Repair over replace: Bombay Watch Co in Abids restores old and vintage watches

Hyderabad: In the crowded streets of Abids, Nampally, near the Bazaar Ghat road, lies a tiny, unassuming shop—Bombay Watch Co.

Step inside, and it feels like time itself has been paused. Standing tall for the past 58 years, this shop repairs old, classic and vintage clocks and watches. Established in 1968, this shop is renowned for fixing timepieces that contemporary stores no longer carry.

Speaking to NewsMeter, the owner Mohd. Abdul Kareem Khan, who is nearly 70 years old and a pillar of quiet dedication, shares his personal journey and the enduring legacy of the shop.

A hobby that turned into passion

Kareem, who is a native of Hyderabad, has always had a deep fascination with clocks and watches. This curiosity gradually developed into a pastime, and he began studying how to fix them.

Every day when Kareem got home from school, he would spend time learning and fixing timepieces. He was so enamoured with it that he travelled to Mumbai and learnt everything about clocks and opened a store here in Hyderabad and thus the name ‘Bombay Watch Co’.

Everyone refers to him as ‘Bombay wala’ as the area is lined up with numerous watch-repairing shops.

Kareem happily shares, “I enjoy the time that I spend here in the shop”. The shop brims with a vast array of vintage clocks, which are meticulously fixed, even those over 100 years old. Old wrist watches are repaired and sold here, drawing loyal patrons. “We have customers who specially search for our shop and get things repaired,” says Khan. Remarkably, one of his sons Rizwan, also holds the same unwavering passion.

Fix things rather than replace them

When asked about his journey and whether he encountered any challenges or changes from the increase in sales of electronic watches, Kareem says, “I have been working with the same passion for the past 58 years. I run the shop from morning 9:30 am to midnight, 12 pm, and the timings never change. People do it for money, it was my hobby which turned into a never-ending passion and I continue to have the same. Electronic watches might have drastically changed the way. People back then used to fix things, rather than replace them. I find solace in fixing these watches. I feel like it’s my responsibility to preserve this, and I would love to continue this legacy till my last breath”

“The antique ones are sold mostly; we usually source them from Mumbai, Kolkata and Pondicherry,” adds Babu Rao, a loyal co-worker who has been working for the past 20 years. Repairing electronic watches is not their forte. There is a large selection of analogue timepieces, pocket watches and even a 19th-century European clock. Brands like Favre Leuba, Tissot and HMT are among them.

In a world where people choose to replace things, Kareem Khan teaches us to repair them and preserve them. It’s a profession which is driven by passion, a legacy to be cherished.