The British Horological Institute (BHI) was founded in 1858 to promote the art, science and craft of making time pieces. It has around 3,000 members from across the world and is located in Upton Hall, Nottinghamshire.
The institute has trained watch and clock makers for the past 120 years. Over this period people have donated time pieces for students to work on. Due to the size and quality of the collection built up it was decided to create a museum.
The museum contains one of the largest horological collections in Britain with over 4,000 clocks and watches, dating from the 17th Century to present day.
The institute has workshops on site at Upton Hall. They also run a distance learning course, teaching hundreds of students from Nottinghamshire to Australia, at any one time. Photo: Clock workshop.
Viscount Alan Midleton is an expert and fellow of the institute. He said: "There is a great shortage of clock and watch makers. There's a good living in it, definitely." Photo: Desk and tools in watch workshop.
Viscount Midleton is also the curator of the British Horological Institute museum. It is his job to to go around altering all the clocks, making sure they tell the right time.
The curator said: "It generally takes me two hours. When the clocks go forward you add a half hour to that. When the clock goes back it's rather more difficult as you should not turn the hands of a striking clock backward."
The curator winds the clocks once a week. "Tuesday is my winding day. I'm English. I like routines. We're good at that. Like queuing. But certain clocks I have to wind every day."
The Viscount is also librarian to one of the largest and most comprehensive libraries dedicated to clocks and watches in the world. The oldest book in the collection dates back to the 1500s.
The oldest clock in the museum collection dates back to the 1640s (bottom right of picture). Like many early clocks it is a table clock that you would carry from room to room with you. It is spring driven and strikes on the quarters and the hours.
One of the most famous watches in the collection belonged to polar explorer Captain Scott. It accompanied him on his fateful expedition to the Antarctic in 1912. You can see it hanging on the wall in this black and white photo of the expedition.
The museum is home to the world's first speaking clock which came into operation in 1936. Ethel Cain won a competition of Post Office telephonists to become its voice. With her new-found fame she was signed by Paramount and became an actress.
Members of the BHI also restore large turret clocks removed from public buildings. They are currently restoring the Newark North Gate railway station clock and the former Kings Cross railway station clock (pictured).
The Brisith Horological Institute is located in Upton, near Newark in Notts. The museum opens its doors to the public three times a year but private tours for interested parties can be arranged. For more information visit bhi.co.uk.