Her maker’s voice - Rebecca Struthers To celebrate the launch of the Clocktime® website, the renowned historian, watchmaker and author Dr Rebecca Struthers, spoke about the new educational resource. The founder of Struthers Watchmakers said, “A project like this couldn’t arrive at a more vital moment. Although it celebrates the ‘golden age’ of British horology and represents what was one of our great national industries, it arrives at a moment when artisanal watch and clockmaking are now both categorised as ‘endangered’ skills and have been added to Heritage Crafts’ Red List. “Also, the financial, curatorial and administrative restrictions that objects in national collections face mean a project like this would be virtually impossible without access to such a prestigious private collection. “I can’t express my gratitude strongly enough for Dr Taylor’s generosity in funding this project and for sharing his collection in such a detailed and open way. “Clocktime is free to use. Anyone with internet access anywhere in the world will be able to view it from the comfort of their home and learn from it in their own time and in their own way. The layers of information on the site mean people can venture as far as their curiosity takes them. “The quality of the educational videos is unparalleled. Even as a watchmaker, it’s challenging to explain how these objects work without having one in your hands to demonstrate with. When you’re dealing with unique historic objects, that option is usually impossible. “These are, without a doubt, the best tutorials I’ve seen of how these timepieces work. The digitisation allows for an otherwise impossible demonstration of how they function and how we read them. They’re an invaluable educational tool, with my only criticism being I wish they’d have been around sooner. “The design makes them ideal for a spectrum of audiences from newcomers to seasoned experts. I could use these to teach school children, university students or adult groups. In my 20-years at the bench, I know you’ll never see everything in this industry, particularly when it comes to some of the extraordinarily rare objects like those in Dr Taylor’s collection. Whatever level you’re at, there’ll be something to learn.” Visit the Video Gallery on Clocktime® digital museum here. Videos are listed by the date of the timekeeper. If you are involved in the clock or watchmaking community and would like to be featured in a future newsletter, please feel free to contact us.
