Watch out for this timepiece expert

Meet Razia Begum, a third-generation entrepreneur who repairs watches and clocks from her makeshift shop in Besant Nagar, which she inherited from her father Mazhar Ahmed and grandfather, Rashid Ahmed. The young horologist said she learnt the trade from  her father. 

Razia, who is the youngest of three daughters, said she decided to quit studies after high school to help run her father’s shop. “My father had been running this shop for 25 years, after which I joined him and have been successfully repairing watches for the last ten years. When I was young, my father was struggling to manage the work load. That was when I decided that I will help him. When I told him that I will quit my studies after 10th grade and help him, he had tears in his eyes,” recalled this 27-year-old watch repair expert, who joined the shop in 2000. 

Razia’s makeshift shop, whose only décor consists of battery strips and other tools, is hard to miss near the Besant Nagar bus terminus. Having apprenticed under her father, Razia mastered the technicalities of repairing a timepiece. She said, “I can repair all kinds of watches and clocks – from models like Citizen and Titan to Japanese timepieces. If there is an antique model, I don’t want to risk damaging it – I take it to my father’s friend, who handles it.” 

Razia said her customers are a mix of her father’s old clientele and newer customers. “I get anywhere between five to eight customers a day. I open the shop at 2 pm, after finishing my household work, and it’s open till 9 pm. The police personnel from the nearby station as well as lawyers and corporate professionals are my clients. I charge depending on the services, for instance, Rs. 80 to change a battery,” she explained. 

Being a woman in a maledominated field, Razia said she didn’t face any discrimination. “Luckily, my father trusted me and the customers are really nice. I’ve made some longlasting friendships over the last ten years,” she grinned. 

However, in recent times, business has not been booming, she confessed. “When it rains, it becomes really difficult to work here and the mosquito menace adds to the woes. But, if I had a permanent shop, I think I could earn enough to sustain,” said Razia, who juggles between her household duties and running the shop. “My husband is an electrician, who earlier apprenticed under my father – he and my in-laws are very supportive and proud of my shop,” smiled this horology expert, who enjoys reading English books during her free time. 

For Razia, her little shop is her most cherished inheritance. “My father passed away in 2012. Every time I step into the shop, I am reminded of him and the countless hours we spent together, tinkering with watches and clocks. I want to continue doing this and keep his legacy alive,” she concluded.