About the Horological Society of New York
Founded in 1866, the Horological Society of New York (HSNY) is one of the oldest continuously operating horological associations in the world. Today, HSNY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art and science of horology through education. Members are a diverse mix of watchmakers, clockmakers, executives, journalists, auctioneers, historians, salespeople and collectors, reflecting the rich nature of horology in New York City.
America's First Watchmaking Guild
Founded 1866
[Photo credit: Bird's eye view of New York and environs, by John Bachmann]
1866 -
The Beginning
A few men sat in a tavern, engrossed in horological discussion. It was just after the Civil War and they were German emigres. The New World needed watchmakers, and these men answered the call. Here, in this tavern, they found a comradeship around their mutual interests. They agreed to start an organization which would represent their craft and fellow watchmakers. The first formal meeting was in March 1866. A library was formed, lectures were provided and their membership grew. They became known as the Deutscher Uhrmacher Verein (German Watchmakers Society).
[Pictured: George Schmidt (left), first President of the Horological Society of New York, and Frederick Ruoff, Honorary Trustee. Photo credit: HSNY]
1874 -
Changing Conditions
To meet changing conditions it was found that the constitution and by-laws had to be improved in 1869 and again in 1874, when the Society changed its name to Uhrmacher Verein der Stadt New York. Such was the name until 1887, when it changed once more to New Yorker Uhrmacher Verein.
[Pictured: A pamphlet from the Society's early days. 'Ut tensio, sic vis', or 'as the extension, so the force', represents Hooke's law of physics that states that the force (F) needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance (x) scales linearly with respect to that distance. The phrase can still be seen on HSNY's website today. Photo credit: HSNY]
1891 -
25th Anniversary
The Society celebrated its 25th Anniversary with an elaborate banquet at Teutonia Hall on March 15, 1891. The Society then consisted of 56 members.
[Pictured: Past HSNY members, 1906. Photo credit: HSNY]
1916 -
50th Anniversary
It was decided to celebrate the Society's Golden Jubilee in a most substantial manner with a Complimentary Smoker on March 16, 1916, following with a Banquet and Ball at Terrace Garden on March 26, 1916. A popular party of the era, smokers were socially significant events where men smoked cigars and sang songs. HSNY songsheets, which were mainly written in German, are preserved in the Society's archives.
[Pictured: HSNY Executive Committee, 1916. Photo credit: HSNY]
1930 - A New Name
As an organization consisting of American, French, Swiss and English watchmakers, it seemed that the name of the Society with its German title had outlived its purpose. It was voted to change the title again, 64 years after its birth, to the Horological Society of New York.
[Pictured: Horological Society of New York vintage lapel pin, circa 1930. Only a handful of these gold-filled original pins still exist. Photo credit: HSNY]
1936 - The Horologist’s Loupe
In the 1936, the Society began its own bulletin with Henry B. Fried at the helm. The Horologist’s Loupe is one of the oldest continuously running horological publications in the world and is still in production as a newsletter and now blog.
[Pictured: A 1945 edition of The Horologist's Loupe, inviting members to bring their odd gadgets to an upcoming meeting. Photo credit: HSNY]
1941 -
75th Anniversary
In 1941 HSNY celebrated its 75th anniversary with a gala affair at the Park Central Hotel in New York.
[Members and guests enjoy the 75th Anniversary Gala, 1941. Photo credit: HSNY]
1946 - Forming A Mission
"In its present state, the society has done its best work not only for its own members but in its varied and multiple contributions to the entire industry. It was chiefly responsible in assisting the New York City Board of Education in starting its first free public high school in watchmaking which has since graduated many competent young men into the industry." - Henry B. Fried, March, 1946
[Pictured: Watchmaking 101 in the 1950s: Horological Society of New York past president Henry B. Fried instructing students on lathe work. Photo credit: The Brooklyn Public Library — Brooklyn Collection]
1955 - America’s Oldest, Greatest & Most Influential
"Though the organization's official title has changed many times, and the members present a combination of old and new, its activity as a society never ceased for one instance in the long years of its existence." - Excerpt from a 1955 pamphlet closing out the Society's 89th year.
[Pictured: François-Paul Journe, founder of Montres F.P. Journe, speaking at the Horological Society of New York, October 2016. Video credit: Dan Gottesman]
1960 - AWCI Is Born
The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) was organized as the American Watchmakers Institute (AWI) in 1960. It became the nation's first unified horological organization, formed by members of the United Horological Association of America (UHAA) and the Horological Institute of America (HIA). HSNY is an affiliate chapter of the AWCI.
