October 2009

 

There he goes, at it again, I can almost hear you say. Always banging on about the Internet. But I can’t be alone. I know how many emails we receive and how many hits we get on our website (a lot). There must be a fair number of us horologists who also appreciate the advantages of being online. Even clock enthusiasts have to keep up with the times.

So what is it this month? It’s social networking. We are in the process of launching our own Facebook Group. Most of you will have heard your children—or grandchildren—talking about Facebook. Some of the more plucky among you may even have opened your own Facebook account. You may be using it to keep in touch with those very same children or grandchildren you heard talking about it. But you may still think it’s basically for the kids.

Well, can I ask a question? How many of you have a horological friend living next door. Or in the same street. Or even in the same town. Very few, I expect. Some of you—particularly those who live in the Antipodes—may be hundreds of miles from your nearest fellow sufferer.

So who do you discuss your horological problems with? Your wife (or husband) is fed up hearing about it and can’t help anyway. That friend in the next town you sometimes phone is away for two weeks in Mexico. The next clock fair is a month in the future and you’re going to visit your Granny up North that day anyway.

The answer is simple (and by now you’ve guessed it anyway). Join the Clocks magazine Facebook Group and post a question on our ‘wall’ or start a discussion or email someone you think might be able to help you. Once you get the hang of it you’ll really appreciate it.

So why don’t you get online as soon as possible and set up your Facebook account (if you don’t already have one). Then join the Clocks magazine Facebook Group and get socialising!

John Hunter

Editor

There he goes, at it again, I can almost hear you say. Always banging on about the Internet. But I can’t be alone. I know how many emails we receive and how many hits we get on our website (a lot). There must be a fair number of us horologists who also appreciate the advantages of being online. Even clock enthusiasts have to keep up with the times.So what is it this month? It’s social networking. We are in the process of launching our own Facebook Group. Most of you will have heard your children—or grandchildren—talking about Facebook. Some of the more plucky among you may even have opened your own Facebook account. You may be using it to keep in touch with those very same children or grandchildren you heard talking about it. But you may still think it’s basically for the kids.Well, can I ask a question? How many of you have a horological friend living next door. Or in the same street. Or even in the same town. Very few, I expect. Some of you—particularly those who live in the Antipodes—may be hundreds of miles from your nearest fellow sufferer. So who do you discuss your horological problems with? Your wife (or husband) is fed up hearing about it and can’t help anyway. That friend in the next town you sometimes phone is away for two weeks in Mexico. The next clock fair is a month in the future and you’re going to visit your Granny up North that day anyway.The answer is simple (and by now you’ve guessed it anyway). Join the Clocks magazine Facebook Group and post a question on our ‘wall’ or start a discussion or email someone you think might be able to help you. Once you get the hang of it you’ll really appreciate it.So why don’t you get online as soon as possible and set up your Facebook account (if you don’t already have one). Then join the Clocks magazine Facebook Group and get socialising!
John HunterEditor

 

September 2009

 

Readers may remember a few months ago in this very column—May 2009, to be precise—I flew a kite asking if readers wanted, and I quote, ‘to see more in the

magazine about horological organisations’. The response was universally positive and it is for this reason that, starting in this very issue, we have insituted a new section called ‘The Interview’. See it as a replacement for the Sundial Page, if you will.

In this section, in coming months, we are planning to interview, every month, someone from the world of horology. We have thrown the net even wider than just horological organisations (though they will be an important feature of this section) to include dealers, service providers, television personalities, horological authors and—this month—the collector David Firth. David is a man of many parts, having given up a career as a football player to become a medical doctor and, more recently, putting on an exhibition of Yorkshire longcase clocks at the Red House Antiques Centre in York and writing a book about them.

I hope readers like this new section, which starts on p23 of the current issue. I feel it adds something to the magazine that we didn’t have before. Like it or dislike it, let me know either way.

Last month I spent this column urging readers (and even non-readers) to take advantage of the free advertising we are offering in the Buy-Swap-Sell section. I am happy to report that the response has been encouraging, as you will see if you turn to p49.

It is important to stress that many of the readers who advertise in this section do so again and again. It obviously works! I have also lost count of the number of times readers have let me know in one way or another that they have successfully sold (or bought) horological items via this section of the magazine.

So, come on! If you haven’t already done so pick up the phone or send us an email. It could hardly be easier.

