30 January 2012 - Practical Watch Servicing Demonstration
Branch member Owen Gilchrist got the year off to a good start by giving a practical demonstration of servicing a 16 size ETA 6497 watch movement, a video camera and projector being used to show close-up images on the big screen. A Bristol-based watch repairer and restorer, after his years of experience Owen has many interesting and useful tips to impart to us.
Owen has spoken at the branch on several previous occasions and is always prepared to share his expertise with us in his own utterly enthusiastic style. His attention to detail on cleanliness, assembly and lubrication are to be admired and, despite the far from ideal environment, by the end of the demonstration he had the watch ticking away with an excellent action. Very usefully, Owen had brought along large-scale models of Incabloc and Kif shock protection systems, which allowed members to see exactly how they operate. We were also given tips on how to avoid losing springs!
Owen gives several different live demonstrations of watch and clock servicing at Upton Hall and BHI branches around the country - if you get the opportunity, do go along and see one. The branch and Institute are fortunate in having Owen's generous support.
Malcolm Pipes FBHI
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31 October 2011 - Clock Manufacturing in Soho, Birmingham
Branch member David Hornsey lived in the Handsworth area of Birmingham and became fascinated with its horological connections as he cycled through the 'Jewellery Quarter'. Attempts to gain historical information were not fruitful, but David's interest was furthered when he purchased a timepiece movement by WF Evans of the Soho Clock Factory at auction and he continued his own research.
Little is known of Evans today, and this area of Birmingham has since been completely redeveloped, but David found that Matthew Boulton (classed as a toy maker) had built Soho House with his coin-minting factory at the rear. The famous Lunar Society, a group of great thinkers and inventors of the day, including Watt, Darwin, Wedgwood and Priestley, met at Soho House as Boulton's guests at full moon to assist their return journeys.
Boulton's factory manufactured many small metal and ormolu objects and, along with John Whitehurst of Derby, made very fine clocks; including a sidereal clock in 1771, the Titus clock of 1775 and the extremely fine 'king's clock'commissioned by George III. Boulton also established the Birmingham Assay Office. Ormolu fell from fashion in the 1780s and Boulton sold his factory to John Haughton, a maker of very fine clocks. Haughton's daughter married clockmaker WF Evans, who took over the business in 1843 and produced the Scott Memorial clock for the 1851 great Exhibition. Evans died in 1899 and, although his sons continued the business, it unfortunately folded in 1934. Whilst Soho House remains, the factory has completely disappeared.
Malcolm Pipes FBHI
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26 September 2011 - American Watch Technology v English
Philip and Jean Priestley are old friends of the branch and it was a delight to welcome them back. Philip has recently written a book on Aaron Lufkin Dennison, a watch repairer and materials dealer from New England, and used him as a 'time traveller' to track key events. Aaron was instrumental in forming the first watch company to make parts on an interchangeable basis in 1849. The company would later become the American Watch Co of Waltham, or just plain Waltham. After touring Europe gathering ideas, Aaron decided to use a going barrel instead of a fusee and adopted the English-style 3 footed dial design. The first 8-day model, however, was not successful but the company went from strength to strength with 30-hour models. After a series of further business ventures, Aaron turned his hand to case making and by 1887 the Dennison Watch Case Co was making 50,000 cases a year just for Waltham.
In 1880, a proposal that Aaron Dennison be awarded honorary membership of the BHI was flatly turned down. A suggestion that he lecture institute members on the advantages of American watch production techniques met with a similar reaction! However, Rotherhams of Coventry bought machinery from the American Watch Tool Co of Waltham and by 1888 were producing 100 movements a week with some 500 workers. The Lancashire Watch Co of Prescot also invested in American machinery and opened a new factory in 1890. The company was underfunded, however, and failed in 1908.
To illustrate the demise of the English watch trade, Philip presented world-wide wide production figures showing that English production in 1800 stood at 200,000 a year compared to around 5,000 American. In 1882 English production peaked at 227,000, by which time American production had risen to 1,250,000. American methods of watch mass-production were displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. This convinced the Swiss of the need to update their production methods and by the turn of the century they had changed from cylinder to lever movements. Continental production eventually overtook American and by 1907 accounted for 12 million watches a year, almost double American production.
In conclusion, Philip speculated that if the American War of Independence had happened just 10 years later; the Philadelphia exhibition would have been in 1886, by which time America would have had an unassailable lead in the production of lever movements - enough to frighten the Swiss from ever trying to compete!
