by Hugh Dougherty (PA)

Jim Michaels leaned back in his desk chair and confidently said, “I know exactly what I want. I want the school to be the best of its kind in the world.”Michaels is the director of the NAWCC School of Horology, located in Columbia, PA. His current appointment at the school’s helm is recent, but his time on staff with the NAWCC goes back decades, and his experience with the mechanics of watches and clocks runs his entire life. When asked what it will take to realize his goal, Michael’s confidence becomes even more evident. “It takes time to get the reputation out. “We’re on a good track; we have top-notch tools and a first-rate curriculum. We have students who graduated to high-end professions.”  All things considered, the school has matured quickly. It was founded in the 1990s with one simple objective: preservation of knowledge. At the time Michaels was a conservator for the National Watch and Clock Museum. “We got thinking that preserving the knowledge on how to repair these things is a major part of conservation.”Today, the curriculum has evolved to include all facets of the watch and clock business. “This is a tough school to get through. We’re for professional watchmakers and clockmakers.” The thing that sets the NAWCC School of Horology apart from the small number of other watch and clock schools is its well-rounded approach to the curriculum. “We’re the only school that goes into antique repair and vintage restoration,” Michaels offers as an example. “A big part of our curriculum is teaching students how to fabricate their own parts because in many cases the parts are not available.” The well-rounded approach comes from an understanding of the twenty-first century market for timepieces: “[This school provides] training in new techniques combined with old watchmaking skills. Customers these days are different, and now companies want to satisfy their desire for somewhat exclusive, fashionable pieces that happen to include functional, mechanical movements. A fine, contemporary watch is a status symbol for the customer, but it will still find its way to a watchmaker for service, just like an antique pocket watch or vintage wristwatch.”Michaels explained that the curriculum has grown to include business and marketing courses. “Many students open their own repair businesses,” Michaels said. In addition, students have gone on to careers with many high-end watch manufacturers and fine jewelry stores. In an attempt to offer the best-rounded education available, the school is considering expanding its curriculum to include classes in general jewelry repair. “We’re going to continue weekend workshops and create new topics for retailers, teaching basics like how to change batteries, replace bands and crystals. It’s amazing how many stores turn away this kind of business because they do not have someone on the premises to provide this kind of simple watch maintenance. I’m hoping we can change that situation with education. In addition, I’m hoping to develop some more basic weekend beginner level classes for NAWCC members and anyone else who’s interested in watches and clocks.”Another project on the horizon is encouraging alumni to maintain an active interest in the school. Soon, a new alumni community will be active on www.horology.edu. More exciting for Michaels is an alumni continuing education program starting soon: “A graduate can come back and take courses for the cost of the lab fee.” None of this is what Michaels expected a few years ago. After helping to found the School of Horology, Michaels retired to his farm in Hagerstown, MD. He was brought back to the school to teach a few courses, and “then they asked if I would like to be the director. How could I refuse?” What brought him back is the chance to impart knowledge. “It’s always neat when a student gets it, especially when a student is exposed to something they never experienced,” Michaels says. The requirement for admission is simple: an interest in the business of watch and clock repair. “I can tell in a short amount of time if they’re apt,” he says. Overall, Michaels is proud of his students. “They are a fine group of watch and clock business people who have come from all over the world and now work all over the world.”For more information, visit www.horology.edu or call 717-684-8261.