The Chippendale school was privileged this week to welcome over 30 members of the Scottish branch of the British Horological Institute (BHI).

The BHI was formed in 1858 to promote horology in the UK and today provides education, standards and support to its 3,000 members around the world involved in making, repairing and servicing clocks and watches.

Zen Chowaniec, secretary of the Scottish branch, said that members, whether professional or amateur, were “greatly interested in different kinds of craftsmanship and, of course, many kinds of clock casings are made from wood.”

The breadth of interests of BHI members include a wide range of clocks including grandfather, bracket, turret, electrical, lantern and many others, including pocket and wrist watches.

Only one student this year, Vanessa Johnston from Seattle, has made a clock as part of their course  and Vanessa gave a short presentation on the design and making of her mantle clock.

The Chippendale school welcomes visitors during normal office hours, although it’s always advisable to phone ahead and book in advance.

The school is a 3 Star visitor attraction with Visit Scotland, the country’s tourism body, and seeing a professional workshop in action is worth the visit.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the school and meeting students of all ages and backgrounds.  We all share a passion for good design and craftsmanship, and that was clear from everything we saw of the students’ work,” said Zen Chowaniec.