Trevor Waddington FBHI
25 July 2011 - Early Clocks
The talk centred on domestic clockmaking from circa 1550 to 1650 exemplified by clocks from the collection shown in working order on a specially constructed display stand. Beginning with a c1560 Renaissance clock of German or Italian origin, this small chamber clock with original fire-gilded case housed short-duration going, strike and alarm trains. Originally foliot or balance wheel, the clock had verge escapement with front-mounted continental cow tail pendulum giving a pleasing, lively action. Controversially, it is said that Camerini of Turin, friend of Galileo, made a pendulum clock similar to this before Huygens patented his invention.
The second example was a Charles I lantern clock c1630 by London maker Peter Closon which, right on cue, struck 8 o'clock as Bill introduced it! Explaining that although lantern clocks had a standard movement configuration, 'first period' examples such as this had bigger frames and were significantly heavier than those made later. Bill projected an image of the top plate of a typical lantern clock to illustrate telltale signs revealing the history of the escapement. This lantern clock had belonged to the late John Hooper and had been converted from balance wheel to anchor and back to balance wheel.
Bill's third clock was a faithful replica of a Charles I wall clock dated 1638 by Nicholas Snowe of Salisbury. The original featured in the AHS exhibition at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford, in 2008. The replica, with foliot bar escapement, was made using materials, tools and techniques similar to those employed in the 17th century. Although both challenging and time-consuming, Bill and Chris gained a better understanding and appreciation of those early craftsmen as a result.
Continuing with an anonymous Charles I hooded wall clock c1640, anciently converted from balance wheel to verge and containing much of the original alarm work. The clock had been discovered in Bath 15 years ago in a very poor state. Bill's final example was an unsigned lantern clock c1645 containing elements of both lantern clock and continental iron chamber clock. Speculating that the anonymity of the clock might have resulted from its construction during the civil war period, it had West Country features and was an early conversion from balance wheel to verge escapement.
As people gathered to view the clocks more closely, the chairman thanked Bill for bringing his collection and presenting the clocks with such clarity and enthusiasm. Members agreed that it had been a rare privilege to examine such early clocks in full working order, for which the speaker was warmly applauded.
Trevor Waddington FBHI
27 June 2011 - Turret Clocks
The turret clock had crashed to the floor and was completely burnt out, the consequence of a fire set by young arsonists. But nothing daunted, Keith Scobie-Youngs gave us an impressive account of how his company - The Cumbria Clock Company (CCC) - had been engaged to make a replacement clock for the stable block at Wythenshawe Hall, the original being beyond any realistic repair. And what a superb replica it was, with every last detail being measured from what remained of the original. The 100mm diameter 'scape wheel and all gears were cut using specially made cutters so that the profile matched the originals perfectly. LG4 gunmetal was used for all 'brass' components, and the barrels turned from traditional air-dried elm.
Founded in 1990 in Cumbria, this was but one of the many clock projects that the CCC has undertaken over its years. Keith described the Wythenshawe project in great detail, but just as interesting was his company's conscientious attitude to two of but many conservation projects. The medieval clock at Salisbury is amazing not only for its age but also for the beautiful work of the blacksmith in fire-welding and shaping the framework and components. Keith also described the CCC's intricate work on the astronomical clock at Hampton Court Palace before ending with a description of the non-invasive temporary drive arrangement of the Great Clock at Westminster installed while the 2007 repairs were being undertaken.
A truly superb talk enthusiastically presented by a managing director who not only takes a close and integral role with his clients in formulating the brief but also in ensuring that it is executed to perfection. Check out www.clockmaker.co.uk for more fascinating information on the CCC's portfolio.
Guy Gibbons MBHI
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18 April 2011 - Pendulums
Some 23 members and guests gathered to hear Vice-chairman Malcolm Pipes' talk on pendulums. A chartered mechanical and electrical engineer, Malcolm worked in electrical power generation and nuclear reactor physics before starting his precision horological business; Blagdon Clocks. Malcolm's well-illustrated talk began from scratch with an explanation of gravity and the square root law governing pendulum length. A practical demonstration using a bar had members guessing what the effect of moving the suspension point would be on periodicity. For some this was revision of rusty horological theory, for others it was a revelation explained with crystal clarity.
