Two Guinness world record holders are bound for Waterford’s International Festival of Time which is set to take place home of the Irish Museum of Time and Waterford Treasures Museums from September 22nd to 24th.

On of those attending is Paul Gerber who is recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records for having created the world’s most complicated wristwatch. He commenced the complex career of independent watchmaking in 1976, and after an illustrious and celebrated career, he is now set to retire. Before he does retire, and after a happy visit to the inaugural Festival of Time in Waterford last year, he has decided to create a unique, one-off masterpiece alongside upcoming watchmaker Anny Weber, which is to be unveiled at the upcoming international Festival of Time in Waterford this September 22 to 24, which will be auctioned for charity by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo Auction House in Geneva.

This unique “Waterford watch” is set not only to be auctioned by one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world, but its creator has deemed that the proceeds should be split three ways. One third will be donated to his apprentice Anny Weber, one third will be donated to the charity Join Our Boys Trust and the final third donated to the Waterford International Festival of Time.

Paul started watchmaking in 1976 and calls it ‘the most beautiful job in the world’.

Another Guinness World Record Holder who is attending is Andreas Strehler. Andreas always wanted to be an inventor and his father collected watches so it seemed as good a place to start as any other. He’s best known for the invention of a moon dial which is accurate to more than two million years! The design of his movement is so precise that theoretically it could only be out by 3/1000 of a second, or one day in two million years. An inventor indeed.

The masters of the timepiece and watchmaking world will fly in from across the globe to show off their skills, timepieces and knowledge.  They will offer the public a rare opportunity to come face to face with many of the finest independent watch and clockmakers of our time at a ‘Meet the Maker’ occasion and a chance to view their masterpiece creations in person.

There are 16 watchmakers confirmed for the festival : Paul Gerber, Andreas Strehler, Marc Jenni, Patrik Sjögren (GoS), Rune Bakkendorff, Zeitwinkel, Sidereus and Schofield. In addition to these, making their debut appearances for the very first time on Irish soil will be Kari Voutilainen, Cyril Brivet-Naudot, Luc Monnet, Simon Brette, Kudoke, Garrick and Lundis Bleus plus Irish watchmaker to the stars John McGonigle.

Waterford boasts an extraordinary yet little known connection with traditional Swiss watch and clockmaking, which goes right back to the eighteenth century. Facing oppression under their French and Bernese masters, plans were drawn up in 1782 for 1,000 Swiss Huguenot artisans to uproot and relocate to Ireland, to establish a settlement of master craftsmen where they could flourish. This utopian settlement near Waterford city was given the name of ‘New Geneva’.

Shifting political dynamics in both Switzerland and Ireland at that time would bring an end to the New Geneva dream before it could become a reality, although a small number of Swiss did make the journey, only to return to their own country, as conditions for them there eased. Nevertheless, Waterford almost became the new home for Haute Horlogerie, and that legacy lives on in the Irish Museum of Time, which opened in 2021.

In addition to the opportunity to meet the master craftsmen of the watchmaking world, a very special event will be hosted at City Hall where the Time Festival Lecture entitled ‘Establishing the Irish Museum of Time, and a Brief History of Irish Clocks and Watches and their Makers’ will be given by David Boles and Colman Curran the founders of the Irish Museum of Time and another presentation entitled ‘The Music of Time – a Talk with Fun Experiments’ will be delivered by Michael Grehan.

Waterford’s International Festival of Time 2023 takes place in the Viking Triangle at Waterford Treasures in Waterford city, Ireland, between the 22nd and 24th of September, and is open to the public between 10am – 5pm Friday and Saturday, 11am – 4pm Sunday.

Admission to the festival is available from www.waterfordtreasures.com tickets are €15 per adult with free admission on offer to current friend of Waterford Treasures Museums. The Festival Lecture on Saturday 23rdSeptember takes place at 1pm, admission is free but places must be pre-booked by emailing cpurcell@waterfordcouncil.ie.

‘The Music of Time – a Talk with Fun Experiments’ takes place on Saturday 23rd September at 3pm, admission is free but places must be pre-booked by emailing cpurcell@waterfordcouncil.ie.

For further details on Waterford’s International Festival of Time see https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/event/international-festival-of-time-2023/