Quirky work: Clock repairman still ticking along and relevant in the digital age

For Peter Landmark, the timing was rightwhen thechance came along more than three decadesagoto help a friend in a family clock-repair shop.

Landmark, now 64, was given rent-free accommodation and on-the-job training at Sherwood Clocks in the Beverly neighbourhood.

Ten years laterhe was ready to go out on his own, opening Landmark Clock Shop in the Meadowlark area.

"Most of ityou have to learn on the job. You have to get proficient at it which takes years of practice and experience to find out what is wrong and fix it," he says.

But with morewatches going digital, you might think time is running out onclock repairers.

According to Landmark the future of thebusiness is looking up and sometimes, for him, way up.

The City of Edmonton calls on his skills to repair and maintain the Friendship Tower clock at city hall.

Landmark, who is not comfortable working at heights, is required togo to the top of the 60-metre tower.

The toughest part of the job? Not fine tuning the massive clockworks, butremoving the four-metre minute handto treat it with a weatherproof coating.

Often, such jobs come to Landmark through word of mouth, meaning you're only as good as your last repair.

"If you are doing them right, the customers are happy, word gets around really fast," he says. "If you don't fix them properly you are out of business."

These days a lot of his business comes from people whohave inherited watchesor picked one up whiletravelling and have develeped a sentimental attachment to the timepieces.

"Getting them fixed like new brings back memories for the customers. That's pretty awesome," Landmark says.

High-end luxury watches are also still in demand and not likely to go out of style, he says.

"As long as they are buying them, there is a need for repair and servicing."

Landmark maintainsthe clock repair craft hasn't changed much even as tools become more advanced.

"You still have to know what you are doing to keep things right."

Landmark is one of 25Edmontoniansdoing interesting jobs in our community profiled ina special edition of Our Edmonton called Quirky Work.

Quirky Work on Our Edmonton, Sunday at noon and Monday at 11 a.m.