Instructors

Al Dodson al_dodson1

Al Dodson is an AWCI Certified Master Clockmaker. Most recently he served as lead clock instructor for the School of Horology. He also has a degree in Micro Precision Technology, has upgraded his skills throughout his career with continuing education, and has over 25 years of experience in clock repair, including management of his own shop in Lexington, KY. His father was a watchmaker, and Al has carried on his father's interests in both the theoretical and practical aspects of horological craftsmanship.

A member of the NAWCC, Dodson contributes to the Education Committee and has been actively involved in horological education programs for NAWCC members. He has presented many programs at local and regional meetings and was a presenter at the 2007 NAWCC National Convention.

Courses:

WS-109 Introduction to Clocks
WS-204 Introduction to Machine Tools and Materials
WS-320 Basic Clock Repairs
WS-500 Clock Escapements
Clock Camp

Anthony Paster, CW21
Tony is a graduate of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCA) School of Horology. He also served as an instructor at the school. He also has his Certification for the 21st Century Watchmaker. Tony has over 25 years of experience in the machine tool industry. His roles included plant management, operations and sales. In addition, Tony is the co-founder of the Gilbertsville, PA, based Paster Training, Inc. Beginning in 2002, Tony helped make Paster Training the largest independent food safety training company in the nation. His broad, hand-on experience in training and industry make him an outstanding instructor and mentor.

Courses:

WS-135: Using a Jewelers Lathe I

WS-201: Servicing a Pocket Watch for the Beginner II
WS-225: Servicing a Quartz Watch
WS-230 Servicing a Swiss Wrist Watch

WS-310: Automatic Wristwatch Servicing

WS-401: Hairspring Adjustment
WS-402: Hairspring Replacement
WS-410: Staffing and Jewelling
WS-435: Using a Jewelers Lathe II
WS-440 Platform Escapements

Watch Camp

Knaak

Bill Knaak

Bill is an experienced clock repairman and has been an NAWCC member since 2001. He is a 2006 graduate of the NAWCC School of Horology in Columbia and joined the Field Suitcase Workshop as an instructor in 2010. Bill runs a full time repair business and actively seeks further education by regularly working and consulting with highly experienced clockmakers and NAWCC Fellows. Prior to this second career Bill spent 30 years in the paper industry and holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business Administration.

Courses:

F101 - Introduction to Basic Time & Strike...The American Kitchen Clock.
F102 - Time & Strike Clocks with Spring Barrels
F103 - Introduction to Chime Clocks
F104 - Introduction to Weight and Fusee Driven Clocks
F110 - Clock Camp III
F200 - Fundamental Skills for Lathe & Clock Repair Course Part I
F201 - Fundamental Skills for Lathe & Clock Repair Course; Part II
F202 - Lathe II for Clock Repair Course; Part III
F510 - Clock Camp I
F511 - Clock Camp II

Dave Gorrell

Dave Gorrell was born and raised in Baltimore City. Graduated from the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1959, received my B. S. at Towson State University in 1966, awarded my Masters of Arts degree i the History of Technology for Johns Hopkins University in 1976. Opened the Millersville Clock Shop in 1964. Trained as a watchmaker at Montgomery Wards,and worked there from 1961 to 1979. Taught History and American Government in the Baltimore City School system from 1966 to 2004. Member of the 18 Pounder gun crew for the Fort McHenry Guard, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. Enginroom Watch stander on the Liberty Ship "S.S.John W, Brown" . Horological Lecturer at the "Hampton Mansion" National Park Service. Joined the NAWCC in 1982. President of Chapter 1 twice.Vice President of Chapter 1 twice, Board member of Chapter 1 from 1984 to present. Secretary/ Treasurer of Chapter 1 2009 to present. Mideastern Regional Overall Chairman 3 times. National Convention Mart Chairman 2002 and 2012. Became an instructor for the Field Suitcase Workshop in 1999.

