Time Masters

Time Masters

Written by Candace Birkelbach Friday, 25 July 2008

John Fuller has a rhythm for making things tick. After 36 years in the watch repair business, Fuller is able to fix almost anything that keeps time.

“We repair anything from Timex to Rolex,” Fuller said. “This is a destination; people don’t just stop by.”

If your watch has ticked its last tick, Fuller can replace the battery in about two minutes and charges $5. But Time Masters does more than just replace watch batteries. The store also repairs old clocks, parking meters, garage door batteries, time card machines, phonographs and music boxes.

Fuller and his wife, Margaret, opened Time Masters 23 years ago after moving to Austin for Margaret’s healthcare job. Prior to opening his store, Fuller served as a Navy foreman in Vietnam. During his military service, Fuller worked in the Treasury store as well as at the military hospital with his wife. Many doctors told Fuller that he needed to go to medical school, so he pursued that for awhile.

“My wife thought she was marrying a doctor,” Fuller joked. “But after seeing the carnage in Vietnam, I lost interest.”

He then took a job at a jewelry store and quickly became interested in watch repair.
Fuller said he had the natural hand-eye coordination necessary for watch repair. After taking a course with Bulova, Fuller started a home business repairing watches sent to his home from about 50 shops across the United States.

Finally, Fuller decided to streamline the process and open his own shop. Now, after more than 20 years, Time Masters sees about 30 to 80 people a day for watch battery replacement. To finish all the orders, Fuller works about 12 hours a day, coming in early and staying late to finish major repairs. Fuller said that is just what it takes to keep his business going since all repairs are done in-store.

In Fuller’s workroom, there are dozens of clocks ranging from vintage grandfathers to classic cuckoos. To the outsider, Fuller’s workspace may seem a bit cluttered with watch fragments, tools and old batteries. However, Fuller said he knows exactly where everything is and prefers not to waste time organizing his work bench.

“If a watchmaker is good, his bench will look like that,” Fuller said. 

Fuller also keeps a “bones yard” for old parts that can be used to fill missing parts for other customers’ watches. He has taken repair classes for Bulova, Seiko, Citizen and Timex.

Experienced watchmakers like Fuller are dwindling, however, due to a decline in the number of schools offering training. Fuller said watch repair classes are being taken out of two-year schools.

“There are about 8,000 watchmakers for 3 million people,” Fuller explained. “We lose 100 [watchmakers] per year and only graduate about 30 to 40 each year.”

Along with repair work, Time Masters also sells novelty clocks, school memorabilia and children’s toys. Fuller said he tries to stock memorabilia from schools like Notre Dame because it is hard to find those items anywhere else in town.

Time Masters serves as a collection point for the City of Austin to recycle used batteries. Drop off old batteries of any kind during store hours.

Store Hours:
Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Time Masters, 9416 Anderson Mill Road
Austin, TX, 78750
258-5706, www.gotimemasters.com