Yunnan Province / China
Watch Repairing 修表匠 in Jinhong 景洪市
修表匠
It was 2008 and the Beijing Olympics, few foreigners were being allowed to travel independently around China. We entered China via the now no longer-running boat up the Mekong form Thailand. The boat sailed through Myanmar on one side and Laos on the other, eventually y arriving in Jinhong 景洪市 Yunnan Province and the capital of Xishuangbanna 西双版纳.
It was in Jinhong, in the old, covered part of the market where we stumbled upon a tiny watch repair stall tucked between tea sellers and fruit vendors. The watch repairer* 修表匠 (*I am using the direct Chinese translation), an elderly Dai man, worked with delicate screwdrivers and a magnifying lens, surrounded by ticking relics. Locals brought everything from heirloom pocket watches to cheap digital pieces. He repaired each with patient care, chatting and laughing to his customers even while I was taking photos. Watching him at work felt like stepping into another era, where time moved slowly and craftsmanship still mattered to daily community life.
Strangely enough watch repairing hasn’t completely died out. In some parts of Madrid you can still find watch repairers (Relojeros) /修表匠) in small stalls in neighbourhood markets.
