The St.Petersburg Centre of Watch & Clock Restoration

A dynasty of brilliant craftsmen, the world famous, self-made watch-makers in several generations in a row, those who were rewarded with lots of Russian and international prizes, medals, certificates, produced pocket watches, which were made of unusual materials - wood and ivory.

In 1837 Ivan Tikhonovich Bronnikov known as a turner in Vyatka got an offer from those who organized the first exhibition to make some items in order to demonstrate his skills. On excuse of being too old, the 60 year-old craftsman refused the proposal but promised that his son Simon would prepare “something”.

3 months later Simon Bronnikov startled everybody at the exhibition. He presented not “something” but a miniature watch (an extreme rarity for those days) showing minutes precisely. The watch was hand-made and all clock components were made of wood. It was for the first time in the history of clock-making. An imperial heir, the future Alexander II, acquired it.

Thus S.V. Bronnikov, the founder of the dynasty, successfully finished the first project and took up a business of manufacturing a tricky unusual watch. He exhibited his original works at numerous exhibitions perfecting his professional skills and passed them on to his children.

Two of Simon’s seven sons, Nicolas and Michael, and also his grandson Nicolas Michailovich inherited the high standard of proficiency. The business of the Bronnikovs existed for more than 70 years. Any of their watches, each clockwork was a unique one, though alike, and there were no identical ones in the world craftsmanship.

The Bronnikovs were laboring at their watches together and individually. They used various kinds of wood: walnut, palm tree, hardened bamboo. Some mechanisms were supplied with not a palm spring but a metal one to make them more durable. The cases and special boxes for the watches were made of nodule while their dials were adorned with inlaid mother-of-pearl and ivory. Some watches were completely of ivory.