Old watchmaker ina da Roma

[Neverenoughwatches]

Just thought some of you may be interested in an old Italian watchmakers shop and workshop. He was very shy ( bless him ) spoke no English at all,  but was happy for me to take a few photos. Some may not be great as I was using an old crappy phone. I would have bought something but his clocks were around 3 grand, I think he mostly customer repaired and was working on a huge fusee pocket watch wearing a loupe, a pair of tweezers in one hand and the watch in the other hand. I couldn't see a microscope anywhere in his workshop, but then didn't see any wristwatches either. But he did have a multi watch winder so maybe repaired but didn't sell them. He had loads of old tools on display, here are a few. 

[watchweasol]

Allowing you to photograph his workshop, he must have been an absolute gentleman, try that in the UK you would have had the police round. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 minute ago, watchweasol said:

Allowing you to photograph his workshop, he must have been an absolute gentleman, try that in the UK you would have had the police round. 

He was a lovely old gent in his 70s as a guess. My attempt to explain my interest in watches and watch repair I think he understood.  I tried a similar approach with a middle-aged bloke in a little town near me, he was rude and ignorant with one word answers. Your statement is bang on WW

[nickelsilver]

This guy looks like he knows how to make stuff. Nice little table top milling machine there, and I see the end of a Schaublin 102 lathe bed just behind it. Love the display case with all the antique tools!

[KarlvonKoln]

Um, where in Italy is this man's shop located?  Don't worry, I won't raid his shop and take a gazillion pictures (for all that I'm tempted to do so).  I just like looking things up on Google Earth.  Does he have a website?  
My reason for asking is that I have just one repeater to my name, and I'm shy about showing it off.  (I'm shy about showing off all my watches, some more than others, but I've started to open up more in recent years.  I'm once-bitten-twice-shy about being robbed.)  The movement is very clearly from Le Locle, and I suspect Henri Sandoz made it.  On the front cover is a dragon crest/badge, which I remember from a heraldry book as belonging to an Italian family.  Being an amateur historian with an interest in the middle ages and heraldry, I've been dying to relearn which family used that crest.  It has been looking like I will need help.  I realize it may still be a long shot, but I cling to the hope that, with this man living in Italy, he may know more about whose watch mine may have been, or perhaps has heard something.

Either way, there is just something utterly charming about this man's little old shop.  I'd love to hear more.

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, KarlvonKoln said:

Um, where in Italy is this man's shop located?  Don't worry, I won't raid his shop and take a gazillion pictures (for all that I'm tempted to do so).  I just like looking things up on Google Earth.  Does he have a website?  
My reason for asking is that I have just one repeater to my name, and I'm shy about showing it off.  (I'm shy about showing off all my watches, some more than others, but I've started to open up more in recent years.  I'm once-bitten-twice-shy about being robbed.)  The movement is very clearly from Le Locle, and I suspect Henri Sandoz made it.  On the front cover is a dragon crest/badge, which I remember from a heraldry book as belonging to an Italian family.  Being an amateur historian with an interest in the middle ages and heraldry, I've been dying to relearn which family used that crest.  It has been looking like I will need help.  I realize it may still be a long shot, but I cling to the hope that, with this man living in Italy, he may know more about whose watch mine may have been, or perhaps has heard something.

Either way, there is just something utterly charming about this man's little old shop.  I'd love to hear more.

No problem Karl.  I am in Rome. I've marked on my map where I think he was ,I will dig it out and find a street name for you. I didn't take a picture of his shop front so I will try find him, he didnt speak english though, I'm assuming this isnt a problem for you. Thete is another shop just around the corner from where I am staying, smaller workshop not so much old school, two younger guys working inside. 

18 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

No problem Karl.  I am in Rome. I've marked on my map where I think he was ,I will dig it out and find a street name for you. I didn't take a picture of his shop front so I will try find him, he didnt speak english though, I'm assuming this isnt a problem for you. Thete is another shop just around the corner from where I am staying, smaller workshop not so much old school, two younger guys working inside. 

Hey Karl. I'm pretty sure his shop was between these roads ( via del Clementino  and via Fontenella Borghese.   If you find a map of Rome.  The Ponte Cavour Bridge across the River is just to the Right of the Vatican city. If you are struggling to find it, we may be going back that way tomorrow to see St. Peter's Cathedral.  

2 hours ago, KarlvonKoln said:

Um, where in Italy is this man's shop located?  Don't worry, I won't raid his shop and take a gazillion pictures (for all that I'm tempted to do so).  I just like looking things up on Google Earth.  Does he have a website?  
My reason for asking is that I have just one repeater to my name, and I'm shy about showing it off.  (I'm shy about showing off all my watches, some more than others, but I've started to open up more in recent years.  I'm once-bitten-twice-shy about being robbed.)  The movement is very clearly from Le Locle, and I suspect Henri Sandoz made it.  On the front cover is a dragon crest/badge, which I remember from a heraldry book as belonging to an Italian family.  Being an amateur historian with an interest in the middle ages and heraldry, I've been dying to relearn which family used that crest.  It has been looking like I will need help.  I realize it may still be a long shot, but I cling to the hope that, with this man living in Italy, he may know more about whose watch mine may have been, or perhaps has heard something.

Either way, there is just something utterly charming about this man's little old shop.  I'd love to hear more.

Here you go Karl. # Orolgeria Aurili #