The Guild/BHI Prize Winner for 2024 is 18-year-old Rhys Davies, who was presented with his award, a £500 Cousins tool voucher, at a special Awards Day, at Upton Hall, at the end of October.
Rhys, an apprentice clockmaker based in Kent, was born in Ashford and has lived in the area all his life. He became interested in horology quite by chance.
He explains: ‘At the age of four I had a serious asthma attack which was life threatening. This moment affected the trajectory of my life. A decade of health issues and hospital admissions later meant I was unable to attend mainstream school and so I have always been home schooled. This opened many opportunities to explore different interests.’
Rhys is dyslexic and says he did not find it easy to engage with traditional education. His parents, however, always encouraged him to explore different ways to learn.
He adds: ‘From an early age, I was fascinated with all things mechanical. I bought my first car when I was 10 – a VW Polo, which I repaired and sold to my brother, as I could not drive it. I bought my second car at 14, a Fiat Panda, replacing the engine. Four years later, it is still running and is the car I drive today. It is not a flashy car but I love it!’
At the age of six he asked to see the inside of a clock and, after going to a junk shop and bringing back a couple of movements without their cases or dials, his grandfather, a horological hobbyist, looked at them with him.
‘Not understanding much, they sat on a shelf and gathered dust,’ explained Rhys. ‘My horological interests did not resurface until the summer of 2020 prior to the Covid lockdown. My mother was anxious that I might get bored over the winter being housebound. She bought several broken clocks as a surprise. When she gave them to me, she suggested that I ‘watch a YouTube video’ to see if I could repair them. To this day, she still says she could not believe she was so naïve. I am thankful though as it kick-started my horological journey.
‘By this time, my grandfather was unwell with dementia so he was not able to guide me. However, my aunt had a friend, Bernard Adamson, who I was told fixed watches in Plymouth. She asked on my behalf for a book recommendation. To my surprise he came back offering a video call – little did I know how fortunate I was! Bernard was a retired lecturer at Manchester College, who had guided a young Roger Smith OBE. He became my mentor every Wednesday afternoon for the next four years.’
Rhys says the first clock they repaired together was a Smiths striking clock, which he gave to his grandparents for Christmas that year, as it resembled one that was given to them on their wedding day.
‘Just starting out, I had limited tools and resources,’ he adds. ‘When it came to oiling the clock, I did not have anything to use on the mainspring. I raided the pantry and used corn oil. Just for reference, it worked but only for a short time! Clock number one finished. Bernard then offered to do another clock with me.
Over the years, we have worked on so many with varying complications.
‘At this time, he was closing his shop in Plymouth and offered lots of tools and parts to support my future. Driving down to collect the tools was the first and only time we have met in person,’ he adds.
In 2022, Rhys reached out to local horologists and joined the South London BHI Branch, who he says are hugely supportive of his development, offering guidance, sharing knowledge and skills. In particular, Antonio Silva and Ron Rose encouraged the honing of his skills.
‘They introduced me to the wider horological world and gave opportunities that I would not have had without them,’ he adds. ‘There are limitations to what can be achieved over video calls so both Antonio and Ron worked hard to refine my technique.
Similarly, David Poole has been very supportive providing advice and knowledge, particularly regarding my future direction. It is truly humbling that so many people have generously invested their time in me.’
During 2023, Rhys started the BHI Level 3 Diploma in Clock and Watch Servicing. His final exam was in May 2024 and he is now starting his Level 4 Diploma.
After exploring various options to further his education, Rhys approached Bill Bruce, a lantern clock expert, who he says has a wonderful workshop in Lewes.
‘He was not looking for an apprentice, but he offered me time in his workshop to see how things develop. I travel to his workshop a couple of days every week and have been trusted to work on some impressive pieces under his guidance. Although it is a four hour round trip by train, it is worth every second.’
Rhys says, in truth, all his mentors have inspired him. ‘They are all masters of their craft and yet they strive and are dedicated to continuous learning and excellence. They inspire me to continually challenge myself and strive to reach their standards. I hope that one day I will be able to pay this forward to the next generation of horologists with the same generosity that I have been shown.
‘I hope that I can continue to work and learn alongside Bill for the near future. Bernard’s video calls are ongoing and I plan to spend some time at his workshop to learn watch repair. I also have plans to sit some of the BHI Level 4 exams in May 2025. Once I have completed Level 4, I would like to tackle the rest of the BHI exams.’
Rhys says he was delighted to receive the Guild award and is looking forward to choosing some tools to help him on his horological journey.