If you are looking for watch repair in Northern Illinois

This is long, but I think worth it

This past weekend I was looking at the watches that I used to wear – all in need of some type of repair. I was telling Elizabeth that back in the day when I was really dealing fine art and antiques, I had a guy that could fix almost anything mechanical. Clocks, watches, victrolas, old mechanical music boxes – all kinds of things.

I met him through a friend that referred me to him after I purchased 6 French Ormolou clocks that I paid good money for. I didn’t know much about them when I bought them, but found out that every single one of them needed repair. The shops that I called were all starting at $400 each to repair them. Man, I thought I just made a big mistake. My friend introduced me to this “old” guy, Ken Fairbanks who repaired everything out of a shop that he converted his garage into. Super interesting guy. It turns out he was doing most of the difficult repairs for all the shops in the area, especially on grandfather clocks. He not only fixed those French clocks for me for $130 each, he also waxed them and cleaned them up externally. They looked and ran great, and I was able to sell them at a profit.

Over the years, I’d bring things to him, mostly watches for repair. When I tapered off in dealing, I lost touch with him and honestly figured he had passed. I did a search for his name and found this article in the Chicago Tribune. Maybe old Ken was still around!

Today, I called the number that I found for him and low and behold he picked up the phone! We had a great conversation and I’m thrilled that he’s still around and still working on watches (that’s all the does now, nothing bigger). I now have 4 watches that I’m going to bring to him for repair. If anyone can get them back in the game, my money is on Ken.

HERE'S THE ARTICLE:

Column: After working on watches for decades, time on the side of Fox Valley craftsman

Tom Strong / The Beacon-News

At his home in Sandwich, Ken Fairbanks displays a Hamilton Chronograph watch from the 1960s on which he has worked. The watch has about 400 parts.

By TOM STRONG

UPDATED: September 16, 2022 at 5:57 PM CDT

OK, I’ll admit it: I had to use Google to find the exact meaning of horology.

I recently made the acquaintance of Ken Fairbanks, whose business card reads “master horologist, physicist engineer,” and I wanted to know what sort of skilled craftsman was behind that title.

Horology is the study and measurement of time, and an horologist is a maker of clocks or watches. I visited Fairbanks’ “bench,” as it is called, in Sandwich to talk with him and to ask him about his lifelong fascination and work with clocks and watches. His shop was in his Aurora home for many years until his recent move to Sandwich.

Seldom have I met a craftsman with a personality such as Fairbanks’. I was reminded of the late John Giartonia, a master electrician, whom I wrote about in 2012. Many times, these masters are self-educated, but almost always they are perfectionists and possess a curious nature. They are always wanting to learn more and to find better ways.

Born in Texas in 1946, Fairbanks started working with clocks and watches early on.

“I started really young — I was probably around 9,” he said. “My uncle was a clock and watchmaker. I sat by the bench to watch him, and he would teach me.

“We moved to Texarkana, Arkansas, and there was a watch and clockmaker there with whom I worked. I probably had four or five years of training by the age of 15.”

At that point, his family moved to Aurora, and he began doing some watch repair here. He remembered doing some work for residents of Sunnymere retirement community.

“I had a little bench at my house, but nothing as extensive as I have today. I relied on word of mouth advertising,” Fairbanks said.

He attended East Aurora High School, and was drafted at the age of 18. Expecting to be shipped to Vietnam, he instead was sent to Germany where he served as a wireman and lineman. He worked at stringing communications to different units and setting up phones.

Arriving back in Aurora after the service, Fairbanks again began watch repair, then on a full-time basis in his home, to support his growing family. But he also began a study of electronics over the course of many years, and his continuing curiosity and education began to broaden his interests and his career.

He learned the exacting skills of a tool and die maker by serving as a four-year apprentice. Finding that he was “a natural at it,” he worked as a tool and die and model maker at a Batavia company for 14 years starting in 1986.

“Model maker was a step up as I got to design my own stuff in electronics,” Fairbanks said. “I started venturing out on the machine that I eventually patented.”

The machine is the Saemsen Generator, which is designed to extend the life of a battery. Saemsen is also the name of his company which is registered in California.

“Energy in mechanics and energy in electronics is the same thing. I found a way to translate one to the other,” he said in brief explanation of his invention. It seems master craftsmen are always pursuing new and more efficient ideas.

Fairbanks’ career in industry ended in 2000, and he returned to full-time watchmaking until retiring in 2008. He then invested in workshop equipment and tools, and went to part-time watch repair which has continued to the present time.

“I will work as long as I can or need to,” he said. “I can become pretty tired at the bench, and don’t do 40 hours any more.”

Looking back at his life and career with clocks and watches, he had some interesting observations.

“Horology is the study of time and how it functions in our lives. Clocks and watches were always fascinating machines from the first time I looked at them,” he said. “They seemed to be an entity of life of their own.

“They had a dynamic motion and had almost a supernatural feeling to me. When I was younger, the trade was much newer and more exciting. But I’m older, and I still marvel at it.”

I’m proud to again wear a gold watch which I received for graduation decades ago. It sat useless for many years until it was brought back to life by Ken Fairbanks, master horologist.

Tom Strong is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

Originally Published: September 16, 2022 at 1:57 PM CDT

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