My Account
Wellsford will ring to the sound of more than 300 clocks and watches when they go up for sale at the Old Wellsford Library this month.
The time tellers are being sold by Whangarei resident Peter Cotton, from November 13 to 25 excluding November 19.
“There are clocks of all sizes that come from places including Germany, England and Japan,” Peter says. “Each has its own style.”
The 79-year-old retired in March this year, after repairing watches and clocks for 62 years, and decided he needed to clear some space in his garage.
“My workshop is full of these clocks but I need the space so I can keep repairing clocks as a hobby.”
Peter did his five-year apprenticeship in Whangarei and later owned his first shop in Waipu in 1960.
“I hate throwing things away, so I really enjoy the repair work. I have a tremor in my hands which prevents me from working on watches anymore.”
Peter also owned a shop in Wellsford from 1962 to 1985, and one in Warkworth until the late 1970s.
“The industry has changed a lot since I started. Most modern watches can’t even be repaired. “The older and more expensive watches can be quite complicated so it’s a bit like doing miniature mechanics.”