[Pictured: The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) logo. Photo credit: AWCI.com]
1966 -
100th Anniversary
On February 26, 1966, the Horological Society of New York celebrated its 100th anniversary with a gala banquet. The importance of the occasion was highlighted by a proclamation by the then-Mayor of New York City, John. V. Lindsay, declaring that date as Horological Society of New York Day.
[Pictured: Hans Weber was an active member of the Horological Society of New York for over 50 years, and was the only person to have attended both the 100th Anniversary in 1966 and 150th Anniversary in 2016. Weber served as a Trustee for the Society, and was presented the Howard Fass award at the 150th Anniversary for his extraordinary dedication to the Society's ideals. Photo credit: Atom Moore]
1980s - Challenging Times
It's hard to imagine but HSNY neared extinction between the 1980s and 1990s. Membership plummeted and funds were beginning to dry up. For a moment it seemed that the 115 year-old organization would see its end. Then-President Edwin M. Hydeman (2009-2016) worked to modernize the Society. Things began looking up.
[Pictured: After serving eight years as President, Edwin M. Hydeman (left) retired and nominated Nicholas Manousos (right) as his successor. Hydeman served as HSNY's Executive Director until 2020, when Manousos again succeeded in the role and today oversees daily operations of the Society, along with the growing staff. Both are credited with the renaissance of HSNY, including its modernization. Photo credit: Monica Schipper]
1995 - Hospitality At Its Finest
HSNY would have been homeless if it wasn't for Charles Solomon. An HSNY member since 1981 and former HSNY Treasurer and Trustee, Charlie graciously offered his Riverside Memorial Chapel as the Society’s meeting place from 1995 through 2016.
[Pictured: Charlie Solomon pictured at Riverside Memorial Chapel where HSNY meetings took place for more than 20 years. Photo credit: sideways.nyc]
2015 - Sponsorships
"The HSNY has maintained a close relationship with the major watch companies, material houses and equipment distributors. These companies have supplied speakers, literature and door prizes, and their representatives have attended HSNY affairs." - Excerpt from "A Watch Society is Born" by HSNY President Ben Matz (1962-1963 & 1972-1973), 1994.
[Pictured: Monthly lectures have been given by HSNY's generous sponsors over the years. Pictured is Audemars Piguet’s then-Historian and HSNY Trustee Michael Friedman lecturing at the December 2016 meeting. Video credit: Dan Gottesman]
2015 -
HSNY Joins "Club Row"
In 2015 HSNY migrated its monthly meetings to the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library, where they are still held today. Famously dubbed "Club Row" due to a high concentration of clubs on the block (Harvard Club, New York Yacht Club, and the Penn Club to name a few), HSNY found its home in the landmark building in the heart of Manhattan.
[Pictured: HSNY has been hosting monthly lectures at the General Society Library since 2015. The library is the second oldest continuously operating library in New York City with archives dating as far back as 1785. Photo credit: Atom Moore]
2016 -
150th Anniversary
HSNY celebrated its 150th Anniversary at the General Society Library in Midtown Manhattan with a large selection of food and drinks along with live music by the Diamond Chips to honor HSNY's German heritage. The evening's highlights also included a proclamation as Horological Society of New York Day by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio along with the gift of HSNY's 150th Year Archival Book to each attendee, authored by HSNY Archivist Michael Osnato.
[Pictured: HSNY members celebrate 150 years of tradition, 2016. Photo credit: Atom Moore]
2016 -
Watchmaking On The Road
In 2016 HSNY launched their Traveling Education program offering a four-hour course covering material from Horology 101-103. The hands-on classes are taught by HSNY's staff of professional watchmakers who guide students on the disassembly and reassembly of a complete mechanical watch movement.
[Pictured: Director of Traveling Education Vincent Robert instructing a Traveling Education class in Detroit, October 2018. Photo credit: Blake Buettner for StockX]
2017 -
Henry B. Fried Scholarship
Staying true to HSNY's mission to advance the art and science of horology, the Society set up the Henry B. Fried Scholarship in 2017. The scholarship was created to assist students in their studies at full-time watchmaking schools to help offset the cost of tools. Thanks to a generous and anonymous donation in 2017, the scholarship quadrupled from one award of $5,000 to two awards of $10,000 each in 2018.
