A specialist clock and watch repairman with 28 years of experience, John Allott has moved his business The Time Gallery from Bendigo to Stawell.
The Time Gallery will feature at the Stawell Pickers Market after Mr Allott and his wife Jane moved to the town.
Mr Allott specialised in the repair and restoration of old and antique timepieces.
He remembered his biggest clock repair challenge, which was after the Black Saturday bushfires when a Marysville man brought him an old french carriage clock he had saved from the charred ruins of his home.
“They found it a few days after the fire had compressed the clock between the floor, carpet and walls,” Mr Allott said.
“The enamel dial was ruined and the clock was charred all over. I asked the gentleman if he wanted the clock restored but he said no, and told me that I could have it.
“I took it thinking he would come back for it at some stage but after a year or so he hadn’t, so I started restoring it.”
Mr Allott sent the enamel dial to England for restoration and took six months to complete the job.
“It was a real challenge, the whole thing had to be rebuilt from scratch,” he said.
“When it was finished, an artist friend built a beautiful case for it and re-created the story of the clock in a small book in tiny script that fits inside the case.”
Pickers Market owners Anthea and Peter Perry said they were delighted to welcome John to the shop with his skills highly sought after considering timepiece repair is a dying art.
“We know John’s skills are a perfect fit for The Pickers Market, with many enthusiasts and collectors coming through our doors every week,” she said.
“John has an outstanding reputation as a quality repairer, so anyone who needs a clock or watch fixed or restored will be happy to know that John is working in the western Victorian region.
“We want to spread the word far and wide so people know where to find him.”
Mr Allott was available at The Pickers Market between Tuesday and Saturday from 10am-5pm.
