Rinaldi works around the clock<\/p>\n
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Rinaldi dismantles the inside of an antique clock then puts it
\nback together again in a matter of hours. The hands of the clock
\nperfectly split the seconds.<\/p>\n
The clock repairman is one of a few whose lives are dedicated
\nto the unique craft of working with time, or more precisely the
\ndevice for indicating it.<\/p>\n
As the 17th century English philosopher Francis Bacon wrote:
\n\"Time is the greatest innovator.\"<\/p>\n
From his modest workshop called \"Batavia Art Clock\" on Jl.
\nKemang Timur, South Jakarta, Rinaldi practices his craft from day
\nto day.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, his work only requires him to replace the clock's
\nwooden trunk. Not much of a challenge, but he takes the job
\nanyway.<\/p>\n
The 33-year old man works with delicacy and fastidiousness,
\nsaying that each job entails a precise and constant application.<\/p>\n
\"Installing every wheel requires unwavering concentration
\nbecause a slight slip from another wheel ruins everything,\" he
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
That afternoon, he placidly installed the wheels, pinions,
\nminute hand, hour hand, pendulum and a multitude of other vital,
\nmechanical bits into a complete clock.<\/p>\n
\"This piece of art is far different and more reliable than
\nmodern clocks that are very fragile,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The clock was a Junghans -- one of the most famous brands he
\nhas worked on aside from Gustav Becker, Mauthe and others.<\/p>\n
\"Finding the original spare parts for these clocks is almost
\nimpossible,\" said Rinaldi who opened his workshop four years ago.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he depends on middlemen or suppliers who buy and
\nsell scraps from old clocks. A small cardboard box of scraps,
\nfull of potential spare parts, is worth around Rp 20,000. The
\nsuppliers regularly visit him offering him new stock.<\/p>\n
He said he knew the suppliers from his previous job as an
\nassistant to a very senior expert in a similar workshop in
\nPuncak, Bogor.<\/p>\n
During his three year's apprenticeship he became skilled in
\nfixing old clocks, as well as establishing connections with
\nsuppliers and saving money for his business capital.<\/p>\n
And, when the time came, he established his own business.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, I started this business as a hobby,\" he said. A
\nhobby that now gives him a salary of up to Rp 2 million
\n(approximately US$237.67) every month.<\/p>\n
Rinaldi said that he charged his customers between Rp 100,000
\nand Rp 300,000 depending on the level of difficulty of the task.
\n\"Sometimes I charge more, but very rarely,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His customers are mostly foreigners. \"Why? Well, my workshop
\nis in Kemang where many foreigners live and most of them highly
\nregard antique clocks like these,\" he said, pointing to rows of
\nweight-driven clocks displayed on the wall.<\/p>\n
He said, however, that during the last two or three years, an
\nincreasing number of locals had become interested in classic
\nclocks and trusted their maintenance to him.<\/p>\n
Although the digital world seems set to outmode such unique
\ncraftsmanship, Rinaldi is convinced that his services will still
\nbe needed for many years to come.<\/p>\n
Rinaldi's future lies in the restoration of devices to measure
\ntime from the past. Somehow this notion correlates with Salvador
\nDali's surrealist vision of time: \"The Persistence of Memory.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rinaldi-works-around-the-clock-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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