On time

Some may remember my rather embarrassing Blip from March where I had collected an unrepaired watch after 19 years! It had been a present from my first girlfriend in 1975.

Apparently Tissot had neither spare parts for the strap nor, quite amazingly, no strap that would fit the unusual strap connection design. I Googled Tissot & while they seem to do a good postal repair service, I feared the answer would be the same ...cant't help. But while on the Tissot pages, found a local watchmaker who was an approved service agent.

A few weeks ago, I took the watch to him along with 2 other watches and two clocks. He said he would take a look and was sure he would come up with a solution. A week or so later came the quote for all the work and I gave the go ahead.

Today I picked it up. Absolutely amazed at how wonderfully he had done all the work. For the Tissot he had found a very similar strap, in fact in my view even finer and elegant than the original, and then cut out sections so that it could be connected. He also did a spectacular job on my Norfolk family 19thC heirloom mantle place clock.

Really got the feeling he loved his work and was himself thrilled at having the chance to totally dismantle the clock and give it a good clean.

I would love to know his background - I have put together 1+1 and probably made 3, but I have a feeling he was a late teenager 30 years ago when the Berlin Wall came down and came from the former East Germany (based on accent) to do his apprenticeship & then master qualification in northern Bavaria (Würzburg where his certificates on the walls were displayed.) A guy with a lovely mix of assuredness in his abilities but with not the slightest sign of arrogance.

The photo isn't the best of the watch as it was out of focus, but I also loved the house he has his superb, immaculate and very modern workshop. Real treat to meet someone like this and yes, it was not cheap, but I very willingly paid his invoice.