Turning into an international affair

 

“Hi Nick, I'm not an Australian, but I support your goal to create and nurture a future where Australian watchmaking is a viable and thriving community... Best of luck and I hope God blesses you in this endeavour. Sincerely, and with much respect, Michael W. (a satisfied subscriber) Montana, USA”  Hi Michael - Always great to hear from an overseas supporter! Your donation is appreciated. And since you are an American, this is the perfect excuse to mention two guilloche practitioners from your neck of the woods: Ronald Murphy, a veteran, and Josh Shapiro, a newcomer. We have a great relationship with Shapiro, so this is not patronizing, on the contrary - Josh is making huge progress in the field of dial making, establishing himself as a true independent American watchmaker. RGM Watch Company was founded in 1992 by American watchmaker Roland G. Murphy. It started when he was in high school working half a day for a clock company in the cabinet making wood shop. His interest in timepieces grew quickly, and in the early 1980's he enrolled in the Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, PA. In 1986, he furthered his training in Switzerland when he was accepted by WOSTEP. After WOSTEP he was hired to work in product development for Hamilton Watch Co. in Lancaster, PA. and remained there until he started RGM in 1992. As they say, the rest is history. RGM's specialty is guilloche. Here is a great short video where Ron explains differences between straight line machine and rose engine lathe. An absolute must watch: https://vimeo.com/33538356 Pay attention to Part 2 where he mentions the pattern bars. We have actually made those pattern bars for Josh Shapiro in our workshop which are of his own design, used to create his now famous basket weave pattern.   Joshua Shapiro, in his own words: "In 2013, I became captivated by the arcane art of engine-turning after reading George Daniel’s Watchmaking. For three years, I practiced engine-turning and machining, slowly acquiring better equipment and increasing in skill. In addition to creating dials for others I wanted to leave my own mark on American Horology. The Infinity Series is the manifestation of that goal. A watch that is simple, elegant, timeless, but contributes to the evolution of horology and engine-turning. The complex guilloche or engine-turning of the dial is completely done by hand, in California, using the same techniques masters of the trade have utilized for centuries, A.L. Breguet, Derek Pratt, George Daniels, and Roger Smith." And while we are on the subject: vintage rose engines are extremely hard to find. Here is an example: Holtzapffel was founded in London by French/German migrant in 1793. It was in business until 1928. During the period of 135 years, Holtzapffel and Co manufactured just over 2000 lathes, but only 15 of them were rose engines. And out of those 15, only a handful were made specifically for the watchmaking industry. Here is an example of one of the finest (last traded in 2012, for USD $228,000). To call yourself a guardian of such a unique piece of machinery is a rare privilege. Check out the link, you will be fascinated: https://plumier.org/machines/holtzapffel-no-1636/

Fine Swiss examples rarely appear on the market. I saw one in La Chaux-de-Fonds a few years ago on dealer's display with a sign 'Don't even ask'. The owner told me that he gets offers over one million on a regular basis, but he ‘would rather die than sell it’. Of course, straight line guilloche machines are simpler and more common, but taking all the above into consideration, we are lucky that we are able to 'rescue' Benzinger’ s machine here in Australia for peanuts, a mere $28,000. Once again Michael, we thank you for your support - all the way from cold Montana to sunny Sydney. And yes, the fundraising is turning into an international affair with $500 received from a watch enthusiast and Rebelde ambassador from Switzerland! Humbling indeed.  At the moment, we are well above the half-way mark, with $15,607 raised by 133 donors. I am yet to thank you all individually, but you do know that we are truly appreciative of your contribution.