Local keepers of time have relocated their shop to the original home where they began fixing watches and clocks in 1965.
Layne’s Clocks has vacated its location at 5618 E. Broadway, where it operated since 1978, and moved back to the family home at 6602 E. Broadway, said Nancy Layne, daughter of founder Bert Layne.
The business fixes wristwatches and wall clocks and resets grandfather clocks in home visits.
The family business idea for Layne’s Clocks, began when Bert Layne found a pocket watch as a small boy and took it apart to see what made it tick.
“We have so many customers who come in and say, ‘Kids don’t wear watches anymore,’” Layne said. “I say, ‘Yes, they do’, but really entertainers wear them as a piece of jewelry more than anything.”
In a world of digital timekeeping and automation, preserving timepieces is a dying art.
“It’s sad because there’s just not that many repairmen anymore,” Layne said.
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But, some younger shoppers who find unique clocks at thrift stores often come to the shop to see if they can be fixed to run again.
“I think the younger generation is tired of throwing things away,” Layne said.
The family business idea began when her father found a pocket watch as a small boy and took it apart to see what made it tick.
When he enlisted in the Air Force in 1942, he was put to work on clocks and gauges in the aircraft.
After his service, Bert Layne opened a shop in Tennessee in 1956 before relocating to Tucson in 1965 because of his asthma.
In a world of digital timekeeping and automation, preserving timepieces is a dying art. But, some younger shoppers who find unique clocks at thrift stores often come to Layne’s Clocks to see if they can be fixed to run again.
The shop is now back home and open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment.
Visit laynesclocks.com for more information.
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