Withstanding the Test of Time

Time is on his side.  It has to be.

As one of a vanishing breed of clockmakers, Bill Morgan is on the road at 7 a.m.— making house calls.  He then travels to his establishment, Avon Clock Shop located at 412 Main St. (Route 71) in Avon-by-the-Sea, which opens at 10 a.m.

The 1,600-square-foot business was started by Morgan’s family. He always wanted to own his own business so he bought it.

 “It was started by my mother, Barbara Rosen, and stepfather, Richard Rosen, during the 50s, and I’ve been running it solely for the last 25 years,” said Morgan of Toms River.

Prior to that, Morgan, a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, worked nine years for Canon Copiers.  Morgan received his formal training while at the clock shop. 

“The first three years was hands-on training.  There’s an enormous variety of clocks, so on-the-job training is the best,” he explained.

The shop also repairs music boxes, and carries a few.  What’s the connection? 

“Cuckoo clocks have a music box in them,” he said, adding the movements in clocks and music boxes are similar, so “It’s a good thing to know” how to work on both.

He noted there are few if any music box repair shops in the area, claiming “Somebody’s gotta do it, so it might as well be us.”

Avon Clock Shop did warranty work for Reuge & Therens, a music box company based in Switzerland, and also represents a company in Germany, and other national brands.

It carries primarily 95 percent clocks, and five percent music boxes, with service occupying two-thirds of the time, and sales one-third.

The patient clockmaker has his hands full daily.

“I do clock repairs for other stores too— we’re a regular brick-and-mortar shop,” noting “In general there aren’t a lot of clock repair shops.  I’m the only full-service clock shop in Monmouth County.”

While a battery repair can take only two minutes, Morgan’s day includes overhauling or rebuilding clocks, with most taking from two hours to two days.

 “That’s what I do.  It can be fun, it can be frustrating.  It’s the whole gamut of emotion that goes along with the business,” stated Morgan.

The quaint Avon Clock Shop is graced with various wall and free-standing clocks with melodic chimes, with one clock chiming “Hey, Jude” every hour.

New and antique black forest cuckoo clocks manufactured by Schneider and other brands hang on different walls or are perched on shelves, and gallery clocks of all kinds line one wall.  An unsigned 1810 banjo clock featuring a peaceful scene hand-painted on glass, and made by a colonial clock maker has a prominent spot in the shop.  Close by is a colorful new L’Jardin clock by Timeworks which is distressed to make it appear antique.

According to Morgan, “Alarm clocks are the least expensive and they go up from there.”  

Prices at Avon Clock Shop range from $10 for a rhythm clock, to $22,000 for a top-of-the-line J.H. Miller grandfather clock.  Morgan was almost dwarfed in size standing alongside the new Miller clock. The stately timepiece made by a Michigan company, and measures 94 inches in height and features 12 different kinds of wood, polished brass, and beveled glass.

Other newer pieces include a reproduction quartz clock, and a trio of amusing cat clocks.  On the other end of the spectrum are antiques such as a 1790 M. Rhodes grandfather clock, and 1885 Regulator, which joins several Regulators Morgan has in his establishment.  While the shop will repair music boxes, it doesn’t sell them but has a few in stock.

The shop’s clientele is varied.

 “It doesn’t follow a particular pattern.  People will bring in family heirlooms for repair,” he said, explaining that there is not much of a demand for clock repairs, as people are using their cell phones to tell time.

While sales are consistent year-round, Morgan said December is his strongest for sales of grandfather clocks for gifts. 

“Everything moves, and if something doesn’t see, I retire it,” he said.

While the majority of his clientele is local, Morgan recently had a couple visiting from Taipei who bought a rather pricey clock.

“I recently sold a Howard Miller grandfather clock to Taipei. It’s a rarity to get a sale like that,” he said.

“The odds on someone in Taiwan buying an American clock are astronomical, to find me and buy it from me,” was highly unusual he opined.

His repairs, while sometimes tedious, are far from mundane.

“I’ve seen some clocks that have survived divorces. I’ve seen them shot with a bullet through the dial; I’ve seen someone who’s taken a crowbar and run it through the clock movement,” he explained.

Morgan recalled one famous client— who shall remain nameless— enduring a divorce, who brought a clock in for repair. 

“One spouse took a baseball bat and smashed the clock with it; needless to say, the clock was irreparable,” he said.

However, “It’s pretty rare we get a clock that can’t be fixed; it would have to be missing a lot,” he continued.

Morgan enjoys working with high-end clocks because of the quality of craftsmanship.

“A high-end clock is more fun than working on a cheap clock from Korea,” he said, noting most high-end clocks are from Germany, with a few from the states.

There are an enormous variety of clocks to keep Morgan busy. 

“One minute, someone will come in with a $10 battery clock, and the next day, a $30,000 antique clock from France— it’s not uncommon,” he stated.

The clock wizard notes his days are pretty uneventful, and begin on the road at 7 a.m. with housecalls.

 “Ninety-nine percent of the house calls are for grandfather clocks, as it’s not practical to bring the clock to the shop,” claimed Morgan, whose territory consists of all of Monmouth and Ocean counties, and parts of Middlesex and Mercer counties.

Despite his shop being a family affair the past 60 years, Morgan commented, “I have three children, but am doubtful they would follow in my footsteps.  It’s very common, and it’s rare nowadays for children with parents in the clock business to follow in their footsteps.”

Yet, he enjoys his livelihood. 

“I wouldn’t consider changing careers, because this is what I do,” he said.

Avon Clock Shop is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday.  The phone is 732-988-1099, and website is www.avonclockshop.com.