 6625, LONDON, E7 8RR
CLOCKWHEELSWheel and Pinion cutting to pattern or drawing using
Swiss CNC machines, longcase ‘scape and date wheels always in stock
30 Years Experience to Trade & Public2 Meadow Close, Beetley, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4SRTel: 01362 860545 Email: [email protected]
SUPPORT YOUR GUILD – WEAR YOUR TIE WITH PRIDE
1616
Administrator’s Desk
GUILD DIRECTORS: Chairman: Chris Papworth MBHI; ImmediatePast Chairman: Paul Roberson FBHI; Vice Chairman: Robert Moir;Treasurer: Lionel Blowes FBHI; Honorary Secretary: Robert Moir; VicePresidents: Angus Matheson, Lionel Blowes, William Hill, Jean Jones;Directors: Manny Bramsden, Robert Ball, Shuajb Berisha; ChristianDannemann; Roy Hunt, David Pay, Keith Scobie-Youngs; Howard Vyse;TimePiece and Web Editor Jayne Hall.
Guild Communications to: Robert Moir, 26 Knights Close, Windsor,Berks, SL4 5QR. Tel: 07955 192263. Email: [email protected] Website:www.bwcmg.org
The British Watch & Clock Makers’ Guild is a Company Limited byGuarantee. Registered in England & Wales No 4613321. RegisteredOffice: 1 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4BZ.
Copyright © 2016 The opinions expressed herein are not necessarilythose of the officers and council of the Guild and no responsibility isaccepted for the content of any article or advertisement. No article maybe reproduced without prior permission being obtained.
Printed and distributed by: MYPEC, 10 Festoon Rooms, Sunny BankMill, Farsley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire, LS28 5UJ.
Robert MoirHonorary Secretary
DIARY 2017
March12 Midlands Clock and WatchFair, National Motorcycle Mu-seum, Solihull, B92.www.clockandwatchfairs.co.uk23-30 Baselworld, Messe Basel,Switzerland.www.baselworld.com
April2 West Country Clock & WatchFairs, Holiday Inn, Taunton,Somerset, TA1 2UA.www.westcountryclockfairs.co.uk9 Brunel Clock and Watch Fair,Sports Hall, Brunel University,Uxbridge, UB8 3PNwww.clockandwatchfairs.co.uk
May11 Guild Board Meeting & AGMFriends Meeting House, London.NW1 2BJ. 2pm.14 Midlands Clock and WatchFair, National Motorcycle Mu-seum, Solihull, B92.www.clockandwatchfairs.co.uk
July16 Midlands Clock and WatchFair, National Motorcycle Mu-seum, Solihull, B92.www.clockandwatchfairs.co.uk
August10 Guild Board Meeting, FriendsMeeting House, London. NW12BJ. 2pm.25-27 Furtwangen Clock andWatch Fair, Hoschschule Furtwangen University.
September5-9 Hong Kong Watch and ClockFair, Hong Kong Convention andExhibition Centre.www.hktdc.com/fair/hkwatchfair
October22 Midlands Clock and WatchFair, National Motorcycle Mu-seum, Solihull, B92.www.clockandwatchfairs.co.uk
November9 Guild Board Meeting, FriendsMeeting House, London. NW12BJ. 2pm.19 West Country Clock & WatchFairs, Holiday Inn, Taunton,Somerset, TA1 2UA.www.westcountryclockfairs.co.uk
December10 Brunel Clock and Watch Fair,Sports Hall, Brunel University,Uxbridge, UB8 3PN.www.clockandwatchfairs.co.uk
Board MeetingA meeting of the Guild’s Board of Directors was held on Thursday9 February at Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London.In attendance were: Chris Papworth, Chair; Bob Moir, Secretary;Paul Roberson, Membership Secretary; Christian Dannemann,Angus Matheson, Robert Ball, Shuajb Berisha, Howard Vyse; RoyHunt. Also present was Jayne Hall, Editor of TimePiece. Apologieswere received from from: Keith Scobie Youngs, Manny Bramsden;David Pay, and Lionel Blowes.
Members signed and approved the minutes of the Board meet-ing held on 10 November 2016. Chris Papworth, in the absenceof Lionel Blowes, gave the Treasurers report, which was noted.The Director’s End of Year report was also approved.
Administration System The Board discussed the updating and sharing of the Guild’s database, which is presently managed solely by secretary BobMoir. This means that anyone needing information, addresses,new members details, etc, has to channel enquiries through him. After much research and debate over several months, it was agreedthat the relevant files will now be uploaded securely to the ‘Cloud’to enable the Chair, Membership Secretary and Editor to accessinformation and, if necessary, update.
Standing OrdersA problem with standing orders was highlighted. Membershipsubscription has increased but many members have not contactedtheir banks to change the amount they pay. Chris Papworth reported that of 174 paying by Standing Order, so far only 19have upgraded to the full amount of £52. The remainder are pay-ing the old rate or less. This lack of revenue is having a significanteffect on the Guild. The Board is now considering the future via-bility of this method. Direct Debit is the best option as paymentsautomatically increase, but unfortunately the Guild is too smallto qualify. Directors discussed another system called GoCardless– and this is to be investigated further. The Board also discussedsetting up a new ‘on line’ accounting system.
Green BookThe Green Book was discussed and was felt to be a valuable partof Guild membership. It was agreed that the most important inclusion was the members Repair Price Survey and that this
should definitely remain. Despite constantly asking for memberfeedback, only one person had come forward. It was agreed thatthe booklet should be made to look more appealing but that, forthe time being, the content would remain the same, until furtherresearch could be undertaken. Questionnaires will be sent outwith the May/June edition of TimePiece and it is hoped that thenext edition of the Green Book will appear in September 2017.
Group Membership The Board discussed group membership of the Guild which isavailable for Companies wanting to sign up ten or more employees.It was agreed that they would receive a 25 per cent discount formultiple applications, so would received membership at a cost of£39 instead of £52.
The next meeting, which will include the AGM, will take placeon 11 May. All welcome.
