Chennai clockman Robert Kennedy enters Guinness World Records

CHENNAI: What started as a hobby in his teens has now grown to become an envious collection of 1,706 clocks of all types, shapes, sizes and designs, taking Robert Kennedy, Chennai’s very own clockman, to the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records.

It was his grandfather, the head clerk of a British-owned tea estate in Munnar, Kerala, who inspired the teenager to start collecting clocks in 1983. “His supervisors had gifted my grandfather a wind-up Unsonia clock and my father used to tell me stories about it. I helped him clean and wind it every week. I was 16 then. While my classmates in school were collecting coins and other things, I felt my inclination was toward clocks. I started collecting them from scrap shops,” he said.

In his vast collection, the largest among the 237 clock collectors in the world, the oldest one is a 290-year-old handmade clock made in England. When Kennedy put it on display on his social media page in 2015 claiming that it was one of its kind in the world, none among the 237 collectors objected to it because they haven’t seen one like it.

“The smallest pendulum clock made in the world is just 1.5 inches big, and I am proud to say that I am the only one who owns it,” he said.

But his favourite is the Big Ben Alarm Clock. “It is my favourite because when I was in my college hostel in 1986, I was the only one who had such an alarm clock. It has been witness to several memories of my college days,” he added. Recalling an incident, Kennedy said he once received a call from a woman in London who offered to sell him three clocks. “However, I was not able to afford them because they were high-end catalogue clocks that cost Rs. 1.5 lakh. A year later, I was gifted the same clocks. She said she trusted me and knew I would keep them safe and not sell them. Similarly, I have received 27 clocks from different people,” he said.

Chennai’s clockman plans to set up museum

Despite owning such a unique collection, there is hardly any recognition in the country. It was only after the popularity of TV and cinema did he realise that clock collection is a recognised hobby in European countries, he said.

To remedy that, Kennedy is planning to open a trust museum to display the timepieces that took him 40 years to collect, and dedicate it to the country. “I will request the government to allot me space for this museum; I will also be happy if they can be kept in the Egmore Museum. This priceless collection can be displayed for the public and tourists.”

DGP Abhash Kumar, the head of Civil Supplies CID who verified Kennedy’s claim to send his application to the Guinness Book of World Records, said, “It is an amazing collection and he has spent his life’s earnings on it. It is a proud moment for Chennai.”