[Pictured: HSNY's Director of Education, Steve Eagle (right), presents the first Henry B. Fried Scholarship award to Justin Shellenberger at the HSNY 2017 Annual Gala & Charity Auction, April 2017. Photo credit: Monica Schipper]
2018 -
Putting Down Roots
After decades of bouncing around to different venues, HSNY established a classroom and office in the heart of Manhattan in January 2018. The headquarters features six state-of-the-art watchmaking benches as well as a lending library which houses an extensive collection of rare and important texts relating to horology. Monthly lectures by industry leaders take place downstairs in the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library.
[Pictured: Room 506 - HSNY's classroom where weekly courses were initially taught on plastic picnic tables with portable watchmaking benches before custom-made wooden benches were imported from Germany. Photo credit: HSNY]
2018 -
Exploring Uncharted Territory
After a wildly successful Traveling Education launch, HSNY decided to implement an International Traveling Education program and spread horological education worldwide. HSNY made its first stop in Toronto, Canada, followed by a sold-out tour in one of the largest and most engaged hubs for watch culture in the world - Singapore.
[Pictured: News of HSNY's journey to Singapore saw a record setting in ticket sales which sold out in less than 10 days. Pictured is HSNY's Director of Traveling Education, Vincent Robert, instructing a Singapore class at The Hour Glass. Photo credit: The Hour Glass]
2019 -
A Night To Remember
HSNY celebrated 153 years of tradition at their annual Gala & Charity Auction on April 17, 2019, raising more than $45,000 towards their mission of advancing horological education. In addition, $30,000 in scholarships were awarded to watchmaking students and $10,000 was awarded to a watchmaking school.
[Pictured: America’s oldest watchmaking guild toasted to horology with the help of 200 members and guests at the picturesque Manhattan Penthouse in Union Square, complete with a backdrop of the glowing Manhattan skyline. Photo credit: Monica Schipper]
2019 -
Hollywood Meets Horology
Our century-old Society came to life with the help of actor - and horological engineer - Aldis Hodge in 2019. With a little bit of star power, audiences everywhere can now discover the many offerings of HSNY in under two minutes!
[Pictured: “I believe the continued education and exploration of horology/horological art is a necessary asset to appreciating our time for what it truly is: one of the greatest sources of wealth we all share on this earth,” said Aldis Hodge.]
2020 - Working Watchmakers Grant
The pandemic hit everyone hard, and watchmakers were no exception. Made possible through generous donations, HSNY’s Working Watchmakers Grant allocated $100,000 to support America’s watch and clock makers during a time of need. Payments of $1,000 were made to 100 watchmakers across the country in an effort to assist industry professionals directly.
[Pictured: Map of Working Watchmakers Grant results. The red states indicate where $100,000 was distributed. Photo credit: HSNY]
2021 - More Diversity, More Opportunities
Time does not discriminate, but Black and Jewish watchmakers are underrepresented both in the historic and modern watchmaking industries. HSNY kicked off 2021 with the introduction of two new scholarships — the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship for Black Watchmaking Students and the Oscar Waldan Scholarship for Jewish Watchmaking Students — with the goal to encourage a stronger and more diverse industry with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, and in turn, advance the art and science of horology.
[Pictured: (L-R) Benjamin Banneker and Oscar Waldan. Photo credit: HSNY]
2021 - Testing 3, 2, 1
HSNY launched its Chronometer Certification Program in late 2021 for watchmakers and watch manufacturers wishing to have their watches certified as a chronometer by a third party. The rigorous testing protocol exceeds international standards and includes testing conducted in a range of temperatures and positions over a 15-day period. Watches that pass the testing requirements are issued a physical certificate with specific test results.
[Pictured: An example of a certificate issued by HSNY for the Chronometer Certification Program. Photo credit: Hoban Cards]
2022 - Women In Watchmaking
HSNY established its first initiative dedicated to women in 2022 via the Grace Fryer Scholarship for Female Watchmaking Students. The scholarship was dedicated to the Radium Girls — the women of the 1920s who worked as dial painters in Illinois and New Jersey and succumbed to the often deadly side effects of working with radium. To encourage precision, these women were instructed to point the radium-lined brushes using their lips. The Radium Girls suffered horrific side effects from radium poisoning and many lost their lives. Fryer, a dial painter who was poisoned by the element, spearheaded a long, arduous fight against their employer to acknowledge the deadly repercussions of using radium and demanded compensation for the women who often unknowingly fell prey. Fryer spent years fighting for the Radium Girls and their case would go on to gain national media attention and establish legal precedents, having tremendous labor rights impacts and ushering in scientific advances.
[Pictured: Grace Fryer, 1899 - 1933.]