John Hunter

Editor

Readers may remember a few months ago in this very column—May 2009, to be precise—I flew a kite asking if readers wanted, and I quote, ‘to see more in the magazine about horological organisations’. The response was universally positive and it is for this reason that, starting in this very issue, we have insituted a new section called ‘The Interview’. See it as a replacement for the Sundial Page, if you will.In this section, in coming months, we are planning to interview, every month, someone from the world of horology. We have thrown the net even wider than just horological organisations (though they will be an important feature of this section) to include dealers, service providers, television personalities, horological authors and—this month—the collector David Firth. David is a man of many parts, having given up a career as a football player to become a medical doctor and, more recently, putting on an exhibition of Yorkshire longcase clocks at the Red House Antiques Centre in York and writing a book about them.I hope readers like this new section, which starts on p23 of the current issue. I feel it adds something to the magazine that we didn’t have before. Like it or dislike it, let me know either way.Last month I spent this column urging readers (and even non-readers) to take advantage of the free advertising we are offering in the Buy-Swap-Sell section. I am happy to report that the response has been encouraging, as you will see if you turn to p49.It is important to stress that many of the readers who advertise in this section do so again and again. It obviously works! I have also lost count of the number of times readers have let me know in one way or another that they have successfully sold (or bought) horological items via this section of the magazine.So, come on! If you haven’t already done so pick up the phone or send us an email. It could hardly be easier.John HunterEditor

 

August 2009

 

In all my enthusiasm about our new Twitter newsfeed last month, I forgot to mention something equally important. Buy-Swap-Sell is now free to all!

We launched this section of the magazine some years ago, and readers were invited to send us texts of up to 20 words advertising horologicial items they had for sale, to swap or wanted to purchase. A couple of years ago we made it free to all subscribers, which gave the popularity of that section a considerable boost.

We have now decided—as of last month—to make this section free to all readers. In fact, it is now free to anyone who has horological items to buy, swap or sell. By doing this, we hope to build this section of the magazine into a marketplace where readers (and others!) can come and find that clock or part or book they are looking for, or sell those old clocks, movements, weights or whatever they have that is surplus to requirements. Please help us make this a popular part of the horological scene by using it again and again!

We’ve made it as easy as we could. All you have to do is select a wording for your ad—no more than 20 words per insertion and up to three insertions per issue per person—and send it in to us using the form at the back of the magazine or simply written on a piece of paper. Alternatively you can telephone us with the text of your ad(s) or use the link on the home page of our website. You can use this facility as often as you like. The only restriction, other than the 20 words maximum length, is that only one item can be advertised per advertisement.

Buy-Swap-Sell is designed for individuals buying, swapping or selling horological items. If you are a dealer selling clocks, parts, books or whatever, you should advertise on our Classified pages or using our display advertising. Rates are reasonable.

John Hunter, Editor

In all my enthusiasm about our new Twitter newsfeed last month, I forgot to mention something equally important. Buy-Swap-Sell is now free to all! We launched this section of the magazine some years ago, and readers were invited to send us texts of up to 20 words advertising horologicial items they had for sale, to swap or wanted to purchase. A couple of years ago we made it free to all subscribers, which gave the popularity of that section a considerable boost.We have now decided—as of last month—to make this section free to all readers. In fact, it is now free to anyone who has horological items to buy, swap or sell. By doing this, we hope to build this section of the magazine into a marketplace where readers (and others!) can come and find that clock or part or book they are looking for, or sell those old clocks, movements, weights or whatever they have that is surplus to requirements. Please help us make this a popular part of the horological scene by using it again and again! We’ve made it as easy as we could. All you have to do is select a wording for your ad—no more than 20 words per insertion and up to three insertions per issue per person—and send it in to us using the form at the back of the magazine or simply written on a piece of paper. Alternatively you can telephone us with the text of your ad(s) or use the link on the home page of our website. You can use this facility as often as you like. The only restriction, other than the 20 words maximum length, is that only one item can be advertised per advertisement. Buy-Swap-Sell is designed for individuals buying, swapping or selling horological items. If you are a dealer selling clocks, parts, books or whatever, you should advertise on our Classified pages or using our display advertising. Rates are reasonable.
John Hunter, Editor

 

July 2009

 

Recent visitors to our website may have noticed something new. We have recently opened up a newsfeed using Twitter. Yes, I know it’s something you  might normally associate more with your teenage children than with horology, but we believe it could be something of a boon to the horological world.

So what is Twitter, I hear you ask, and how does it work? Well, it allows us to send out regular news updates on goings-on in the horological world: clock fairs, horological auctions, exhibitions etc. Anyone can then subscribe to (or become a ‘follower’) of the newsfeed, meaning that they will then receive the updates either on their computer or on their mobile phone. Can you think of a better way of keeping informed, on a day-to-day basis, of what’s going on? I can’t.

