HEATHER LARGE CHATS TO HOROLOGIST CALEB PARKER WHO AT THE AGE OF JUST 22 HAS TURNED HIS PASSION FOR CLOCKS AND WATCHES INTO A FLEDGLING REPAIR BUSINESS.
From antique grandfather clocks to modern timepieces, Caleb Parker repairs and restores intricate mechanisms and brings them back to life.
The 22-year-old graduated with a degree in Horology from Birmingham City University last year.
He has since set up his own business, Red Oak Clock Repairs, named after the oak tree that stands behind his workshop.
“I discovered the course when looking for the next step after finishing A-levels.
“My grandad has done clockwork for 60 years and having worked with him, when I came across the course, I thought it would be something quite exciting to do since I have always enjoyed hands-on work.
“He was a teacher in his career, but he’s always been fascinated by clocks and has enjoyed the process of working on them,” he says.
During the three-year course, Caleb honed his hand and machining skills as he learned how to identify and resolve complex faults.
“It was a very practical degree. It involved a lot of practical skills, making parts and servicing clocks and watches.
“My final dissertation project was making my own clock,” says Caleb, who lives near Shrewsbury.
He is now building up his business and dedicating his spare time to servicing and repairs.
“At the moment, I’m doing carpentry as well as clocks,” he says.
Thanks to his degree, Caleb can turn his hand to a broad range of timekeepers including longcase, mantel, carriage and wall clocks.
“They can be anything from 18th century longcase clocks to 1940s and 1950s mass-produced mantle clocks.
“As part of my degree I had to explore a wide range of clocks and watches. I definitely got a good look at all kinds of things,” says Caleb.
Generally, customers will seek his expertise when their clocks have stopped working.
“Often things just need a service because at the end of the day, they are mechanical pieces so, much like a car, if they don’t get new oil and attention, parts start to wear out.
“As parts start to break or become too worn out, it will stop working,” explains Caleb.
“Sometimes it’s not a case of taking the whole clock apart and doing a full service on it.
“It can be as minor as how they are set up because they can be sensitive and if they are not on a solid surface or if they are placed where they might be knocked from time to time, they can have problems,” he adds.
Resolving issues and getting clocks back up and running is very fulfilling for Caleb.
“I think it’s really satisfying being able to pick something up that might not be working or is in need of restoration and be able to work on it from start to finish and give it new life,” he says.
“Another part of the enjoyment is the variety of the job,” adds Caleb.
“Nothing is the same even if it is servicing another clock or it might be setting one up, everything is completely different especially with the older pieces that were made by a man in a workshop – no two clocks made are the same,” he explains.
The former Thomas Telford School pupil particularly enjoys working on longcase clocks. “They tend to be more quality movements,” he says.
“My parents got a longcase clock early last year and that needed restoring.
“It was completely rundown and I was able to make a few parts for that myself and get it back to being a functional timepiece.
“It was good to completely restore it. It was a regulator clock so it’s a very accurate timekeeper.
“It’s the sort of clock that back in the day a clockmaker would have had in his workshop and would have been the clock that he set all his other clocks by.
“He would use it as his master clock. Nowadays, we might use a mobile phone,” says Caleb.
“At the moment, the value of clocks fluctuates. A few years ago, a good longcase might have sold for several thousand pounds, but prices have fallen since.
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“Fashions also change, however I think clocks themselves have a special presence. If someone values an old clock because of its soothing tick or for sentimental reasons, then it is always worth maintaining and I am ready to do that.
“I enjoy doing restoration work and hope to continue with it as a regular source of income.
“I always get a sense of satisfaction when I repair a clock that has been neglected for many years and I can bring it back to life,” he adds.
Caleb enjoys the sense of achievement that comes with being a horologist – even if some timepieces can be challenging at times.
“It’s quite therapeutic, until there is a problem that you initially can’t see but when you solve it, it’s very satisfying,” he says.
