Once a thriving and worthwhile vocation, clock and watchmakers in Srinagar right this moment live a lifetime of penury with some even changing their restore outlets into tea stalls to make ends meet. These horologists blame the arrival of smartphones for changing conventional watches and alarm clocks, resulting in the present decline of their commerce.

Mohammad Yousuf Khanday who as soon as was thought of to be an skilled within the craft now sells tea on the identical store.

”Once I used to be a technically outfitted watchmaker. Today I’m a chaiwala,” Khanday instructed PTI, including that he was related to the commerce for practically 30 years. ”Due to the arrival of sensible telephones, step by step this enterprise began to die. We had been very glad and happy with our career. Being technically expert, I used to service clocks and wristwatches and promote calculators as effectively,” Khanday added.

However, because the demand for horology began declining, the 48-year-old modified his line of exercise. ”For the survival of my household, I began promoting tea. Fortunately, I had the store which I transformed right into a tea stall.” Another watchmaker Mohammed Hussain continued this career for nearly 5 many years.

”It is my household enterprise. My father and uncle additionally used to do the identical. I realized the ability of the commerce at a really younger age from my father. I used to be captivated with my work,” Hussain stated.

The watchmaker stated he has seen good days as effectively. ”Earlier our work used to go on very easily and a number of other folks used to work on this line of career. They had been fairly affluent too. We was once busy repairing clocks and watches of all styles and sizes,” he recalled. However, now smartphones have changed the standard clocks and watches and so they have all of its options just like the timer and alarm, Hussain added.

Back in these days, there was once quite a few clock-repairing outlets as effectively.

”But now we do not even get mechanics. No one needs to be taught this ability as everybody has acknowledged that there isn’t a future on this career. But we’re on the verge of retirement and now we won’t go for every other career. Presently labourers earn round 5 hundred rupees per day, however we solely earn a meagre sum of Rs 150 a day.” he added.

Mohammad Hashim too realized his abilities from his father. ”I used to assist my father alongside along with his technicians. There had been 4 watchmakers on this space,” he stated. Hussain feels that clocks are nonetheless being offered however primarily as ornamental items. ”Clocks are actually used for adornment in households and that’s the solely cause that they’re nonetheless being offered. Those who used to work within the watch-making line have now switched to trendy digital outlets,” he added.

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