A weekday evening finds 52-year-old Shaik Mehmood sitting in a corner of The Qurio City on K. Kamaraj Road, peering through a magnifier as he fixes the damaged gear of a James McCabe vintage clock.
Mr. Mehmood, who can work on any instrument that measures time, is a horologist, a maker and fixer of clocks and watches. But as mechanical clocks are losing ground to their digital counterparts, horologists are also disappearing with the relentless march of time and technology, even in Namma Bengaluru.
The Qurio City is a treasure trove of antiques that draws in locals and tourists, but Mr. Mehmood has his own loyal following of watch and clock collectors who need his services. “A craftsman should be driven by passion to work on vintage watches and clocks,” says the horologist.
Today’s age of quartz watches and electronic timepieces have given rise to a section of technicians who mostly remain unaware of the skills and techniques of their predecessors. “These days, technicians use trial and error while working on vintage timepieces,” laments Mr. Mehmood.
With a section of people ardently seeking yesteryear items, there is a huge demand for vintage clocks, mainly those of celebrated models such as Smith Enfield, Ansonia, Seth Thomas, and Kienzle. “A niche group is attempting restoration of vintage clocks, but there aren’t many technicians around. People often go to the wrong repairman and a timepiece will be doomed for ever. Some pieces could be rare, but they diminish without the owner even realising their real value,” said K. Ramachandran, a fellow horologist.
Bengaluru’s own watchmaker Hegde and Golay, established in the 1960s on Kanakapura Road, had a much sought-after horology course.
“Sadly, the watch company went down with time and so did the course. Many who did the course still remain top technicians for premium watch and clock brands in the country,” recalls octogenarian M.S. Chandrasekhara Iyer, a veteran horologist from Mysuru.
Mr. Mehmood and Mr. Ramachandran are passing down their craft to a new generation of watchmakers who are interested in it. As long as there is a mechanical watch in Bengaluru, their knowledge will never go to waste.