Moving on to temperature effects, Malcolm showed that the effects on metals such as zinc and lead made them useful as compensators, whereas the less temperature sensitive properties of wood or Invar produced better pendulums. The compensating effect of Harrison's gridiron pendulum was explained and several examples of its use in French regulators illustrated. Further pendulum compensation inventions by Graham and Ellicott were also explained and Malcolm showed images of several regulators he had made using mercury compensated pendulums.
He then went on to explain some of the less obvious effects of temperature on pendulums such as change in air density and suspension spring stiffness. Surprisingly, having the case door open also has an appreciable effect on clock rate. Changes in barometric pressure require compensation in a regulator and Malcolm has successfully employed aneroid compensators for this purpose to correct the 1.5 seconds/month error due to pressure variation experienced in Bristol. The effect of circular error was clearly explained using a bicycle pedal analogy and examples of compensators devised by Huygens, Jackson and Bush, and Fedchenko were illustrated. Some years ago Malcolm devised his own method of circular error compensation using permanent magnets, his dissertation on this earning him the Institute Fellowship. To conclude his tour de force, Malcolm explained the benefits of the asymetric crutch, a device he employs in all his regulators and the subject of a past article in HJ.
Trevor Waddington FBHI
28 March 2011 - Faberge Imperial Eggs
Charles Hadwell travelled from Worcester to give the Branch a most interesting and entertaining talk on Faberge Imperial eggs, which was attended by some 30 members and guests including, uniquely, 6 ladies.
Charles spoke particularly about the 50 larger and most famous eggs made for Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia by the House of Faberge, and we had an excellent slide show of the known existing eggs. Only 42 eggs have survived, many of which Charles was fortunate to have viewed at the Kremlin Armoury Museum when he visited Moscow on business in 1971.
The eggs are all quite different and contain at least one 'surprise'; the 1900 egg contains a clockwork working model of the Trans-Siberian railway, the 1906 egg contains a silver swan automaton which rotates and has moving head and wings. Several eggs contain one or more clocks. The first egg was given in 1885 to the Empress Maria Fedorovna by her husband, Tsar Alexander III, and generally one egg was made and gifted every year until 1917.
All of the eggs are spectacular masterpieces, being constructed from precious metals, decorated with enamel and gem stones by a team of craftsmen under the leadership of Peter Faberge. Any egg not deemed to be perfect at its completion was destroyed and the work restarted. The eggs are not just opulent, careful viewing reveals that each has multiple fascinating stories to tell.
As Easter 2011 approaches we may look forward to receiving an egg - should it be one of the Imperial eggs it would be worth around £25 million!
Malcolm Pipes FBHI
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28 February 2011 - 17/18th Century Watch Case Making & Repairs
Superlatives seem inadequate to describe the superb work of watch case maker Mike Wilson who held our audience of over 30 members spellbound with the quality of his work. Concentrating on cases for 17th and 18th century watches, Mike's well-illustrated talk took us through the stages of raising a case from 0.7mm Britannia silver (95.8% pure) right up to finishing with leather and gilt pin work. Nor were the dial and many fittings glossed over as he explained how spun-cast dials were made for champleve dials, pendants (sometimes of oval cross-section) and push-pieces made and fitted, and hands cut from gauge plate.
With the expert eye needed to get the subtle shape and feel just right for the period of watch being re-cased, Mike raises his cases using a stake rather than by spinning or punching. With frequent annealing followed by an acid dip to remove scale, Mike showed us the finish he achieved by planishing alone; a finish that required very little polishing. Needing up to 9 separate pieces of silver tube hard-soldered into position, he admitted that hinge making was one job which he still approached with some anxiety, though none of us who inspected his work afterwards could understand why. All Mike's cases are hallmarked by laser, and he warned that careless punching by the Assay Office could cause significant damage.
Mike brought along a number of examples of his work, which ensured most of us stayed for another hour inspecting and discussing the whys and wherefores of his craft. For those interested in case making, Mike runs an evening class at the Cheltenham Silversmithing, Jewellery & Enamelling Club - details at :
31 January 2011 - Carriage Clock Servicing
Members were entertained and informed by our own enthusiastic Branch member Owen Gilchrist, who bravely gave us a live demonstration of servicing a carriage clock. The very well attended meeting of over 30 people watched on a large screen, aided by the Branch's new video system, as Owen dexterously assembled a completely dismantled 1910 French timepiece.