Courses:

Drew Zimmerman, CW21

Drew is a third generation watchmaker who currently manages the watch repair department at Zimmerman Jewelers in York, PA . After graduating high school, he decided to follow the same career path as both his father and grandfather. He took the two day pocket watch course at the NAWCC to see if he had what it takes to be a watchmaker. He immediately enrolled in the one year watch repair program at the NAWCC School of Horology. After graduating, he furthered his skills in high end modern watch repair, by attending the Lititz Watch Technicum. He graduated from LWT in 2010 and returned to Zimmerman Jewelers and re-vamped the watch department to accommodate high end watch repair. Currently he oversees ten plus trade accounts.Drew currently has a NAWCC Diploma in Watch Repair, Lititz Watch Technicum Diploma, WOSTEP Certificate and SAWTA Certificate and his Certification for the 21st Century Watchmaker.

Courses:

WS-111: Servicing a Pocket Watch for the Beginner

Emily Zimmerman, CW21

Emily is currently a full time self-employed watchmaker associated with Zimmerman Jewelers. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology at Temple University in 2008, she was accepted into the Lititz Watch Technicum. In 2010 she graduated with a Lititz Watch Technicum diploma, WOSTEP certificate, a SAWTA certificate, and received my certification to be a watchmaker for the 21st century. She then received a three month internship with Rolex. She then worked for Hamilton Jewelers in Princeton for 2 months and then relocated to another Hamilton Jewelers location in West Palm Beach Florida. After learning a lot from an excellent mentor in Florida, she decided to moved back to Pennsylvania to work at Zimmerman Jewelers as a self-employed watchmaker.

Courses:

WS-111: Servicing a Pocket Watch for the Beginner

Ferdinand Geitner

Born and educated in Austria. Ferdinand Geitner qualified as a Master Watch & Clock Maker at the College for Horology & Precision Engineering in Karlstein Austria, 1968. He worked for the Omega Agency in Vienna then emigrated to Great Britain. After seven years he became the Senior Technician/Conservation Officer at Prescot Museum for Clocks & Watches, responsible for the Liverpool Museum/Prescot Museum & Horological collection. He has been a guest speaker at an International Conservation Symposium in Greenwich, England. In 1988 he accepted a repair & restoration position in California where he has also lectured for the NAWCC. In 1995 he opened a restoration workshop in Montecito, CA. Mr Geitner holds Omega & Seiko Certification and is a qualified Field Instructor in Horology from the NAWCC School of Horology, PA. He has appeared on the show "Pawn Stars" several times to evaluate clocks. He is an NAWCC Fellow (2013).

Courses:

F301-Introduction to Basic Pocket Watch Repair: The American Pocket Watch

Gregg Perry

Gregg has been the principal of Perry Horological Conservation for the past 12 years. His studio executes restoration and conservation of 17th-19th century clocks and watches. Not only does he treat the mechanism but also the wood cases that surround them, whether they are in veneer, marquetry, chinoiserie, japanning or clear film finishes. His studio is one of a handful in the US that perform the total treatment. He is a graduate of 2 year programs at the NAWCC School of Horology in clocks, and has completed certified courses at the British Hororological Institute and conservation at West Dean College UK. He has also taught clock and furniture introductory courses at NYU, and is the lead tutor of the Furniture and Wooden Artifact program at the Campbell Center in ILL. Additional information can be garnered from his web site perrysclocks.com

Courses:

WS-116 Understanding American and Tall Case Clock Movements
WS-218 Brass Metallurgy for the Horologist
WS-311 Beginner's Gilding
WS-312 Finishing Wood
WS-313 Rebuilding
WS-314 Veneer
WS-315 Marquetry
WS-316 Ornamentation
WS-470 Conservation Seminar: Preservation of Clock Mechanisms

Jerry Kieffer

jkieffer Jerry is a master micro machinist. He began working with micro machines in 1967 while in the navy. The skills that he has developed over the years have been used for watch making, clock making, model engineering and the repair of many types of instruments and tools. In 1997 he received the prestigious Metalworking Craftsman of the Year award from the Joe Martin Foundation. His interests include restoration and repair of repeating and fusee watches and the use and collecting of both vintage and modern micro machining tools.

