Will Benjamin, a 17 year old horologist (watchmaker) presents a talk on The History of Watches and How they Work. Come and hear Will’s unusual journey into this craft

Time has always been a defining factor in people’s daily lives… As the world sped up with trains and the need for faster production, timekeeping moved from large stationary clocks to people’s pockets in the form of pocket watches. It wasn’t until World War I that pocket watches transitioned to men’s wrists around the world. We will explore the evolution of watches as well as what the future holds for this ever-growing industry.

Will Benjamin interned this past summer at Ressence Watches in Antwerp, Belgium building watches, assembling movements, prepping watches for distribution to market, and helping to prototype new projects. Will is a member of the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, the Horological Society of New York, and the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. He started a Horology Club at his high school where he performs live demonstrations of repairs on various types of pocket watches. Will hopes to inspire other kids his age to love horology and get involved in the industry.