The Watch Repairman

While walking my dog, I stopped by Frank's to say Hi and saw he was sitting in the backyard with Abe. The two of them - at 89 and 90 - were planning out the bus schedule so they could go to the watch store to change the battery in Frank's watch. I told Frank that I had a few things to do in the morning but that I'd take him later in the day. He kept staring at his watch. I said, "Frank, what are you looking at? It's not working." He said, "I do everything by the watch." Frank likes to structure his life and he uses his watch to maintain that structure. He constantly looks at his watch and sets up activities throughout the day which need to be done at certain times. Especially lunch. He will look at his watch and say, "I need to think about what to make for lunch." Then he'll sit quietly and think. So, not having a working watch was making him anxious.

Frank wanted to go to a particular watch store, Majestic Jewelry, because he's known John for many years and tells me that he's the best. He didn't remember the name of the store but I drove slowly down Fairfax until he recognized it. Frank has a gold and silver Seiko which he got when he retired. He says proudly, "At the time I think it was $300. And with the engraving... who knows." The union head took up a collection from the other cabinetmakers to buy Frank the watch. It has his name and the year he retired - 1983, I believe.

John is a Bulgarian born watch repairman who's been repairing watches for "almost 50 years." His business sits in an old storefront with an old sign. But the people who go to him have been doing so for many years and they don't go for the aesthetics. They all go because John's the best.

Frank waited a few minutes for his battery to get changed and said to me, "You see how fast he does it?" He was no longer anxious. He looked down at his watch and smiled. And then I drove him home.