he National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is hosting the 2024 Ward Francillon Time Symposium at the Publick House in Sturbridge, MA, October 21–24. The public is invited to experience New England horology with horological focused lectures and exclusive museum tours at the Willard House & Clock Museum, the American Clock & Watch Museum, and Old Sturbridge Village, including the J. Cheney Wells collection of clocks.

The lectures will be held on the mornings of October 22-23, followed by museum tours in the afternoons, and a full-day tour on October 24 at the American Clock & Watch Museum in Bristol, CT.

The annual James Arthur Lecture will be presented by Dava Sobel. She will provide the backstory of her acclaimed book Longitude and its impact on the public’s understanding of horology, specifically marine timekeeping. Dava will present on Tuesday morning, October 22, 2024.

A full roster of eminent speakers has been recruited including: Aaron Stark — Disrupting Time: Industrial Combat, Espionage, and the Downfall of the Waltham Watch Co.; Sara Schechner — William Cranch Bond and Sons: Astronomers and Horologists; Damon Di Mauro — The Early Pre-1740 Clockmakers of Boston; Robert Frishman — The Mullikens: Massachusetts Clockmakers; Mary Jane Dapkus — Aaron Willard Jr. and the Sea Captain’s Widow; Greg Gorton — The Calendar Clock Co. of Curtisville, CT; Richard Newman — Watchmaking in Early America; Andy Dervan — Richard Cranch and His Daybook: A Colonial Watch Repairman from Boston and Great Friend of John Adams.

The public is invited, and registration, including all programs, museum tours, and meals is $475. Each event is also separately priced if you have limited time. For more information regarding symposium registration, the complete speaker list, schedule, meals, and lodging, visit https://education.nawcc.org/symposium/ or call Cathy Gorton at 336-383-2321.

The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with more than 8,000 international members. It operates the School of Horology, Library & Research Center, and the National Watch & Clock Museum in Columbia, PA, which houses the largest timepiece collection in North America. For more information, visit https://www.nawcc.org/ or call 717-684-8261.