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Company Lore
6.17.2025
PRO-CLASS: The Archetypes of Towson Watch Owners
Each reference model aligns with one of six pro-class categories, named after the specific target professional for whom the watch is intended.
Towson Watch Company
Our Watchmakers
Hartwig balke &
george thomas
TWC was founded by Hartwig Balke and George Thomas in 1998. Both came to Maryland in retirement to sail the Chesapeake. Thomas trained as a watchmaker in 1948; Balke as an engineer in Germany. They opened the workshop together and still run it.
“I started life as a watchmaker in 1948, 58 years ago. Hartwig started out as an engineer. We work together well because he essentially does the design and engineering work that I can’t do. But I’ve had a lot of experience doing restoration of antique watches for museums. These are 200 to 300 year-old timepieces. We have both ends of the technical spectrum covered, from current engineering to an understanding of watchmaking 500 years ago.”
George Thomas
“I started life as a watchmaker in 1948, 58 years ago. Hartwig started out as an engineer. We work together well because he essentially does the design and engineering work that I can’t do. But I’ve had a lot of experience doing restoration of antique watches for museums. These are 200 to 300 year-old timepieces. We have both ends of the technical spectrum covered, from current engineering to an understanding of watchmaking 500 years ago.”
George Thomas
Our Watchmakers
Articles, interviews, and notes from the workshop — design decisions, history, and the work behind specific watches.
