he Horological Society of New York (HSNY) held its 157th anniversary Gala & Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 15, 2023, where it awarded a record-breaking $125,000 in financial aid to 20 watchmaking students and four U.S. watchmaking schools, and raised an additional $25,000 toward its mission to advance the art and science of horology.

The historic Harvard Club of New York City served as the backdrop of HSNY’s gala once again, where 270 guests from around the world gathered to toast to one of the world’s oldest continuously operating horological associations and support the newest generation of watchmakers with scholarships.

“The 2023 gala broke records in every way for the Horological Society of New York,” said Carolina Navarro, HSNY Deputy Director. “An increasing demand to attend allowed us to max out capacity and draw crowds from top watch brands, VIPs, influencers, and even celebrities, who showed up in style to support our now 157-year-old society.”

At the gala, HSNY presented its largest offering of financial aid to date, and awarded more students than ever before. Steve Eagle, HSNY’s Director of Education, presented a ceremonial $125,000 giant check to Mary Raso, student at the Lititz Watch Technicum, and Jose Weinberger, student at the Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking School, who accepted the award on behalf of all recipients. (Please see below a full list of financial aid recipients.)

“For context, in 2017 we awarded one scholarship to one student, and this year we awarded 20 students and four schools,” said Nicholas Manousos, HSNY Executive Director. “This is made possible through the generous donations from our sponsors, our dedicated members, and gala supporters.” Earlier this year, HSNY introduced three new financial aid opportunities for watchmaking students across the country - The Charles London Scholarship for Watchmaking Students, The Charles Sauter Scholarship for Innovation in Horology, and The Simon Willard Award for School Watches.

Additional highlights from the evening included the sale of HSNY’s 2023 Lifetime Membership Card, auctioned by Isabella Proia of Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo. A long bidding war for the sole lot of the evening echoed throughout the Harvard Club’s Main Dining Room, ending in a hammer price of $20,000. The card, which was engine turned by Joshua Shapiro and hand-engraved by Artur Akmaev, will grant top bidder Benjamin Nelson lifetime membership privileges at HSNY, including all aspects of current and future membership tiers. Proceeds from the sale benefit HSNY’s ongoing financial aid initiatives. HSNY’s 2023 Charity Auction will be held online in June and will be hosted by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo.

Dinner came to a close with Aldis Hodge - horologist, HSNY Trustee and Hollywood actor - calling for additional donations to kickstart the 2024 financial aid season. In total, the Society raised $25,000 throughout the evening.

The gala concluded with the reopening of the picturesque Harvard Hall for after-dinner drinks, a large spread of French pastries, and live music.

HSNY thanks all participating brands, sponsors, members and guests for their support! A save-the-date for HSNY’s 2024 Gala & Awards Ceremony is coming soon!

HSNY 2023 FINANCIAL AID

The Henry B. Fried Scholarship for Watchmaking Students ($5,000 each)

• Adam Barry (Paris Junior College Watchmaking Program)
• Kent Beckley (North Seattle College Watch Technology Institute)
• Alex Ciesielski (Lititz Watch Technicum)
• Samuel D. H. Mallow (North Seattle College Watch Technology Institute)
• Andy Park (North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking)
• Jonathan Vasquez (Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking School)
• Kevin Zamani (North Seattle College Watch Technology Institute)

The Benjamin Banneker Scholarship for Black Watchmaking Students ($5,000 each)

• Mary Raso (Lititz Watch Technicum)
• Jose Weinberger (Nicolas G. Hayek Watchmaking School)

The Grace Fryer Scholarship for Female Watchmaking Students ($5,000 each)

• Ariane Anderson (North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking)
• A Reum Im (North Seattle College Watch Technology Institute)
• Vanessa Loor (North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking)

NEW IN 2023 The Charles London Scholarship for Watchmaking Students ($5,000 each)

• Ryan Austin (Lititz Watch Technicum)
• Tanner Caraway (Veterans Watchmaker Initiative)
• Michael Davanzo (North Seattle College Watch Technology Institute)
• River Pryor (North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking)
• Harrison Siegling (Lititz Watch Technicum)

The Howard Robbins Award for Watchmaking Schools ($25,000 in total)

• Gem City College School of Horology ($7,500)
• Veterans Watchmaker Initiative ($7,500)
• North Seattle College Watch Technology Institute ($5,000)
• Paris Junior College Watchmaking Program ($5,000)

NEW IN 2023 The Charles Sauter Scholarship for Innovation in Horology ($5,000 each)

• Nicholas Chin (Lititz Watch Technicum)
• Thomas Dunphy (Lititz Watch Technicum)

The Oscar Waldan Scholarship for Jewish Watchmaking Students ($5,000 each)

• Chris Tullos (Veterans Watchmaker Initiative)