Our chapter meeting was held on June 5. After setting up, the mart opened and the room filled. What a wonderful MART, dozens of watches and clocks up for adoption, everything from model '70 Crescent Street and private-labeled Aurora watches to grandfather clocks to a metronome - now that is variety! One outstanding clock that was up for adoption was a Seth Thomas double-decker with a wooden movement. One participant in the mart was offering to sell a load of clock odds and ends by the pound!!! Also, a beautiful Herscede tambour was on display for look but don't touch.
As the mart wound down, Brooks Coleman, who always leads a very exciting auction, swung into action. This month we really loaded him down, as there were so many items to be auctioned. Poor Brooks ended up breathless, working hard to finish in time for the business meeting.
The Watch Focus Group displayed watches of the 1920s this time. The display case held examples of factory cased watches from most of the remaining American watches. The emphasis was on standard watches, those designed for use in railroad time service. Contemporary factory ads were posted, showing the examples that were on display. Kent Singer briefly talked about the watches. He also reminded us that at the August meeting the group would focus on tu-tone (gold-on-nickel) damaskeened Illinois movements and that members are encouraged to bring their examples to show. At the October meeting, the group will turn its attention to Swiss watches made for North American railroad service to coincide with the subject of that meeting's featured speaker, Ed Ueberall. Ed, one of the leading authorities on North American railroad time service, will be discussing the non-American watches used in the service. He will no doubt have many of his own rare examples to display.
This meeting's program was about Chauncey Jerome and OGEE clocks. Mike Mellard, our vice president was the speaker. Do you know what started your passion for clocks (or watches)? Why you want to know all about them, how they work, what’s the history? Well, Mike loves clocks. He was inspired after reading the biography of Chauncey Jerome. He used the presentation to share some of Jerome’s history and gave a slide presentation of OGEE clocks.
