NAWCC
Chapter 149
Early American Watch Club


MISSION

"The Early American Watch Club", NAWCC Chapter 149 provides a forum to discuss early American Watches, companies and the individuals that made them. It is a collectors' club which focuses on research and has an educational forum which provides the advanced and beginning collectors with knowledge, study, and discussions of watch histories, collecting and people involved with horology throughout the ages. The chapter also provides lectures, seminars, a Mentoring Program to aide the new collector, and state of the art educational tools, books, reprints, CDs, videos, and a host of other items.

 

NAWCC CHAPTER 149 THE EARLY AMERICAN WATCH CLUB

 

Jon Hanson, NAWCC #8801. Founder and president of the Early American Watch Club, founded 1990. Dr. Herb Gold secretary/treasurer; John Cote, direction of new memberships: John LaCambria, admin assistant; Bryan Eyring, director of research and historian.

President Hanson has been active collecting, researching, writing and lecturing about early American watches for over 55 years and is widely recognized as the leading authority and collector of all early American pocket watches. "I have given hundreds of horological talks at clubs, museums and seminars as well as watch displays around the country at all levels (chapters, regional conventions and national conventions, plus museums). I chaired the American pocket watch section at the 1976 National Convention in Anaheim, California, critically acclaimed the finest horological display ever unveiling rare and previously unknown watches and clocks."

NAWCC Chapter 149 is the premier and leading pocket watch collectors' club in America, specializing in all aspects American pocket watch collecting, research and study. Originally founded as a land based chapter in Southern California in 1990, we now provide a web site as well as public and private message boards as the only legitimate NAWCC Internet Chapter. Our membership is worldwide however current NAWCC membership is required.

We are a research and study chapter providing pocket watch educational tools and knowledge to collectors worldwide. A few of our innovations include many CDs pertaining to pocket watches and specialized information either for free or for a donation to help further our research projects. In fact our world famous Illinois CD, created by Chapter 149 member Dr. Russ Snyder, is the cutting edge in horological educational tools. Our watch award winning posters are legendary, and these proved to be a highlight at our free 2002 NAWCC REGIONAL seminar in Ft Wayne, Indiana, at this long standing regional convention featuring early America watches. Many finest knowns and excessively rare or pristine watches accompanied the lectures. Please look for a new one to be distributed early in 2010. The subject is Hamilton watches and will prove to be a BOCK BUSTER poster in the strict high quality for which the chapter is famous. Members and collectors worldwide are anxiously awaiting our latest effort.

Another valuable horological tool provided for the members and all non member collectors are the serial number look up data bases for Hampden, Hamilton, South Bend and Rockford Watch Companies. This wonderful tool was created by 149 BOD member and chapter sites Admin Dr. Henry Burgell. What is even more wonderful is that this service and educational tool is free to all members at our chapter web site.

Several of our mottos are "ethics" and "credibility" in horology and collecting. In fact President Hanson wrote the very first ethics statement within the organization exclusively for Chapter 149.The Chapter 149 "Mentor Program" which has assisted new and advanced collectors from all continents on various horological subjects is available to collectors free of charge. Chapter 149 was founded to educate and advance horology intelligently, correctly and honestly worldwide. Check out either our web site or message board for our list of mentors.

If you are serious and passionate about pocket watch collecting, research and study, you should contact us.

Thank you for reading and for your interest and continued support.

Jon Hanson, Founder & President
NAWCC #8801

Ethics

As a horologist, I recognize my obligation towards the public and towards my fellow members of chapter 149 and my industry. It is my intention to be worthy of the confidence and respect of those with whom I come in contact in horology. For this purpose I have pledged myself as follows:

  • In my relations with the public:

    1. To furnish other members advice on horological matters to the best of my ability.

    2. To trade at prices that commensurate with a reasonable return on my investment and then prevailing market conditions.

    3. To purchase watches from the public at reasonable prices with due allowance for buyer's risk and prevailing market conditions.

    4. To neither broadcast, publish, nor advertise, in any manner, any representation or any implication with intent to create a false or incorrect conclusion with regard to my own goods, prices, or services, or those of a competitor or to make false claims to a policy, or to make any false representation as to my prices or those of my competitors.

    5. To assist recognized governmental authorities in the prosecution of violators of the law in horological matters.

    6. To refrain from knowingly dealing in stolen watches or clocks, tools or other horological material or publications or offering counterfeits or altered specimens that are legal to own, to furnish collectors with a documentation showing in detail, the nature of such items sold and when selling a maried or switched watch or clock where known, and to furnish the buyer with an invoice showing in detail the nature of such item sold.

    7. To accurately attribute merchandise.

    8. The following constitute unfair or deceptive acts which a 149 member pledges they will not do in their dealings with collectors and the general public:
      1. Knowingly offer or sell items that are fake.
      2. Offering any misleading price comparison.
      3. Misrepresenting the origin of a watch or clock, its provenance, pedigree or deceptively stating a source of a watch or clock. Representing that a watch or clock is from an estate or of a particular provenance unless such statement is true.
      4. Misrepresenting the value of a watch or clock.
      5. Failing to identify switched watches or clocks.
      6. Using high pressure sales techniques to sell horological items.
      7. Reporting or utilizing a price realized at any auction sale unless such use is of a watch or clock that actually sold at the price and circumstances represented.
      8. Major repairing or restoration any clock or watch without disclosure.
      9. Promising immediate delivery of goods where the same is not possible, and not disclosing in a deferred delivery the reasons therefor in a manner consistent with all local, state and federal requirements.

Jon Hanson, FOUNDER and PRESIDENT.