User:Philip Thorpe Priestley

Philip Thorpe Priestley BSc FSA MBHI (born 15 May 1936 in Lincoln) lives in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England.

He was educated at Lincoln City (Grammar) School 1946-1954 and at the University of Nottingham 1954-57 (BSc Hons Chemistry). He joined Kodak Limited in the UK and worked as an IT Manager at several locations including the USA (4 years for Eastman Kodak). He holds several patents in the fields of measuring small temperature differences and thermometric reaction instrumentation. He served in the Royal Air Force for National Service as an Electronics Instructor. From 1966 he was involved in the acquisition and application of the earliest process control computers to the manufacturing process. He later became responsible for installing large commercial computers in Kodak. He retired from Kodak at the beginning of 1993.

In retirement, he has expanded his long-term interest in antique watches, specialising in those made in the USA. Whilst living in the USA, he completed his seminal work on Watch Case Makers of England 1720 -1920, being the first book detailing the trade of case making, makers and their marks registered at the various assay offices, published 1994. In 2000 this was followed by a second book, Early Watch Case Makers of England 1631 to 1720, also published in the USA by the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors Inc (NAWCC). In 2002 he contributed to a seminar in Massachusetts entitled Boston: Cradle of Industrial Watchmaking the proceedings of which were published in 2005 by NAWCC. In 2004 he jointly, with the late Canon Maurice Ridgway, wrote the definitive book on Chester Gold & Silver Marks 1570-1962 published by the Antique Collectors' Club Ltd, England. His latest book Aaron Lufkin Dennison, An Industrial Pioneer and his Legacy was recently published by the NAWCC in 2010. Aaron was a co-founder of the prestigeous Waltham Watch Company of Massachusetts in 1850 and the Dennison Watch Case Company of Handsworth, Birmingham, England in 1874.

He has also taken a keen interest in Politics and has been a member of Chiltern District Council for 25 years (as of 2010) representing Chalfont Common and later Chesham Bois & Weedon Hill Wards being Chairman of Council from 2007-2009.

He is a Fellow of the London Society of Antiquaries, a Freeman of Lincoln and London, a member of the Silver Society and the Jewellery/Plate/Horology Society, a professional Member of the British Horological Institute, a Silver Star Fellow of the NAWCC, a member of the Antiquarian Horological Society and a Liveryman of the Clockmakers' Company.

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