HSNY UPDATE :
iW Interviews Nicholas Manousos and Aldis Hodge
After the Horological Society of New York appointed its former president Nicholas Manousos to a new position as the Society ’ s Executive Director ( succeeding Edwin Hydeman ), and with the addition of actor and horological designer Aldis Hodge as its newest Trustee , we thought it might be a good time to catch up on the latest news from the Society .
BELOW YOU ’ LL FIND OUR RECENT INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH MANOUSOS AND HODGE .
NICHOLAS MANOUSOS HOROLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
What issues have been the most challenging for the Horological Society of New York during the COVID 19 pandemic ?
The necessary cancellation of all our in-person events has definitely been the biggest challenge for HSNY . HSNY has a reputation for holding standingroom-only lectures , sold-out watchmaking classes , and a packed annual gala . Very quickly , COVID-19 made our consistent ability to attract large crowds into a problem .
Our annual Gala & Charity Auction was canceled , as well as our May and June lectures and all of our watchmaking classes . Although our Gala was canceled , HSNY still awarded its Henry B . Fried Scholarships , Howard Robbins Awards , and Working Watchmakers Grants ($ 155,000 in total ).
Even with these difficult cancellations , HSNY remains a resilient organization . Looking back at history gives some context . HSNY was founded in 1866 and has survived through the 1918 flu pandemic , the Great Depression and both World Wars . HSNY will continue to serve watchmakers , clockmakers , and the interested public during the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future .
How has HSNY been keeping in touch with its members ?
HSNY has an amazing marketing and public relations director ( Carolina Navarro ) who has been doing a great job communicating with our members and the public , even through the most difficult part of New York ’ s lockdown . Our monthly newsletter , The Horologist ’ s Loupe — which began publishing in 1936 and is one of the oldest continuously running horological publications in the world — has continued publishing throughout the pandemic , keeping everyone up to date on HSNY ’ s activities . HSNY maintains an archive of vintage copies on our website offering a fascinating look back at watchmaking history in New York .
Are the virtual tutoring classes working out for HSNY ?
HSNY ’ s new Virtual Horological Tutoring classes are working out really well ! Our instructors are all professional watchmakers who teach for HSNY on a part-time basis , and all of them had their day jobs affected by the lockdown . This left a lot of time for our traditional in-person class curriculum to be adapted to online classes .
The multi-camera setup that the instructors use is impressive . It allows for students to look at the instructors as they explain certain topics and also get a close-up view of the movement as it is being worked on . The Virtual Horological Tutoring classes complement our in-person New York classes and Traveling Education initiative allowing HSNY to reach anyone in the world with an internet connection who wants to learn what makes a mechanical watch tick .
Our instructors are based throughout North America , allowing us to accommodate people in different time zones , and we even offer courses in French upon request .
Can you tell our readers about the Working Watchmaker ’ s Grant program ?
In April , when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak in New York , I began hearing stories of watchmakers around the country who had been furloughed or lost their jobs , and it made me think about the origins of HSNY . HSNY was founded as a guild by and for watchmakers , similar to what we today call a union . Benefits were offered to help colleagues in times of need , and no one was turned away .
With this in mind , I approached HSNY ’ s donor network with the idea of giving grants directly to working watchmakers in the U . S . who were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic . In just a few days , $ 100,000 was raised , and the program was announced . In one day , all grants were reserved , and HSNY staff began the large project of issuing one hundred $ 1,000 checks to working watchmakers .
Today , HSNY has evolved into a non-profit organization that welcomes enthusiasts and collectors , but the spirit of generosity and support of professional watchmakers from our early years is still there . The Working Watchmakers Grant is today ’ s version of the altruism that led to the founding of the Society in 1866 .
38 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2021