Young Clock Maker
Has Time On His Side
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Field skews older, but he's winning the top awards
By: Marta Helper Drahos
(Originally Printed in the Traverse City Record Eagle, July 12, 2009)
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TRAVERSE CITY- It was an appreciation for old timepieces that inspired Nathan Bower to make his first clock.
But it's his new take on an old tradition that is earning him a name in horological circles.
Bower, 30, took a first place for clock making in June at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors National Convention--the country's top honor for clock making.
He also won the coveted People's Choice Award for his "Vinion" wall skeleton clock featuring intricate spoke and pendulum design and hand-pierced gears.
Bower took the prizes--and a second place for his "Jendolyn" floor clock--for the quality, uniqueness and "amazing craftsmanship" of his entries, said Wayne Laning, chairman of the NAWCC Craft Committee. The competition showcases the finest work in current-day horological crafts and highlights the artisans' talent as well as their understanding of history's influence on their craft.
Bower's class, the "single train" clock, is judged on the movement and is one of the most difficult categories, Laning said.
"Building a clock movement of you own design by scratch--that by default is a different challenge because you're inventing a movement on your own rather than replicating something," he said. "You don't have a guide to go by."
Add that to Bower's age--he's believed to be the youngest horologist to take the top prize--and the achievement is even more impressive, Laning said.
"It was a little special to all concerned to see someone his age voted on and win," he said, noting the organization's traditionally older membership. "And it's really rewarding to see somebody getting into new or modern clock making. There's just not a number of individuals or companies that do that. You can't just go to Anytown, USA, and find five people doing it."
Bower grew up in the Long Lake area and began taking apart small appliances at the age of 5. By the time he was 13, he was tinkering with clocks and watches.
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He struck out on his own about nine years ago and now operates the Old Reliable Clock Shop with is wife, Jennifer. After several years repairing everything from early 18th-century clocks to modern timepieces, he hungered for more.
"I was looking for a creative outlet," he said, noting that clock making taps into woodworking, metal working and sketching and drawing skills. "I always wanted to create a new take on an old tradition. I'd always be intrigued by skeleton clocks, clocks with exposed workings. The workings are rarely seen and that's really where I think the beauty of the clock is. It's mesmerizing to watch a clock run."
His first effort, the Jendolyn, was a gift for Jennifer. The seven-foot-tall "great wheel" clock features an Indian rosewood and curly maple case--designed by Bower and built by a furniture shop--and more than 150 original brass parts. The smaller Vinion is crafted of African Bubinga and includes 420 hand piercing in the clock's gears, weight shell and pulley mechanism. The dial is etched into the front of the glass so as not to obstruct the view inside.
"My goal is to build a work of art for the home," said Bower, who considers himself an artist foremost.
Now he's completing his fifth weight-driven clock, each of which can sell for $8,000 or more. Each takes from four to six months to build, working part time on old manual equipment customized for greater accuracy.
Eventually Bower hopes to make clocks full time, clocks that are not only aesthetically pleasing but functional pieces of furniture that will stand the test of time.
"You just don't find clocks that are made to last more than 20 years," he said. "I wanted a clock that would last generations."
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Local clockmaker wins nation's top award
By: Katie Bedard, Contributing Writer
(Originally Printed in the Grand Traverse Insider on Sunday, June 28, 2009. Volume 2 Issue 5)
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| Nathan Bower, of Traverse City, adds finishing touches to a clock mechanism at his workshop off Long Lake Road. Two of his clocks received top national honors at a recent convention. |
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Some of the finest clocks in the world aren't made overseas, but right here in Traverse City. This past month, local clockmaker Nathan Bower, owner of Bower Clocks and Old Reliable Clock Repair on Long Lake Road in Traverse City, proved that.
Bower was awarded both first place for clock making and the People's Choice trophy at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) 2009 convention held in Grand Rapids. "People's Choice is the highest honor you can receive in the United States," Bower said. "It's the overall winner against all 25 categories (in the convention). This year is also the first year Bower attended. "They're (in the area) only every 10 years or so," Bower said.
However, Bower is certainly not new to the art of clockmaking and clock repair. He apprenticed with Martinek's in downtown Traverse City right out of high school, and stayed there learning the craft for two and a half years. He later opened his own business, Old Reliable Clock Repair.
And "about four years ago, I wanted a creative outlet," he said. "I wanted to create one-of-a-kind works of art." Bower's original clock designs are fine, handcrafted skeletonized clocks: meaning all the gears are visible. "They expose the inner beauty of the mechanisms," he said.
The complicated pieces of the gears and other pieces are all made by Bower himself. "Everything is done by hand, I don't use a computer at all," said Bower. "I like to keep with the traditions of craftsmen 100 years ago. I use all the old-fashioned methods. I have a manual lathe; I make many of my own tools and attachments for the work. Much of this art has been lost of the years, so Bower learns mostly from himself. "I'm basically self-taught," he said. "I have no machining background. I use books and trial-and-error; a lot of the experience comes from the clock repair on antique clocks. It's meticulous. I sometimes make parts over and over."
Besides being beautiful, unique accents, Bower's clocks are "extremely reliable timepieces." "(Most) have a traditional eight-day run," he said, noting that the weighted pendulum is what controls time frame. "My pendulums are made out of an alloy so they maintain their length and to not swell or contract in different weather, which is what makes a clock fast or slow."
Bower, who runs both shops together with his wife, Jennifer, also chooses exotic woods for the clock bodies, makes his timepieces to order, unique for every individual. "It's so fun--there are so many aspects to it: mechanics, creativity, working with your hands." Bower's rare passion has so far served him well. "I am only one of three or four in the United States that do this," he said. "And maybe a couple dozen in the world. It's really a lost art."
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