Brown's Clock Repair is an accidental passion

Blog Layout

Brown's Clock Repair is an accidental passion

Erin Joy Gentry • Feb 04, 2021

Merchant's Corner

by Erin Joy Gentry

For certain residents of Calhoun County, time truly did stand still for the duration of the statewide stay-at-home order issued during the early months of the pandemic last year.

The reason? Their clocks were scheduled to be serviced by Don Brown of Brown’s Clock Repair, but the shutdown meant that the clock repairman was temporarily unable to traverse the wide territory he normally does.

Though his shop is located in Colon, Brown has been servicing timepieces in Calhoun County since the late 90s, when employees of Post and the Federal Center were commuting back and forth.

“Thanks to word of mouth, people began sending their clocks down and I began expanding the area I covered,” he said.

Brown shared that staying afloat in what is not typically a lucrative business has required a fair amount of flexibility - and travel.

“For me to be able to keep busy, I had to adapt and take on more areas so I can have more balance of business,” he said, noting that he currently covers anywhere from Hillsdale to St. Joe County.

Brown credits his ongoing relationship with The Shopper for his continued success in Calhoun County, saying that the weekly ads he places in the paper have generated enough business to justify weekly visits to the area.

“Give or take, I’m in Battle Creek and Marshall - that area exclusively - every Friday, all day long, doing clocks,” Brown said, adding that the free pickup, free delivery, and free estimates he offers make his business attractive to customers.

Though she used to tease him about quitting his “real” job in manufacturing to work with clocks, Brown’s wife Cheryleen is, in a way, the reason he began to take an interest in clocks.

It began back in the 1970s with a key-wind clock that she gave him for his birthday, which is in August. The next month, Brown and his wife were searching for a mantle clock for Cheryleen’s birthday.

“After that, we just kind of began searching for more clocks,” Brown said with a chuckle.

Already a mechanically-inclined person, Brown said that he wanted to “confirm his drive and intuition” before turning clock-repair into a business instead of a hobby.

“I did clock repair on my own for a bit, but you realize that you need confirmation on how to do it correctly once you realize there’s an interest,” Brown said. “Over a period 5 years, back in the 70s, I took enough courses to be certified with The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors in Columbia, Pennsylvania.”

The NAWCC, which is located west of Lancaster, PA, has a robust website that includes discussion forums, research tools, and collections. There is also a museum for those interested in the history of timekeeping.

Brown says that of the wide variety of pieces he has repaired, the ones that typically pose the greatest challenges for him are those coming out of the 1800s and early 1900s.

“Some older clocks have such extreme wear that it’s difficult to get them calibrated to be a reliable timepiece,” Brown said, adding that he does not take money for the occasional piece that he deems unrepairable.

Brown acknowledged that clock repair is somewhat of a dying trade, given the digitization of society and what he termed a “lack of engrossment in mechanical things”.

With that in mind, Brown expressed gratitude that his business, though greatly diminished, was steady during the shutdown last year.

“We took the governor’s order to ‘stay safe, stay home’ seriously,” Brown said. “If people had repair appointments at the shop, I wouldn’t go out to greet them. It was all contactless for a bit.”

Once things re-opened in June last year, Brown said that he was immediately busy, having approximately three months’ worth of repair jobs to address before taking on new business.

As he reflected on the continued success his clock repair business has enjoyed, Brown indicated that his personal interest and passion for repairing clocks has made the work seem less like “work”.

He acknowledged that his personal touch, commitment to standing by his work, and willingness to expand his territory has doubtless contributed to the longevity of his business, but he made it clear that he has no interest in boasting his success.

“I don’t have a horn to toot,” he said. “In the clock business, you never know when it’s going to be up or down. There’s nothing that governs it. Business - whether it’s good or it’s slow - just sort of happens.”

< Older Post Newer Post >