George Daniels The topic of this newsletter was fostered by the many emails I've received from those interested in making timepieces.

There's a common misconception that quality handcrafted clocks and watches are only products from our past. It's certainly true that the movements found in most of todays timepieces are mass produced and machine assembled. Should we expect differently in a world of economy where Toyota, Walmart and plastic clothing affords the middle classes comforts and experiences the elite couldn't have imagined a century ago?

This newsletter will take you to some of those people and companies who are today continuing the tradition of making super high quality, hand crafted timepieces. Some of the following web sites range from one man shops to old, large watch companies with $100,000 and up price tags. James Lea These prices are elevated not by jewels or diamonds that the cases may tout but because of the beautifully handcrafted and usually complicated movements. Sadly, there are many more independent watch and clock makers who are producing absolutely beautiful timepieces but as of yet haven't set up web sites, or at least I haven't been able to locate them up on the internet. If you know of some good ones, especially one or two person shops that I've missed please let me know. I love that stuff.

Whether you're interested in clocks, wristwatches or pocket watches I'm sure that the links at the bottom of this page will be interesting to you. Please take the time and check them out.

Antoine Prezuiso Long ago horologists crafted beautiful timepieces with much effort and time going into movement and case decorations. The clockmaker had a choice of two markets to target; an enormous lower class ranging from scraping dirt poor to a little better than dirt poor or a far smaller lower upper class to stinking rich uppity upper class ie; royalty, anything in between was nearly non-existant. The difference in income from lower to upper class was incredible.

So hmmm...here I am a 17th. century watch/clock maker whose work is beginning to get noticed as beyond the ordinary, just itching to make that ticking masterpiece, I just need to get commissioned by someone. Let's see now...my neighbor the boot maker in the hut next door has made a pretty attractive offer of one bushel of turnips, a months supply of pickled rutabagas, one pair of mud repelling boots, a season pass to the weekly ox cart pull and a case of Bud, which all together should help me sustain my lowly lifestyle or... I could take the offer that the Kings' brother Ted made of a full purse of gold and silver coins, enough to kick me a few notches above that upper lower class into that nearly uninhabited realm of "Middle Class". Carlo G. Croce If I take Bootmans offer I'll need to knock out something functional but with no frills or twirly doodads if I plan on eating next month but if I go with Ted I can afford to take the time to be that creative artistic genius I was meant to be. I'll design a more accurate, new type of escapement, make it ring a gong and play a Jethro Tull tune every hour. I'll pierce, engrave and polish every possible part and by the time I've completed this thing of beauty I'll still have a nearly full purse. My timepiece will become the talk of the kingdom. Veal, fine wine, champagne, I'll become watch and clock maker to the King!!!
If the bootmaker hadn't thrown in the ox cart pull and case of Bud the choice would have been easy!

Paul Gerber The truth is that watch and clock makers were highly respected by both the poor and elite. Back in the 1600's only the well-to-do could afford a watch or clock. Many timepieces from those years were nothing short of magnificent because the clientele expected such ornate perfection and were willing to pay for it. As time passed the role of the watch/clock maker made drastic changes. Small organizations or cottage industries of skilled craftsmen began forming in the late 1600's. Each craftsmen would specialize in making one or a few parts of a clock or watch. There were spring makers, wheel makers, fusee makers, fusee chain makers, case makers etc. Many watch makers became watch finishers, purchasing nearly complete movements referred to as movements "in the gray" which would then be engraved, timed out, polished and cased. Watch Movement Some would add calendars, repeating mechanisms etc. to the movements, engrave their name and out it went. By the 1700's many watch/clock makers made use of cottage industry output and, or employed people who specialized in making certain parts of a timepiece, which in turn increased production and lowered prices. Around 1760 Le Pine began making the first French ebauche watch movements lowering prices further. About 10 years later Frederic Japy, another biggie, started making production type bar movements and by 1860 was knocking out around 1/2 million movements a year. Although the dates and numbers varied, clockmaking ran a similar course. Production clockmaking techniques in Europe and America rendered unique, ultra high quality handmade timepiece production nearly obsolete. Sinclair Harding America jumped on the band wagon developing precise production techniques and the birth of movements with interchangeable parts in the 1800s. Timepieces by the millions flooded the world markets. Watches and clocks finally became affordable to a now well established middle class. But nearly obsolete is not obsolete. There were still those that continued to develop new innovative designs, one of a kind complications and unique commissioned timepieces from the time the first clock was made right up to today.

Note: The past few years have seen a re-emergence of quality mechanical watches coming out of Europe. Many of the old watch companies who nearly met their demise after the introduction of the quartz timepiece have come back to life and are selling high end timepieces as fast as they can make them.

Start clicking the links for truly tantilizing, ticking timepieces and have fun!

Bob


Glashuette Beat Haldimann














John B. Shadle Sinclair Harding















Girard Perregaux Girard Perregaux










Paul Picot Minute Repeater Paul Picot > >


















Alain Silberstein Alain Silberstein Alain Silberstein Alain Silberstein











Wooden Clockworks James Lea































George Daniels


















Antoine Prezuiso Carlo G. Croce Paul Gerber


















Germano Silva

Picture Left-Germano Silva-

I received an email from Germano before sending this newsletter out. I had to include it here!! Apparently this clock's for sale! He didn't tell me the price but if you're interested you can email him through his web site.


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