clock repair saves history

Clocks Makes a Home

Lawrence Smathers has always had a fascination with how things work, as well as an ability to build, repair, or fix them. 

“It set me up for troubleshooting,” he says. “I guess my brain works a little differently. I’m also left-handed, so when I look at something, I can kind of see how it works, maybe a little faster than some people.” 

It’s led to some unique, highly specialized jobs over the years.

He worked on helicopters as an Aviation Structural Mechanic in the Navy. After fourteen years, he switched to the Air Force, where he became a Hydraulics Technician, working on planes. When he retired from the military, he went to school to learn to make prosthetic arms and legs and did that for a company in Murfreesboro. Then, about five years ago, he became interested in clocks and clock repair. 

“It’s kind of interesting how I got into it,” he recalls. “I have a grandfather clock and had a guy come out to service it. I started talking to him about what he does and realized I’d really like to learn how to do that.”

He pursued professional training, first through courses offered by the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC), and then completed the Gem City College Clock Repair Program in Illinois.

When he launched his Clock Doctor business, he decided a mobile operation would work best. Grandfather clocks, wall clocks, and even mantle clocks are often too heavy to move, making transporting them difficult for customers. 

“I make house calls Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and every other Saturday,” Smathers explains. “I typically try to set up two appointments on each day. Tuesday and Thursdays are my in-shop days where I work on clocks I have to bring back for servicing.”

Most of the time, he’s able to complete the work at the owner’s home. 

“My goal is to repair it on site, if possible. That way, no one loses their clock, and I’m not trying to transport it back where it might get damaged. My ideal setup is to go in, even if it takes me three or four hours, which it sometimes does for grandfather clocks, and get that thing as clean and refurbished without disassembling it as I can, then get it back working.”

He strives to keep calls within an hour of Spring Hill, but with clock repair businesses so rare these days, he’s in high demand.

“I travel a lot. I’ve gone up to Kentucky, I’ve gone to Georgia, and Alabama. I try to keep it close to home, but I’ll get calls from people in Knoxville or Chattanooga saying, ‘I can’t find anybody, I’ll pay you to come out and fix my clock.’”

In addition to repairing clocks, he also cleans and maintains them.

“Each one has its own little formula, as far as how often a clock should be cleaned. I say every three to five years, depending on the environment they’re in.”

He finds his work extremely rewarding. 

“I’m always learning, and that keeps me interested. There are plenty of times I’ll be working on something and say to myself,  Wow, I’ve never seen that before. I’ve worked on a couple of clocks from the mid-1800s or even older. A few months ago, I did one where the works inside were about 80 percent wood with all wooden gears and just a couple of metal pieces. Every clock is different, and it’s cool to work on those older ones that are part of history.” 

Many of the clocks have deep sentimental value to their owners. Smathers finds it gratifying when he can bring them back to life.

“It can be very emotional because maybe their grandfather clock belonged to a special family member and the clock hasn’t made a sound in twenty, thirty, or forty years. I come in and am able to get it operating again. And the tears start flowing, or they start clapping and jumping up and down when they suddenly hear it again. It makes me happy to be able to do that.”

Clocks, he says, are truly something special. 

“A clock makes a home. It just completes it.”

To contact Smathers, you can visit his website at https://clockdoctortn.squarespace.com/ or call (615) 664-8571.