Keeping the World on Time - Second to none

The Empire Group 134 Fenmar Drive

After sitting down with Charles Harris, President of The Empire Group, it became clear why the art of watchmaking will never go out of style. Harris, along with his 10 colleagues, operate one of the few existing clock and watch repair shops in Toronto. As I currently do not wear a watch, I was in for a lesson on the art and beautiful craftsmanship which goes into building a watch and fixing a 200-year-old grandfather clock.

Harris has been in the business of watches and clocks his entire life, and has a passion for what he does; it is also a God given talent. Opening the doors to The Empire Group back in 2010 the business, located on 134 Fenmar Drive, has continued to grow every year. After visiting, I can tell you first hand that I am not surprised by this. For one thing, there are few companies still doing what Harris does when it comes to clocks and watches, which enables his clients to be loyal followers. On the topic of prices, Harris said, “I believe that just because you wear an expensive watch, does not mean it should be expensive to fix”.

Harris’ cost per order is calculated based on the time it takes to fix the problem, not based on the cost of the product itself. Hearing this was humbling and allowed me to truly see and understand and see the passion Harris and his colleagues have for their work.

After Harris gave me a tour of the shop and explained how his products work, I was somewhat overwhelmed. It is hard to believe all the details that go into fixing a watch or a clock. I was also impressed that Harris uses only green products making his business environmentally friendly which I, among many others, support. Choosing this, Harris is able to eliminate the use of harsh chemicals which could have detrimental effects to his health over time: fixing approximately 100 watches and 10 clocks per week.

So for those of you, including myself, who have that one watch which has never worked, and would like to hear your clock chime or watch tick, I highly suggest bringing it into the magical workings of The Empire Group. Their expertise, professionalism as well as fair price will be sure to impress you!