MajorsDec 16, 2025
Pandora’s New CEO Will Step Up EarlyBerta de Pablos-Barbier will replace Alexander Lacik at the start of January, two months earlier than expected.
WatchesAug 08, 2017
Veterans Watchmaker Initiative to Launch in September
Operating for now in a temporary facility in Odessa, Delaware, the school will teach watchmaking skills to disabled veterans.
The Veterans Watchmaker Initiative is kicking off its first class on Sept. 5 in Odessa, Delaware.
Odessa, Del.--It’s been five years in the making, but a program designed to offer free classes on watchmaking to disabled veterans is ready to launch.
Right after Labor Day, the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative will hold its first class.
The idea for the school started in 2012 with Sam Cannan, a retired police officer from Baltimore who trained in Switzerland and has been a watchmaker for the past 30 years. He also has served as the director of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors School of Horology.
Cannan designed the school to mirror the one Bulova opened in 1945 to train disabled servicemen at no cost. It closed in the late 1990s.
There will be no cost to students of the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative either; all costs are and will continue to be underwritten largely by the watchmaking industry, grants and private donations.
Once their education is finished, the veterans then aim to find a job in some aspect of watchmaking. In fact, there’s a place on the Veterans Watchmaking Initiative website for retailers or watch service centers who are interested in hiring a graduate of the initiative.
The program is dedicated to honorably discharged veterans, specifically those who have been disabled. The watchmaking skills they gain from the school give them a chance to provide for themselves and their families, Cannan said.
“For the first time in a long time, they have control over their lives,” he said, adding that the actual work of watchmaking also is therapeutic for many of them, as it is a skill that can be worked in the quiet and at their own pace.
Right now, the school is operating out of a facility in Odessa, Delaware called The Odessa Center for Horological Excellence. Cannan cut a deal to rent the space, the former county paramedic station, from the New Castle County government for $1 per year after learning they were going to tear it down.
Fittingly, the town has a long history in the clock-making business, according to the Historic Odessa Foundation. The organization told the Middletown Transcript the craftsmen who made clocks and clock cases in the area date back to the 1700s.
A CAD rendering of what the final facility housing the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative in Middletown, Delaware will look like
The classroom in the Odessa facility
But four acres have been donated to the initiative in nearby Middletown, which will be the permanent site of the school once enough money is raised to fund construction.
It will be a 28,000-square-foot facility, serving
54 students at a time and include not only classrooms but also administrative offices, a gym, a dining hall and more.
The Odessa facility then will become a full-time service center for those veterans who have finished their training but did not want to work in the public arena. Cannan said the building would be able to hold about 20 employees doing service and repairs for customers like a “for profit” business.
The first class to kick off the initiative is a watch technician course, starting Sept. 5. It will have six students.
Currently, there are more than 300 people waiting to join the program, Cannan said. Instructors will all be volunteering their time.
Its curriculum includes a full Professional Veterans Watchmaker Training Program, which requires students to take a total of 1,840 class hours (about 14 months). There also will be a six-week (260 hours) watch technician option.
On Wednesday, Sept. 13, there will be a grand opening event at the center in Odessa, celebrating the launch of a project that took five years to build but which will benefit many.
“When people ask me, ‘What’s in it for you?’ I tell them: If you don’t understand when you see that change that comes over them when they’ve learned something like this, you’ll never understand,” Cannan said.
The Odessa facility then will become a full-time service center for those veterans who have finished their training but did not want to work in the public arena. Cannan said the building would be able to hold about 20 employees doing service and repairs for customers like a “for profit” business.
The first class to kick off the initiative is a watch technician course, starting Sept. 5. It will have six students.
Currently, there are more than 300 people waiting to join the program, Cannan said. Instructors will all be volunteering their time.
Its curriculum includes a full Professional Veterans Watchmaker Training Program, which requires students to take a total of 1,840 class hours (about 14 months). There also will be a six-week (260 hours) watch technician option.
On Wednesday, Sept. 13, there will be a grand opening event at the center in Odessa, celebrating the launch of a project that took five years to build but which will benefit many.
“When people ask me, ‘What’s in it for you?’ I tell them: If you don’t understand when you see that change that comes over them when they’ve learned something like this, you’ll never understand,” Cannan said.
