The HSNY or, Horological Society of New York hosts Traveling Education classes around the world with a specific goal in mind: to reach and engage enthusiastic watch collectors and budding watchmakers of all stripes. We had the honor of sponsoring their classes last year in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood, where people traveled from near and far (some very far) to get a hands on experience with master watchmakers. The 4 hour classes are at the core of the HSNY’s mission to preserve and advance the art and science of horology, and they’ve been at it for more than 150 years.
What began with a pair of German immigrants in March 1866 has since evolved into a global stewardship of watch and clock making. During that period, the wrist watch industry could fit much of its existence, from booms to near death crashes and back again. Today, technology has moved well beyond the need to such mechanical devices, but we’ve seen a resurgence in interest and appreciation for the craft and its products. That interest is thanks in part to the efforts by the HSNY.
Horological Society of New York past president Henry Fried instructing students on lathe work. Photo credit Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection
Rather than a reclusive enclave, the HSNY has been proactive in their outreach to communities around the country. Instructors regularly make themselves available to schools and organizations to highlight the math, physics, and even the astronomy that contributes to the study of horology. Additionally, the HSNY offers scholarship resources to students looking to make a career out of watchmaking.
Scene from last year’s HSNY Traveling Education in Detroit
For the watch collectors, enthusiasts, and mechanically inclined of the world, the HSNY offers a Traveling Education program. These classes are presented all over the world, and are comprised of a weekend’s worth of 4 hour classes covering watchmaking 101 to more advanced classes that cover everything from the basics of understanding and building a hand wound mechanical movement, to complications. The classes are small and offer an intimate learning experience with a pair of instructors, who walk students through the subject matter at the bench.
The HSNY plays a hugely important part in spreading awareness and understanding around watchmaking, from collectors, to those looking to make it a career. Their goal to break boundaries and diversify the hobby is one that we at StockX align ourselves with, and why we host a weekend of classes each year in Detroit. Catch our recap of last year’s classes right here.
