Cultivating a Clock and Watch Community in Canada’s Maritime Region

Trade mart at the NAWCC convention

After attending the 2019 NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) convention and participating in chapter meetings in Ottawa, Ontario, I’ve often wondered why there isn’t any NAWCC representation in the Maritime provinces of Canada – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Surprisingly, there isn’t even an informal clock and watch club in these regions, affiliated or not with NAWCC.

The nearest NAWCC chapter is in Montreal, Canada, while Ontario alone boasts three active chapters. It’s surprising that there hasn’t been an active NAWCC chapter in the Maritime provinces.

I firmly believe that there are numerous clock enthusiasts (horologists) in my area of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI (Canada) who would love to come together to share their passion, experiences, and expertise.

To clock lovers reading this blog worldwide who are interested in connecting with like-minded individuals, I encourage you to seek out persons in your local communities. But, if you reside in the Maritime provinces of Canada – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island – I invite you to connect with me directly at ronjoiner@antiquevintageclock.com if you’re interested in discussing clocks and watches, sharing experiences, discussing repair techniques, or simply showcasing your collection.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

An effort was made approximately three years ago to initiate a club; however, the ongoing pandemic prevented in-person meetings. The timing of the club’s launch might not have been ideal, and external circumstances such as geographical challenges might have made it difficult to meet. If the club had been established in Halifax, the most populous city in my home province of Nova Scotia, several challenges would have been mitigated.

Building a community of like-minded individuals can be challenging, especially if there are no existing networks or platforms to connect clock enthusiasts in the region.

Let’s make another attempt to come together! If our numbers grow and there’s enough interest, we can establish a club. Reach out, join the conversation, and let the allure of clocks and watches bring us all together.

And who knows, in the future, we might even explore the possibility of obtaining charter membership with NAWCC.

Maritime Association of Watch and Clock Collectors

On November 2-3, 2019 the Maritime Association of Watch and Clock Collectors held its first meeting. Members came together from various parts of the Maritimes to meet in Prince Edward Island (Canada) to form a club of like-minded individuals.

A educational component of the meeting, a lesson in bushing
A educational component of the meeting, a lesson in bushing

Unfortunately the pandemic scuttled all plans for a subsequent meeting but the climate is right for another face-to-face meeting shortly. In the meantime the group has stayed connected through email.

The goal of this group is to gather individuals of every skill level from across the Maritime provinces (PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) to share experiences, mentor each other, learn new techniques, provide opportunities to acquire clocks/watches and foster social interaction.

Inspecting an antique pocket watch
Inspecting an antique pocket watch

We chose the name MAWCC, the Maritime Association of Watch and Clock collectors. We agreed to no less than 2 meetings per year but that sub-groups would meet more frequently.

At this point in time we are not affiliated with the NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) an American-based clock and watch group.

Demonstration of the cleaning of a mainspring
Demonstration of the cleaning of a mainspring

If you are from the Maritime region of Canada (Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) and you have a keen interest in advancing your skills in horology or just beginning your journey into clock and watch repair and would like to connect with like-minded individuals, contact Wendell Feener at wcfeener@eastlink.ca

The Maritime Association of Watch and Clock Collectors – Join Today

If you live in the Maritimes provinces of Canada and are keenly interested in vintage and antique clock and watch collecting and repair this will be of interest to you.

On November 2-3, 2019 the Maritime Association of Watch and Clock Collectors held its inaugural meeting. Five members came together from various parts of the Maritimes to meet in Prince Edward Island (Canada) to form a club of like-minded individuals.

After months of planning and discussions in preparation for the inaugural 2-day meeting the response from all present was very positive

Although the skill level varied among participants, all who attended have a keen interest in horology and are willing to share their knowledge and experiences with others.

A educational component of the meeting, a lesson in bushing
A educational component of the meeting, a lesson in bushing

After months of planning and discussions in preparation for the inaugural 2-day meeting the response from all present was very positive.

Demonstration of the cleaning of a mainspring
Demonstration of the cleaning of a mainspring

The goal of this new group is to gather individuals from across the Maritime provinces (PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) to share experiences, mentor each other, learn new techniques, provide opportunities to acquire clocks and watches and foster social interaction.

Inspecting an antique pocket watch
Inspecting an antique pocket watch

During our first meeting we discussed the name of the new association. We also discussed the format of our meetings, the venue, whether it be in one location or throughout the Maritimes, the frequency of meetings, outreach through social media, resource books, the training component within our meetings and what we can offer to each other both inside and outside our regular meetings.

A collection of clock movements in need of repair
A collection of clock movements in need of repair

We agreed that the new organization should be called MAWCC, the Maritime Association of Watch and Clock collectors. We agreed to no less than 2 meetings per year but that sub-groups would meet more frequently. At this point in time we are not affiliated with the NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors).

If you are from the Maritime region of Canada (Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) and you have a keen interest or wish to advance your skills in horology and would like to  connect with like-minded individuals feel free to email me at ronjoiner@gmail.com.

Maritimes clock club – Interested?

A clock club for the Maritimes – why not!

Trade mart at the NAWCC convention

After having attended a NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) May 2019 chapter meeting in Ottawa and the 2019 NAWCC National Convention in June of this year I began to wonder why there is no NAWCC representation in the Maritime provinces of Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) or even an informal clock and watch club.

The closest NAWCC chapter is Montreal, Canada and there are at least 3 active chapters in Ontario alone. There has never been an active NAWCC chapter in the maritime provinces.

I believe there are a fair number of clock enthusiasts (horologists) in my region who would love to meet in order to share experiences and expertise.

This blog reaches clock lovers all over the world and I encourage any of you who have an interest in mechanical clocks to seek out those with similar interests in your local community but if you are living in the Maritime provinces of Canada; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, contact me directly at ronjoiner@gmail.com if you are interested in getting together to talk about clocks and watches, share experiences, share repair techniques or boast about your collection.

If the numbers grow and there is sufficient interest we can form a club, and later on we might even be able to explore charter membership with NAWCC.

Join the movement!

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