A Dying Trade Keeps Ticking

When shoppers pass the entrance of Zhao Lan Yuan food market in the heart of Tsinghua University, they see a 62-year-old man, gingerly unscrewing a wristwatch that is barely visible to the naked eye.

For 17 years, he has always been there from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 7 days a week. In contrast to the bustling of nearby food stands, the only sound in his shop is the low hum of his radio, which keeps him company.

Cheng Lan Jie, a native Beijinger, runs a watch repair shop located on campus, close to his home. When Cheng graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University as a Russian major, he did not have a choice of careers as graduates do today. He was assigned by a government agency to work at a state-owned watch company when he was 18. He fell in love with the job, and his passion started to grow.

“It comes naturally and I find that I really enjoy this work, I can stay forever just to repair watches,” he said with a smile on his face.

Start-up

He retired in 1999 at the age of 46 and started his own watch maintenance business the same year.

“Unlike other businesses, opening this shop does not need heavy capital investment,” he said, “rather it depends on how skillful the engineer is,” he said.

With his decent savings and monthly pension, Cheng was able to open a watch repair shop to nurture his passion more than it being a source of earning.

“This business never makes people become rich,” said the watchman.

The close proximity to campus means his customers are mostly students as well as local residents who have watches that need repairing. He takes pride in not overcharging for his services.

“There was an Australian girl, a Tsinghua master’s student, who offered to pay me 150 RMB for the service instead of 30 RMB, the asking price, because even the cheapest store she found asked for 300 RMB and could not fix it,” he recalled. “I refused her offer and received just the exact amount I asked for.”

“She said that I am the best Chinese she ever met which made me really proud. Since then, she introduced a lot of customers to me and came back every year to see me,” he added.

Customer service like that is how Cheng earned his reputation. He gets so much business through word of mouth that he never pays to advertise for his business.

The watch doctor operates in a relatively thin margin business, less than 25 percent gross profit margin for services. However, he proudly said that he never lost money. Every month, he is able to cover 1,000 RMB rent.

Challenges

But the 62-year-old has to keep up with changing tastes. Buying and wearing watches is no longer as fashionable in the past and watches have become more disposable and cheaper.

“In the past, one watch will be worn the whole life and perhaps passed to the next generation but now the young people wear and change out each watch following the fads and fashion,” said Cheng, who has witnessed the transforming of China over the last six decades.

That may be true, but Cheng notes that there will always be business for him as many more Chinese people can afford nice watches due to the fast-growing economy.

The most expensive watch he ever fixed cost around 180,000 RMB.

“At that time which was 2004, a real estate cost 500 RMB per square, we can buy a good house with this amount of money,” he said.

Apart from pricey watches that are worth fixing, some customers just cannot get rid of their old watch because of the sentimental value they attach to them.

“It is a watch that I really like it, I don’t want to change it,” Simone, Tsinghua’s first year master student explained.

In 2016, Cheng will mark his 45th anniversary in the field. “To succeed in this industry, skill is the most important element,” he said. He acquired his certificate of watch maintenance engineer Level Two by the Ministry of Labor of the People’s Republic of China in 1993. He also keeps updated as the technology changes.

“The challenge was quite enjoyable though, particularly when I stayed from 8 a.m. till 10.p.m, just to repeat reassembling the watch. I almost forgot drinking, eating and sleeping. I just want to get it done,” he said. “You will never forget the moment you get it fixed; the feeling of achievement is amazing.”

Even at the height of Beijing’s chilly winter, without a heater in his shop, Cheng said he is not taking any days off. He can immerse himself into one complex case for the whole day and still enjoy it more than when he used to work at the government company where he needed to repair seven watches on a typical day.

He is the only employee at a 6-square-meter shop, and he is in charge of ordering stocks. To guarantee that his capital investment remains low, Cheng said that he always keeps a reasonable amount of inventory. Rent and inventory are two main expenses for his business.

Cheng says he never counts the number of customers per day. It does not feel like a business to him but a source of vitality. “I am happy now as I am still useful for the society,” he chuckled.