Owen is a Bristol-based watch repairer and restorer and from his years of experience had many interesting and useful ideas and tips to impart to us. The meeting discussed the practical aspects of bushing, cleaning and pegging, shakes, lubrication and epilame treatment, Rodico, friction adjustment, depthing, dial feet, the desirability (or not) of platform replacement, and many others. Owen's attention to detail on pin finishing, cleanliness and record keeping for example were to be admired and, despite the far from ideal environment, by the end of the demonstration Owen had the movement ticking away with an excellent 'action'.
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29 November 2010 - AGM and 'Bring & Discuss'
The meeting moved to 'Bring and Discuss', which is always popular. Peter Heimann showed us a Hipp-toggle clock he has recently made and, although he claimed it to be only a prototype, we were all much impressed by the quality of his workmanship. There followed discussions on pendulum impulse and isochronism, for which this design is noted.
Peter Heimann
David Spicer Vernon Burchell
Donald Hamilton demonstrated his rapid and highly effective method of polishing black slate, typically used in many French clocks. He also showed us a high quality Venner time switch with fusee and David Spicer, a former Venner apprentice, added more fascinating information. Owen Gilchrist had a selection of items for us to view including another timeswitch, a mantel clock and dial clock.
Malcolm Pipes FBHI
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25 October 2010 - Stop Watches and Chronographs
Paul Arayan told members how he had originally been a keen cyclist, competing in time trials, and this was where his interest in timekeeping originated. He went on to become the official timekeeper for numerous race events where he operated at least 4 watches running together, saying that some races could be 'challenging for the timer'!
Paul brought along just a sample of his highly impressive collection of 180 watches, including an Omega Olympic used at the 1948 London Olympic Games, where watches were donated to the official timekeepers of athletic and swimming events. He showed members many other watches by Omega, Longines, Lemania and Ulysse Nardin, some with a fascinating provenance including a 3 second timer used by Swedish pistol shooters where the seconds hand swept at an astonishing rate of once every 3 seconds.
In 1990 the use of these beautiful mechanical watches was banned for some official events and they were replaced by electronic watches and timing devices, of which Paul also had several examples, demonstrating one unit with printer output which could clarify results for the benefit of 'eager' competitors. From an horologist's view, members unanimously agreed that the mechanical watches were far superior in almost every way, being a complete pleasure to hold, operate and view.
Paul answered many questions from an engrossed audience, with David Harries mentioning that he owned an antique lady cyclist's skirt lifter - perhaps the subject for a future talk!
Malcolm Pipes FBHI
26 July 2010 - How Clocks Were Made in the 18th and 19 Century
Through his painstaking detective and forensic research, BHI silver medalist John Robey held an audience of some twenty-four members spellbound at our July meeting with his well-illustrated talk showing just how many components of a typical longcase clock movement were made without either the use of motorised lathes or a ready supply of rolled or drawn brass materials. Central to the methods were the use of calamine brass castings and wrought iron forgings for the majority of parts, the brass possibly from the former local brass works at Saltford. By the first half of the 18th century 'kits of parts' were increasingly used by makers; these included cast plates, knopped pillars, wheels ready crossed out, collets 'by the stick', and even slipwashers, while wrought iron forgings were supplied for springs, levers and arbors, the latter slit to leave the maker with the job of rounding the tips of the pinion leaves. Even iron strike-work posts were supplied ready-tapered; a convenience to suit the tapered bores necessary to provide a secure fit on the tapered arbors in the hand driven lathe while turning the outer profile (three-jaw chucks were not available).
The talk was masterly, and this brief write-up cannot even scratch the surface of the depth of material John presented. If you haven't heard the talk, then a conversation with your branch programme secretary is definitely appropriate.......
Guy Gibbons MBHI
26 April 2010 - Watch Servicing; the Smiths Calibre 1215
For this year's demonstration, Owen worked under a live video camera displaying all he was doing on a large screen. The speed and dexterity with which Owen worked was truly amazing as he tweezered effortlessly into position each screw and engage the screwdriver blade without slip or mark. After the demonstration, Owen was quite literally mobbed late into the evening as he provided close-up demonstrations in response to individual questions.
Introducing his presentation, Owen talked a little about the history of Smiths watch-making at Bishop's Cleeve, Cheltenham, from just after World War II until before manufacture ceased around 1970. The uncomplicated Smiths Calibre 1215 is a superb piece of English design and manufacture, being reliable, robust and easy to service. Indeed, it was a Smiths 1215 that Sir Edmund Hilary chose to wear to the summit of Everest in 1953, which is surely a more hostile environment than the surface of the Moon?
