20 years of 'clock-watching' pays off for Bau man

KUCHING: For 20 years, Mohd Firdaus Abdullah has been gazing at timepieces, and more so now with the upcoming Aidilfitri festive season, enabling him to earn RM4,000 a month by repairing them.

It is imperative for the 38-year-old watchmaker to have good vision as he is working with tiny parts when repairing clocks and watches.

"Precision and patience as well skills to use the necessary equipment are vital in repairing these timepieces," he told Bernama.

Hailing from the Bau district, near here, Mohd Firdaus became interested in the trade when he was 18 years old after working at a watch shop here.

Without undergoing formal training to become a watchmaker, he gained experience working in different watch shops for several years until he decided to open his own business.

He began in 2009 with just a small cart at a shopping mall in Jalan P Ramlee, here, where he did repair and maintenance services for mechanical watches.

In the beginning, his clientele included only friends and relatives, but his business soon grew and became well-known in the city.

"There are times that I have to serve 40 customers a day, and now that Hari Raya is drawing closer, customers come wanting to service about four to eight watches," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Firdaus said there have been challenges to keep his business afloat, especially during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) as well as with the current trend of wearing smartwatches.

"Every business has its challenges but I will continue doing what I love to do. I do not mind gazing at timepieces for hours on end just to repair them. It is satisfying for a watchmaker to be able to repair or bring a damaged timepiece back to life," he added.

-- BERNAMA