We are extremely fortunate to retain a very experienced collective of both watch and clockmakers, these craftsmen make up the highly professional in house team.
Geoff Allnutt FBHI – Started trading and restoring second hand and vintage watches in 1984. Geoff started his career working alongside his father, John when he was 14. At 16 he left Midhurst and studied horology in London for three years at Hackney Technical College passing the final grade of the British Horological Institute exams with merit in 1985. He then embarked on the famous WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Education Program) course in Neuchatel Switzerland studying under master watchmaker Antoine Simonin. Upon his return to the UK he rejoined the family business and for the past thirty years he has successfully developed the vintage wristwatch restoration and sales side of the company. He is also one of two Programme Advisors for the Postgraduate Diploma Conservation of Clocks and Related Objects at West Dean College in West Sussex. He has already trained two apprentice to FBHI status and has also mentored a number of clock and watchmakers. In 2016 he opened his second shop, Geoff Allnutt Clocks which retails Antique Clocks and Scientific Instruments.
Tim Hughes MBHI – An antique clock restorer who graduated from the distinguished West Dean College in West Sussex, attaining the West Dean Diploma, BADA and the West Dean Professional Development Diploma. He is also a Craft Scholar from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) which funds the education of talented craftspeople through traditional college courses, apprenticeships or one-on-one training with masters.
Cameron McNaughton MBHI – A Watch and Clockmaker responsible for the restoration of antique, vintage and contemporary watches. Cameron graduated from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1993, following a five year apprenticeship at Canterbury Clocks in Melbourne under the tutelage of Ken Payne. He went onto complete, and graduate as the top student, on the WOSTEP course in Neuchatel in 1993, again studying under Master Watchmaker Antoine Simonin, before joining Asprey’s in London and SWICO in Surrey. He is now an independent watchmaker.
Martin Stapeley MBHI – Martin’s horological experience started at the age of 14 years old, working from his bedroom mending alarm clocks. He then joined his father in the family business from the age of 16 in 1971 serving his apprenticeships and qualifying in 1976. He became a Craft Member of the BHI and continued to work alongside his father, taking over the business in 1996 until the business was sold in 2006. In 2007 he joined Pressleys Jewellers in Worthing for 4 years before being accredited by Rolex in 2008. He became self employed and continued to specialise in the repair of vintage watches before joining J E Allnutt’s in 2011.
Jacob Russell FBHI – Geoff is delighted to announce that Jacob Russell, his apprentice for the last 5 years has passed his British Horological Exams with Merit together with the highest mark for his portfolio; thus becoming the youngest Fellow of the British Horological Institute in Britain at that time. He has now joined the team at J E Allnutt & Son and is continuing the time honoured profession of watchmaking.
We also realise that we have a responsibility to continue to pass on this amazing source of knowledge and as such Geoff has taken on another apprentice.
Patrick Woodward FBHI – Following the amazing success of his first apprentice, Jacob Russell FBHI who qualified as the youngest watchmaker in Britain in 2016, Geoff Allnutt, J E Allnutt & Son Limited has recently taken on another young apprentice, Patrick Woodward.
Patrick initially approached Geoff in November 2017, after reading an article about Jacob’s success in the local press, about the possibility of an apprenticeship with J E Allnutt & Son Limited in Midhurst. He initially came in on a trial basis one day a week whilst also continuing for several months with his full time employment in micro electronics. He had approached over 30 companies, most of which did not even respond to his numerous requests for employment. Geoff saw great potential in Patrick and he offered him a full time apprenticeship in watchmaking in April 2018.
Patrick has recently completed his apprenticeship of 4 years and qualified to become a Member of the British Horological Institute.
In 2022, Patrick completed his watch making portfolio and became a Fellow of the British Horological Institute. He also won the British Horological Institute Bronze Medal, a prize issued to the best apprentice watchmaker in the United Kingdom.
Dale Sardeson ACR MBHI – A clockmaker and conservator who trained for three years at West Dean College, graduating in 2019. Dale first trained in clock making and repair on the college’s foundation programme, before going on to complete an MA in their conservation, graduating with distinction and receiving the distinguished Trustee’s Award twice during his time at the college – once for his first-year new build project, and once for his conservation work on the unique falling globe clock belonging to the Society of Antiquaries in London. Dale was granted the status of Accredited Conservator-Restorer by the Institute of Conservation (ICON) in 2023.
Michael Martin – After working for several years as a commercial and creative writer Mikey decided to change career paths and pursue something more fulfilling in the world of craft. Having barely looked inside a clock before, he enrolled at West Dean Collage of Arts and Conservation in the clocks conservation department for three years, attaining a Foundation Degree Arts (FDA) and a Professional Development Diploma (PDD). It proved to be a subject that satisfied his combined interests of art, science and history, whilst getting to develop and use practical hand skills. He now uses those skills daily, working alongside and learning from experienced, professional clockmakers.