If you are interested (and I hope many of our readers will be) all you need to do is go to our website, find the Twitter box, click on the bit where it says ‘Sign up with us here…’ and follow the instructions. You will never look back!

Our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches is selling well. People seem to like the format as well as the subject matter. It is slightly dearer (though still cheap at the price!) than the Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair, but is of better quality and has more pages. We are planning for the future to have a whole series of these beginners guides covering topics of special interest to our readers. If there is any topic you feel we could usefully produce a beginner’s guide about why not let us know by letter, email or telephone.

Finally (next week, as I write), we will be attending the BHI summer show. By the time you read this it will be over, but I hope some of you will have visited Upton Hall and will have said hello to us there.

John Hunter, Editor

Recent visitors to our website may have noticed something new. We have recently opened up a newsfeed using Twitter. Yes, I know it’s something you  might normally associate more with your teenage children than with horology, but we believe it could be something of a boon to the horological world.So what is Twitter, I hear you ask, and how does it work? Well, it allows us to send out regular news updates on goings-on in the horological world: clock fairs, horological auctions, exhibitions etc. Anyone can then subscribe to (or become a ‘follower’) of the newsfeed, meaning that they will then receive the updates either on their computer or on their mobile phone. Can you think of a better way of keeping informed, on a day-to-day basis, of what’s going on? I can’t.If you are interested (and I hope many of our readers will be) all you need to do is go to our website, find the Twitter box, click on the bit where it says ‘Sign up with us here…’ and follow the instructions. You will never look back!Our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches is selling well. People seem to like the format as well as the subject matter. It is slightly dearer (though still cheap at the price!) than the Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair, but is of better quality and has more pages. We are planning for the future to have a whole series of these beginners guides covering topics of special interest to our readers. If there is any topic you feel we could usefully produce a beginner’s guide about why not let us know by letter, email or telephone.Finally (next week, as I write), we will be attending the BHI summer show. By the time you read this it will be over, but I hope some of you will have visited Upton Hall and will have said hello to us there.
John Hunter, Editor

 

June 2009

 

This month sees the launch of the second in our series of Beginner’s Guides: A Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, based on Ian Beilby’s recent series of the same name in this magazine. It is actually an extended version of the series, incorporating as it does a section on dismantling and cleaning an American pocket watch.

I feel these Beginner’s Guides are an important contribution Clocks is making to getting new people interested in horology. None of us is getting any younger and not enough new people are coming into the field. There may be many reasons for this and in this issue D K Stevenson speculates that part of the reason for this may be that younger people grow up in homes without mechanical clocks. They are therefore not exposed to clockwork at an early age.

I myself remember when I was a lad reading the ‘Jennings’ books by Anthony Buckeridge. I can’t remember whether it was the eponymous Jennings or his friend, Derbyshire, who had in his pocket a watch that didn’t work until after he had tinkered with it. For me, this was inspirational, and I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on a watch the didn’t work, one that I could ‘tinker’ with and get to work. Needless to say, it didn’t happen.

But if young people aren’t exposed to this sort of thing any more there has to be another way to get them interested in horology. This, I feel (if you don’t mind me banging my own drum!), is where our Beginners Guides come in. If only a small proportion of those who have purchased our Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair take up horology as a hobby or a profession we will have achieved success.

Similarly, with our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, we hope it will bring new faces into horology—or at very least teach old faces a thing or two they didn’t know before!

John Hunter, Editor

This month sees the launch of the second in our series of Beginner’s Guides: A Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, based on Ian Beilby’s recent series of the same name in this magazine. It is actually an extended version of the series, incorporating as it does a section on dismantling and cleaning an American pocket watch. I feel these Beginner’s Guides are an important contribution Clocks is making to getting new people interested in horology. None of us is getting any younger and not enough new people are coming into the field. There may be many reasons for this and in this issue D K Stevenson speculates that part of the reason for this may be that younger people grow up in homes without mechanical clocks. They are therefore not exposed to clockwork at an early age.I myself remember when I was a lad reading the ‘Jennings’ books by Anthony Buckeridge. I can’t remember whether it was the eponymous Jennings or his friend, Derbyshire, who had in his pocket a watch that didn’t work until after he had tinkered with it. For me, this was inspirational, and I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on a watch the didn’t work, one that I could ‘tinker’ with and get to work. Needless to say, it didn’t happen.But if young people aren’t exposed to this sort of thing any more there has to be another way to get them interested in horology. This, I feel (if you don’t mind me banging my own drum!), is where our Beginners Guides come in. If only a small proportion of those who have purchased our Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair take up horology as a hobby or a profession we will have achieved success.Similarly, with our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, we hope it will bring new faces into horology—or at very least teach old faces a thing or two they didn’t know before!

