Who we are

Seth Thomas Fan Space is the website where people who are interested in the history of Seth Thomas mechanical clocks and mechanical pocket watches can come to quench their interest whether they are brand new to this subject matter or have been interested in the field for decades. Seth Thomas Fan Space is also a way that I keep my research project organized and stimulate interest in others to help me research the Seth Thomas product line. There are several ways that you can help me with this project discussed below, none of which involve any donations or fees; so keep reading.

There are no membership requirements, fees, advertisements, or identity checks, and there is no information that is deemed so special or sensitive that it needs to be kept away from the public’s awareness at the Seth Thomas Fan Space.

I AM NOT a Watchmaker or a Professional Horologist; but I AM retired from my first career as a Fire Battalion Chief on a municipal fire department during the last quarter of the 20th Century, and I AM ALSO retired from my second career as a Clinical Forensic Social Worker during the first quarter of the 21st Century having served in a collaboration between my employer, the Forensics Division of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addition Services, and the Connecticut State Police.

Clock and watch collecting, with a hefty dose of historical research, is my hobby. I do it because it’s fun, interesting, and productive, and I appreciate that it can be fun, interesting, and productive for anyone. The clocks and pocket watches that you will see on this website are NOT pristine specimens that have been professionally restored, completely gone over mechanically, and polished up to take first place in a beauty contest or on a sales floor. Except where specifically noted, they are each a part of my own personal collection in various stages of gentle cosmetic and mechanical stabilization and restoration. Most of the pocket watches were purchased as parts watches, many without hands, dials, critical mechanical components, or watch cases. Some are just being restored to recognizable specimens of the Seth Thomas product line, and others are slowly but surely being brought back to life.  The Seth Thomas Clock Company was a world-wide leader in the industry, had a diverse product line, and is a part of our economic and industrial history here in Connecticut; so it was a logical and meaningful way of choosing a focus for exploring my interest in mechanical timepieces.

Photographs of the clocks and pocket watches in this collection are updated each time that I pull them out of storage to work on them. The website actually helps me to organize my research efforts and resources, and to better enjoy this amazing hobby. One way that you can help me directly with my research is to upload photographs of your own Seth Thomas pocket watches to the Pocket Watch Database.  Most of the Seth Thomas pocket watch research information that you see shared here had its origins in my browsing the Seth Thomas Image Gallery on the Pocket Watch Database and then pursuing questions and observations that arose from that browsing activity. Pocket Watch Database Accounts are free of charge, and you will have full access to the photographs and descriptive information that you share. You will have the ability to edit and change or delete the information and photographs that you submit as you see fit. The Pocket Watch Database is a highly trusted resource worldwide. The Pocket Watch Database and its founder Nathan Moore have had the greatest impact on my ability to grow and learn about Seth Thomas pocket watches since I started collecting them in 2022.

Other user-friendly resources for good background information, specifically about collecting Seth Thomas timepieces, are sadly lacking on the internet.  It is my hope that this website and Seth Thomas Fan Space on Facebook can serve together as friendly, positive, supportive spaces to help others enter into, participate collectively in, share their knowledge, and enjoy the hobby as much as I have.

In addition to providing essential basic information about Seth Thomas products Seth Thomas Fan Space seeks out groundbreaking historical information on topics related to Seth Thomas timepiece production that have never been fully explored and publicly presented. Newly documented information is presented on the Seth Thomas Fan Space in the appropriate depth and detail to provide a better understanding to anyone who is interested in the production history of the Seth Thomas Clock Company and the Seth Thomas Watch Company. Readers can utilize the “Contact” feature at the bottom of each page to share additional relevant, documented information with the website administrator privately. This creates a safe space where we are all learning together without being trolled by the pathologically negative element that has unfortunately evolved within the community of those interested in researching the history of the diverse Seth Thomas product line.

The importance of making historical background information freely available to all who have interest in the roots of the American clock and watch industry cannot be overstated. Information that is not freely shared not only confounds the research of present-day horologists; but will likely become information forever lost to the future generations of horologists. Hoarding information that was compiled through the collective efforts of many well-meaning collectors and researchers is the epitome of narcissism and sociopathy.

The Seth Thomas Fan Space has taken a leadership role, and become the number one website dedicated solely to the Seth Thomas brand, in accurately reporting and freely disseminating invaluable information to the horological community and the public at large about Seth Thomas pocket watches. You will not find this concentrated depth and breadth of information about Seth Thomas pocket watches presented in any other resource, anywhere.

The Seth Thomas Fan Space looks like an old fashioned mechanical website because we are interested in Gilded Age mechanical timepieces and our values reflect that nostalgic attitude. The “clunky-chunky” button menus allow users to better visualize the architecture of the entire website and navigate more quickly across the website to access information that they are looking for than “sleek” modern-day drop-down menus would; but there is a drop-down “Index” in the menu bar at the top of every page to help you get to certain specific topics. My first experiences in computer programming involved teletype tape and punch cards in the 1970’s  working for Bell Telephone, and in the early 1980’s as a part-time student at Southern Connecticut State University. When working on this website I keep a set of 1990’s computer wrenches handy at all times.

Enjoy exploring the website -

 Jonathan Luysterborghs

Website Administrator & Seth Thomas Fan