Bristol Branch is greatly honoured to have Owen as a member, and the time and immense enthusiasm he devotes to the BHI. Owen, thank you.
Guy Gibbons MBHI
29 March 2010 - Clock Conservation and Microwelding
He discussed bushing, pivot, wheel and hands repair with particular emphasis on removing as little as possible of the original clock materials. The theme of the talk then progressed naturally to microwelding, where replacing small amounts of metal onto an original worn component is relatively easy. The welding process involves creating a weld pool and melting filler wire into it, adding to the metal already present.
Geoff showed images of examples of badly worn pinion leaves, pallets and pivots which had been filled and repaired. He also showed how he profiles and polishes the repair, leaving the original component fully usable again. Such conservation and repair is of enormous advantage where making a new replacement component is undesirable.
The downside for many horologists is that the high initial price of a microwelding machine may make it an unviable purchase, however Geoffrey may be able to assist with repairs. His web site address is:
Malcolm Pipes FBHI
22 February 2010 - Horology and the Industrial Revolution
Consider a 16th/17th century Protestant England free from the Roman church's proscription preventing scientific debate into the understanding of planetry motion and time-keeping. Move forward to an 18th century nation comfortably-financed (directly and indirectly) by the Royal Navy. Scratch the surface of the great names of British industrialisation - Newcomen, Watt, Boulton, Arkwright, Huntsman, and many others - and one will find horology as a common apprenticeship or trade. There could only be one possible outcome; the Industrial Revolution, in which science and engineering of horology played a crucial role.
This was the subject of our well-researched talk by Robert Loomes. There was stability in England not enjoyed by her revolution-torn neighbours. Gentlemen had disposable income to support scientific exploration and manufacture. Newton had laid the groundwork for the classical mechanics of gravitation (and pendulum theory) in his Principia. James Watt studied instrument making in London and was a spare-time clockmaker. Richard Arkwright describes himself as a clockmaker in his Spinning Jenny patent. Benjamin Huntsman, frustrated by a lack of clean steel needed for his clock, lock and toolmaking business, successfully produced in commercial quantities the one material that most characterises the Industrial Revolution: steel. What was clear is that England alone had the building blocks in place necessary for an industrial revolution to take place.
The role of the guilds was also mentioned: were they help or hindrance? Did so many horologists provide the foundation for the Industrial Revolution because of their scientific ingenuity and engineering skills, or was it because they chose to abandon the horological trade in frustration with guild-imposed restrictive practices?
Tracing its roots from Elizabethan times, the evidence Robert brought to support his thesis was compelling, and positively peppered with snippets of information that built up to develop the whole picture. A superb talk superbly delivered.
Guy Gibbons MBHI
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25 January 2010 - The Pump Room Tompion
Trevor Waddington FBHI
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30 November 2009 - Captain Cook, Venus and a Great Discovery
Philip related that in August 1768 HMS Endeavour departed Plymouth for Tahiti on an expedition to measure the transit of Venus as it crossed the sun's surface. Such transits only occur once every 113 years, with a twin crossing appearing 8 years later. It had been suggested by Gregory and later Halley (of comet fame) that measurements of the transit and subsequent calculation could provide an estimate of the distance from the earth to the sun, which was an unknown value at that time.
The 39 year old James Cook was appointed to the command, accompanied by 94 officers, men and scientists, including the astronomer Charles Green, 2 greyhounds and a milking goat. Cook travelled with a personal watch and Green with a watch supplied by George Graham together with 5 astronomical regulator clocks by John Shelton of London.
On 3rd June 1769, after an 8 month voyage, the weather in Tahiti was ideal for the observation but measurements were taken with some difficulty and Cook and Green were despondent about their results, although compared to modern values the result was actually reasonably good.
Sealed Admiralty orders instructed Cook to sail further and in doing so New Zealand was charted and Eastern Australia discovered. Unfortunately, Endeavour struck the Great Barrier Reef but disaster was narrowly averted.
In 1771 Cook returned home and was treated as a hero where he was promoted to Commander, but after 2 expeditions, charting Australia and America, he was murdered by natives on the island of Hawaii in 1779.
Please note that the last opportunity to observe the transit of Venus this century will be in June 2012!
Malcolm Pipes FBHI