National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Chicagoland Chapter 3Chicago

Calendar of Events

Our club meets on a quarterly basis. Location information is below. In addition to our normal club meetings, we participate and include information below on regional meetings as well as other chapter events. Check back often for updates. If you would like to link information to our site, please email the site administrator.

Call For Presenters

Do you ever wonder where we get our topics and our presenters for our Chapter presentations? Let us put that mystery to rest today. We are always looking for our next interesting presentation - from you! You don't have to be a member of our Chapter to give us a presentation. So, whether you are stopping through or are local and have something you would like to give a presentation about, email us. We would love to hear from you.

Highlights

Other Chapter or Watchclub Meetings

Please see the box on the right hand side of the page. It lists all the dates and contact info for various watch or Chapter meetings. If you would like to add your group's info to the website, please let us know.

September, November and February Meeting Information

September: Thank you to Bernie Edwards for his interesting presentation. Everyone has a story! And Bernie is no exception. Past National President and Past Chapter President, Bernie Edwards, shared with us his story about how he got started collecting timepieces. Many came and heard the story behind his clocks. He also brought some of his automated watches and clocks to show.

November: Ross Nelson and Morgan Bryan gave their perspective on the current state of the hobby.

February: Mark Frank will be giving an update on the astronomical skeleton clock he is having built on commission in Australia. This project was conceived in late 2003. Preliminary and mockup work began in 2006 with full scale fabrication started in 2007. The last update was given in February 2008. At that time only a part of the time train was completed. Now that train is complete and functioning. A major design change was made in March and will be shown. Work is now underway on the celestial train. This train alone will drive nearly 20 complications. A total of 4 trains, containing nearly 300 wheels, and an estimated 8000 to 9000 parts is slated for completion in later 2011. This movement does not try to be the most complicated made in the last couple of centuries, although it is probably in the top 20 or so in that category. What we strive for is maximal total visual impact on the viewer in terms of movement, scale and complication. The quality and artistic style of all of the fabricated parts are taken to an extreme in every facet of this creation."I've posted a few videos on the astronomical clock project which shows the progress of the movement through December 2009. These will be the last videos taken before the wheel train was removed from the temporary plastic plates and are now being installed into the fabricated brass pillar frame. This process should be complete in January or February.

The link is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/fgtyc#p/u/3/-_8EYQxmAIQ .

The next installments of the astronomical skeleton clock are ready.
 In December we begin the upper frame construction. http://www.my-time-machines.net/astro_12-09.htm
 An additional addendum page for December contains several streaming videos that show long clips of the project to date. These will be the last time one will see the mechanism between the Plexiglas test bed plates which allow maximum view of the movement. After this we begin the laborious transfer of the parts to the actual metal frame assembly. http://www.my-time-machines.net/astro_12-09a.htm
 In January we begin transfer of the parts to the new frame and begin design of the state-of-wind indicators for each train. http://www.my-time-machines.net/astro_01-10.htm .

 

2010 NAWCC Midwest Regional

Other Important Dates to Remember

Related resources

  • Full year calendar for Chapter Meeting is:
    • February 7th
  • Other important dates are:
    • August 6th & 7th (Mid-West Regional)

  • 2nd Monday of each month                                                            Peacepipe Chapter                                                                         Schererville , Indiana

  • 2nd Wednesday of each month                                                           Fox Valley Clock & Watch                                                                  Hillside, Illinois

  • 4th Tuesday of the each month                                                       Northern Illinois Watch & Clock Club                                          Rockford , Illinois

  • 1st Wednesday of even months                                                        Chapter #171 Madison                                                                       Fitchburg , Wisconsin

  • Chapter 66 Champaign, Illinois

    • 2010 Schedule is:

      • February 13

      • April 10

      • June 12

      • August 14

      • October 09

      December 11, 2010.

  • Menomonee Valley #47   Milwaukee , WI

    • Dates forthcoming