British Horological Institute
Encyclopedia
The British Horological Institute (also known as the BHI) is the representative body of the horological
industry in the United Kingdom
.
s. Their aim was to unify the British horological industry and trades in the face of large numbers of imports of clocks and watches from abroad. The Institute was an immediate success and within a year it had founded its own museum and library; it also began to offer evening classes in clock- and watch-making.
The journal of the Institute is the Horological Journal, which has been published since September 1858.
in Nottinghamshire
, England
. Its primary role is that of education, providing a standardised set of examinations for training horologists. It also maintains a list of members whom it considers sufficiently qualified to repair clocks and watches, and who adhere to a strict code of practice.
It publishes the Horological Journal monthly, the oldest continuously-published technical journal in the country.
It contains details of anything and everything relevant to horology and horologists.
Ordinary Membership : Any individual with an interest in horology may subscribe as a member
Full Membership : Full membership is open to graduate members with a sufficient degree of professional experience as a clockmaker. Full members may append the letters "MBHI" to their name.
Fellowship : In order to become a fellow of the BHI, one must make a contribution to the field of horology deemed to be of exceptional value. (Note this has not always been the case; it was significantly easier to gain fellowship in later half of the twentieth century). Fellows of the BHI may append the letters "FBHI" to their name.
A full explanation of the different grades of membership is available on the BHI's own website.
dealing primarily with horology
. It is open to researchers by appointment, and its holding includes a number of rare documents, papers, letters and books, particularly dealing with the high points of British horology in the 18th and early 19th century, but its catalogue contains comparatively few titles published in the last several decades.
Horology
Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
industry in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The BHI was founded in 1858 by a small group of clockmakerClockmaker
A clockmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs clocks. Since almost all clocks are now factory-made, most modern clockmakers only repair clocks. Modern clockmakers may be employed by jewellers, antique shops, and places devoted strictly to repairing clocks and watches...
s. Their aim was to unify the British horological industry and trades in the face of large numbers of imports of clocks and watches from abroad. The Institute was an immediate success and within a year it had founded its own museum and library; it also began to offer evening classes in clock- and watch-making.
The journal of the Institute is the Horological Journal, which has been published since September 1858.
The BHI today
The current premises of the BHI are at Upton HallUpton Hall
Upton Hall is the headquarters of the British Horological Institute in Upton, Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, England. It has been the headquarters since 1972. It houses a library and a museum, as well as a substantial collection of antique longcase clocks, owned by the institute...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its primary role is that of education, providing a standardised set of examinations for training horologists. It also maintains a list of members whom it considers sufficiently qualified to repair clocks and watches, and who adhere to a strict code of practice.
It publishes the Horological Journal monthly, the oldest continuously-published technical journal in the country.
It contains details of anything and everything relevant to horology and horologists.
Membership
The Institute offers a number of different kinds of membership. These include:Ordinary Membership : Any individual with an interest in horology may subscribe as a member
Full Membership : Full membership is open to graduate members with a sufficient degree of professional experience as a clockmaker. Full members may append the letters "MBHI" to their name.
Fellowship : In order to become a fellow of the BHI, one must make a contribution to the field of horology deemed to be of exceptional value. (Note this has not always been the case; it was significantly easier to gain fellowship in later half of the twentieth century). Fellows of the BHI may append the letters "FBHI" to their name.
A full explanation of the different grades of membership is available on the BHI's own website.
The BHI Library
The Library of the BHI is one of very few existing specialised librariesLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
dealing primarily with horology
Horology
Horology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
. It is open to researchers by appointment, and its holding includes a number of rare documents, papers, letters and books, particularly dealing with the high points of British horology in the 18th and early 19th century, but its catalogue contains comparatively few titles published in the last several decades.