Courses:

WS-117: Using a Micro Lathe for the Beginner
WS-119: Wheel and Pinion Cutting on Micro Mill
WS-120 Using the Micro Mill for the Beginner

John Hubby

John joined the NAWCC in 1982 while on assignment to Australia around the mid-point of a 23-year stint of overseas work for a major international company. He became a Life Member in 2001 and Star Fellow in 2003. He chaired the 2003 Time Symposium on torsion clocks in St. Louis and was guest curator for the 2007-08 Anniversary Clock exhibit at the NAWCC Museum. John has actively participated in local, national, and international NAWCC activities, is a member of several chapters and co-founder of Chapter 168, and served on the NAWCC Board of Directors from 2001 to 2011. While on the BOD he led the Merger Task Force that joined the NAWCC with the National Watch and Clock Museum in 2004, and served in officer positions including being elected Board Chair for the final two years of his term. He continues to serve on National committees and is the Principal Administrator of the NAWCC Message Board. Over the past 20 years he developed a keen interest in finding answers to who made certain types of clocks and when they were made, and is now working on publication of much of that research. His expertise and knowledge in the field of torsion clocks has become well known, as well as his knowledge of Gustav Becker and several other makers’ history. John prepared the course material and has taught the 400-Day Service and Repair Course F-105 since its inception.

Courses:

F-105 400 Day Clock Service and Repair

Lee Davis lee davis sm

Lee founded his professional reverse painting on glass business in 1970. Having done work for many museums, historical sites and numerous antiques businesses, Lee began instructing at the School of Horology in 1993. Davis is the recipient of several NAWCC craft contest awards and has been recognized for many other honors during his more than 40 years in NAWCC.

Courses:

WS-122: Reverse Painting on Glass with Lee Davis
WS-123 Gilding on Glass with Lee Davis
WS-125 Stenciling on Glass with Lee Davis

LehrPicture 003

Lehr Dircks

Lehr has been collecting watches, clocks and tools for the past 50 plus years. He graduated from Elgin Watchmakers College in the late fifties and holds the certification of Certified Master Watchmaker from the Horological Institute of America. The major portion of his career was spent with the government where he worked as a civilian in the Department of Defense, Dept of Army, Dept. of the Air Force where he did maintenance of optical & electronic instruments and retiring in a management position. More than twenty years into collecting Lehr discovered NAWCC. Since that time he has served in many roles in the local chapter and past director of NAWCC, Symposium chairman, Convention chairman. Also he has given several lectures at Nationals, Regionals and Chapter level. Lehr is presently an Instructor for the Field Suitcase Workshops. Currently his NAWCC memberships are in local Chapter 10, and 28, Electrical Horology Society Chapter 78, and Tower Clock Chapter 134. His other hobbies include antique auto and vintage tractor restoration and woodworking. Over the years he has restored four vintage homes, and in the process of restoration of their present home in the country surrounded by fields, streams and woods. Lehr and Marcia have been married for 50 plus years and are the parents of four children and eight grandchildren. One of Lehr’s favorite pastimes is sharing his knowledge with the grandchildren teaching them about clocks, watches and working with them in the wood workshop.

Courses:

F301-Introduction to Basic Pocket Watch Repair: The American Pocket Watch

Lex Rooker

Lex started playing around in the electronics field when he was 10 years old. During high school he received his Amateur Radio License, WB6JGX, which he still maintain todays. After high school he joined the Army National Guard. After being discharged from the National Guard in 1971 due to an injury he went back to Jr. College, and spent a couple of summers working as an assistant Broadcast Engineer at a local radio station while studying to take the exam for an FCC Commercial Radio Telephone License which he received in 1972. He then went to work for Southern California Edison. He retired from Edison in 2006. Upon retirement he looked around for something interesting to do with his time and decided it might be fun to build a clock. Since he knew nothing about clocks he looked around for some sort of training classes. Nothing was available in the local public Adult School system, but with a little research on the Internet he discovered the NAWCC and enrolled in his first FSW F101 class in Oct of 2008 through Chapter 190. He took F101 through F104 and then was given the opportunity to assist the instructor, Ray Marsolek, in these same classes. After a couple of years Ray asked if he would be willing to replace him as one of the west coast based FSW instructors and so in January 2012 he taught his first F101 course as the primary instructor. The rest, as they say, is history....

