The Clock Man

At the age of 14, Matt Fitch knew it was time to get a job: his parents had just told him that he’d probably want a car in a few years and he should start thinking now about how he was going to pay for it. So the boy found work in a neighborhood clock shop. To Matt’s surprise, he discovered that he loved the challenge of fixing clocks. He kept the job all through high school, and all through college. By the time he was 24, he’d earned a Communications degree at Long Beach State and served a ten-year apprenticeship in the nearly-forgotten art and science of repairing antique clocks. In 1997, Matt opened The Clock Man clock and repair shop in the quaintly historic section of old town Fullerton. It was a tiny place, only 400 square feet, but through it Matt proceeded to build a huge reputation as the go-to guy for the repair and maintenance of every kind of clock imaginable. Today, officials from San Diego County to Ventura County call Matt to fix historic street clocks in towns and universities; owners of shopping malls and public areas depend on him to maintain the sophisticated new timepieces in their showpiece clock towers. Yet the calls Matt likes best come from regular folks whose antique clocks, from enormous grandfather clocks built in the 1700s to German cuckoo clocks to authentic Art Deco mantle clocks, have gone quiet or been quiet for decades. Matt has gotten used to their typical first response when he makes a house call to fix the clock: “But you’re so young!” He just laughs and goes to work restoring what he’s come to regard as the heartbeat of the home -- the steady tick-tock of a clock that’s kept time through generations. He’s often seen customers literally weep with joy at hearing once again the sound they knew so well as children in their grandparents’ house. Today, The Clock Man has moved a few doors down from its original location. At 5,000 square feet, it’s huge by comparison, and has an inventory of about 800 clocks for sale, from antiques to new high-tech “animated” clocks. Brands of clocks and watches include some of the most exclusive in the world, as well as some of the most affordable. Clock repair is still a major part of the store’s business. Regulars have gotten to know Matt’s grandfather, who works at the store, as well as Matt’s wife, son and daughter, who often help out on the weekends. Also services Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Westminster, La Palma, Rossmore, Los Alamitos, Long Beach, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Cerritos, Huntington Beach, Corona, Villa Park, Diamond Bar, Tustin, Orange, Walnut, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Seal Beach & Orange County California. Additional website- http://www.theclockmanonline.com/index.html