More on Watches
The Latest
AuctionsDec 16, 2025
Suzanne Belperron, JAR Shine in Sotheby’s First Auctions at New HQSotheby’s held its first two jewelry sales at the Breuer building last week, and they totaled nearly $44 million.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
TJS Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2026Winners will receive free registration and lodging for its fourth annual event in Detroit.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
ColumnistsDec 16, 2025
Beyond Unboxing: Creative Reveals to Drive Reach and EngagementHere are six ideas for making more engaging content for Instagram Reels and TikTok, courtesy of Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams.
Weekly QuizDec 11, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
Diamonds Do Good Names 2026 Award RecipientsThe honorees include a notable jewelry brand, an industry veteran, and an independent retailer.
CrimeDec 15, 2025
Men Receive Life Sentences in Home Invasion Murder of Jeweler Carlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
Policies & IssuesDec 15, 2025
Sara Yood Named Co-Chair of RJC Standards CommitteeYood will serve alongside Eduard Stefanescu, the sustainability manager for C.Hafner, a precious metals refiner in Germany.
IndependentsDec 15, 2025
M.S. Rau to Open Store in AspenThe New Orleans jeweler is also hosting pop-up jewelry boutiques in New York City and Dallas.
AuctionsDec 12, 2025
13.54-Carat Paraíba Tourmaline Sets Records at Christie’sSet in a Tiffany & Co. necklace, it sold for $4.2 million, the highest price and price per carat paid for a Paraíba tourmaline at auction.
MajorsDec 12, 2025
David Webb Reveals Ice-Cold Holiday Window DisplayThe jeweler’s “Deep Freeze” display showcases its iconic jewelry designs frozen in a vintage icebox.
CollectionsDec 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Oscar Heyman’s Sphene RingTake luxury gifting to new heights this holiday season with the jeweler’s showstopping 12-carat sphene ring.
Events & AwardsDec 12, 2025
IGI Jewelry Design Contest Now Accepting SubmissionsThis year's theme is “Unveiling the Depths of the Ocean.”
TrendsDec 11, 2025
Pinterest 2026 Trend Report: Brooches, Bold Gold, Cool BlueIn its annual report, Pinterest noted an increase in searches for brooches, heirloom jewelry, and ‘80s luxury.
GradingDec 11, 2025
GIA to Offer Origin Determination for 3 More GemstonesStarting Jan. 1, customers can request the service for opal, peridot, and demantoid garnet.
IndependentsDec 11, 2025
Look Inside Day’s Jewelers’ Ninth StoreThe 111-year-old retailer celebrated the opening of its new location in Salem, New Hampshire, which is its third store in the state.
MajorsDec 11, 2025
Americas Gold Releases New Gold Chain CatalogThe new catalog features its most popular chains as well as new styles.
AuctionsDec 10, 2025
Francis Ford Coppola’s Watch Sells for $10.8MThe filmmaker’s personal F.P. Journe “FFC” prototype was the star of Phillips’ recent record-setting watch auction in New York.
SurveysDec 10, 2025
Consumer Confidence Drops in November Inflations, tariffs, and politics—including the government shutdown—were among consumers’ top concerns last month.
SourcingDec 10, 2025
NAJA Announces Details for 2026 ‘Ace It’ Winter Conference“Longtime favorite” presenters, as well as first-time speakers, will lead talks and workshops at the annual event in Tucson next year.
Events & AwardsDec 10, 2025
MJSA Names 2025 Responsible Design Challenge WinnerSilas Smith of Meridian Metalworks won the challenge with his pendant that blends Australian and American landscapes.
AuctionsDec 09, 2025
‘Desert Rose’ Diamond Sells for $8.8M in Abu DhabiThe sale of the 31.68-carat, sunset-hued stone was part of Sotheby’s first series of events and auctions in Abu Dhabi.
ColumnistsDec 09, 2025
Holiday Sales Happen in December, Most Decisions Don’tMost customers who walk into your store this month have made up their minds. Your job is to validate their choice, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
TrendsDec 09, 2025
‘Once Upon a Time,’ Guzema Debuted Its Holiday CollectionThe collection features characters and motifs from Ukrainian folklore, including an enchanted mirror and a magic egg.
TechnologyDec 09, 2025
Gemvision Releases Updated MatrixGoldMatrixGold 3.11, the newest version of the jewelry design program, offers more flexibility, precision, and creative control.
Events & AwardsDec 09, 2025
MJSA Showcase Pavilion Returning to JA New York The pavilion will be part of the 2026 JA New York Spring show, scheduled for March 15 to 17.