Courses:

Mark Loates

Mark has worked in various Engineering offices for the most of his career. He is trained as an Electronics Engineering Technician.
Mark has been interested in clocks for many years. He completed a distance learning course in Clock Repair offered from England. He worked part time in a local watchmakers shop. He has had a Clock Repair business running from a home shop for the past 12 years. Mark is a member of NAWCC Chapter 92 and has served in a number of roles at the Chapter level. Chapter 92 offers Clock Repair workshops on weekends, of which he has instructed. He enjoys helping others learn the skill of clock repair. Mark’s other interest is radio controlled model aircraft building and flying.

Courses:

Mike Dempsey

Mike has been involved in the Midwest Regional for 15 years, including chairman for eight years. He became a National Fellow in 2001 and
has been Education Committee chair since 2003. Mike is in charge of the Field Suitcase Program, as well as being one of the Field Suitcase
instructors. He has more than doubled the number of courses offered today in the Field Suitcase Program. In 2008 he recently completed the “Build A Skeleton Clock” project, which is a way for chapters to help retain members as well as the NAWCC to increase membership. He has been a member of the NAWCC for 23 years. He started his career as a mechanical/electrical supervisor for Morris Material Handling Corporation and continued for 25 years. In 1995 he accepted the position to teach Clock and Watch Repair at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. In 2000 he made the decision to leave Morris Material Handling and expand a part-time business, Clocks and Things, into a full-time business and devote all his energy as an entrepreneur.

Courses:

F105- 400 Day Clock Repair
F110 - Clock Camp III
F200 - Fundamental Skills for Lathe & Clock Repair Course Part I
F201 - Fundamental Skills for Lathe & Clock Repair Course; Part II
F202 - Lathe II for Clock Repair Course; Part III

F301- Introduction to Basic Pocket Watch Repair: The American Pocket Watch
F302- Introduction to Basic Wristwatch Repair

F500 - Introduction to Basic Time Only Movements, “The American School House Clock”

F501 - The Repair & Replacement of an American Strip Recoil Escapement Course
F502- Atmos Repair
F510 - Clock Camp I
F511 - Clock Camp II

Philip C. Gregory gregory
Phil is a Chairman of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, and was the acting executive director of the NAWCC for seven months in 2006. He has been on the Board since 2005. Phil is a collector of early American clocks from 1800 to 1880. He particularly likes woodworks, Atkins, steeple on steeple, and wagon spring examples. He has co-authored the book The Clocks of Irenus Atkins. He has a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering and taught at the university for three years before serving as a research officer in the U.S. Air Force. Phil teaches reverse glass painting, stenciling, woodwork repair, dial painting, and gold leafing in the Chapter 124 education program. He also teaches these classes for chapters throughout the Midwest and as part of the NAWCC Field Suitcase Workshops.
Courses:
WS-124- Dial Painting with Phil Gregory
WS-126- Wooden Gear Clock Repair
F401- Reverse Glass Painting
F402- Dial Painting

Ray Marsolek ray

Ray Marsolek has been a member of NAWCC since 1975. He is a past chairman of the Education Committee, has taught at the NAWCC School of Horology, and is presently a Field Suitcase instructor. His interests are in collecting and maintaining precision regulator movements. He has 36 years of clock experience. Ray’s workshop is a mixture of new and old technologies. He brings years of machinist expertise to the bench. He is willing to try new methods of repair—always remembering that the ultimate goal is to restore the movement to its original condition without doing any harm to it.

Courses:
F101 - Introduction to Basic Time & Strike...The American Kitchen Clock.
F102 - Time & Strike Clocks with Spring Barrels
F103 - Introduction to Chime Clocks
F104 - Introduction to Weight and Fusee Driven Clocks
F110 - Clock Camp III
F200 - Fundamental Skills for Lathe & Clock Repair Course Part I
F201 - Fundamental Skills for Lathe & Clock Repair Course; Part II
F202 - Lathe II for Clock Repair Course; Part III
F510 - Clock Camp I
F511 - Clock Camp II