 

New Clocks newsfeed

Recent visitors to our website may have noticed something new. We have recently opened up a newsfeed using Twitter. Yes, I know it’s something you might normally associate more with your teenage children than with horology, but we believe it could be something of a boon to the horological world.
So what is Twitter, I hear you ask, and how does it work? Well, it allows us to send out regular news updates on goings-on in the horological world: clock fairs, horological auctions, exhibitions etc. Anyone can then subscribe to (or become a ‘follower’) of the newsfeed, meaning that they will then receive the updates either on their computer or on their mobile phone. Can you think of a better way of keeping informed, on a day-to-day basis, of what’s going on? I can’t.
If you are interested (and I hope many of our readers will be) all you need to do is go to our website, find the Twitter box, click on the bit where it says ‘Sign up with us here…’ and follow the instructions. You will never look back!
Our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches is selling well. People seem to like the format as well as the subject matter. It is slightly dearer (though still cheap at the price!) than the Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair, but is of better quality and has more pages. We are planning for the future to have a whole series of these beginners guides covering topics of special interest to our readers. If there is any topic you feel we could usefully produce a beginner’s guide about why not let us know by letter, email or telephone.
Finally (next week, as I write), we will be attending the BHI summer show. By the time you read this it will be over, but I hope some of you will have visited Upton Hall and will have said hello to us there.

John Hunter, Editor

Beginner’s Guide

This month sees the launch of the second in our series of Beginner’s Guides: A Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, based on Ian Beilby’s recent series of the same name in this magazine. It is actually an extended version of the series, incorporating as it does a section on dismantling and cleaning an American pocket watch.

I feel these Beginner’s Guides are an important contribution Clocks is making to getting new people interested in horology. None of us is getting any younger and not enough new people are coming into the field. There may be many reasons for this and in this issue D K Stevenson speculates that part of the reason for this may be that younger people grow up in homes without mechanical clocks. They are therefore not exposed to clockwork at an early age.

I myself remember when I was a lad reading the ‘Jennings’ books by Anthony Buckeridge. I can’t remember whether it was the eponymous Jennings or his friend, Derbyshire, who had in his pocket a watch that didn’t work until after he had tinkered with it. For me, this was inspirational, and I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on a watch the didn’t work, one that I could ‘tinker’ with and get to work. Needless to say, it didn’t happen.

But if young people aren’t exposed to this sort of thing any more there has to be another way to get them interested in horology. This, I feel (if you don’t mind me banging my own drum!), is where our Beginners Guides come in. If only a small proportion of those who have purchased our Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair take up horology as a hobby or a profession we will have achieved success.

Similarly, with our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, we hope it will bring new faces into horology—or at very least teach old faces a thing or two they didn’t know before!

John Hunter, Editor

This month sees the launch of the second in our series of Beginner’s Guides: A Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, based on Ian Beilby’s recent series of the same name in this magazine. It is actually an extended version of the series, incorporating as it does a section on dismantling and cleaning an American pocket watch.

I feel these Beginner’s Guides are an important contribution Clocks is making to getting new people interested in horology. None of us is getting any younger and not enough new people are coming into the field. There may be many reasons for this and in this issue D K Stevenson speculates that part of the reason for this may be that younger people grow up in homes without mechanical clocks. They are therefore not exposed to clockwork at an early age.

I myself remember when I was a lad reading the ‘Jennings’ books by Anthony Buckeridge. I can’t remember whether it was the eponymous Jennings or his friend, Derbyshire, who had in his pocket a watch that didn’t work until after he had tinkered with it. For me, this was inspirational, and I couldn’t wait to lay my hands on a watch the didn’t work, one that I could ‘tinker’ with and get to work. Needless to say, it didn’t happen.

But if young people aren’t exposed to this sort of thing any more there has to be another way to get them interested in horology. This, I feel (if you don’t mind me banging my own drum!), is where our Beginners Guides come in. If only a small proportion of those who have purchased our Beginner’s Guide to Clock Repair take up horology as a hobby or a profession we will have achieved success.

Similarly, with our new Beginner’s Guide to Pocket Watches, we hope it will bring new faces into horology—or at very least teach old faces a thing or two they didn’t know before!

John Hunter, Editor