The timeless job as the "Clock Doctor"
Nov 27, 2024
(COLORADO SPRINGS)-- A man in Colorado Springs practices a unique craft repairing antique clocks--Todd Nipps, also known as the "Clock Doctor"--doesn't get too wound up despite spending hours each day repairing timeless pieces.
In the Nipps household, there's no excuse to be late, with over 120 clocks in every corner you look. Nipps said he just finished his degree in horology, so he could help visitors who enter his home with repairing lost time.
"I just recently repaired a old mantel clock for someone whose mom was 96 years old. It was two generations in their family, and he gave it to her and he called me up and said she broke down in tears as soon as she saw it running," said Nipps.
The "Clock Doctor" began repairing clocks in 2018, and in 2019 he opened his Etsy shop. His house is usually pretty quiet, but every hour, deep melodies from tall grandfather clocks echo off the walls, while little birds spring through the door of cuckoo clocks, some more than a hundred years old.
Most days you can find Nipps starring through a magnifying glass, handling tiny micro screwdrivers and other tools as he spends hours repairing vintage clocks.
He said he finds the job therapeutic, as the subtle ticking from each one fills the silence.
"The ticking sound of a real mechanical clock to me is extremely soothing. I just love it, especially grandfather clocks. The ticking is nice and long and loud, and it's extremely soothing. Most digital clocks you buy now don't make any noises at all. Or if they do, it's some type of recorded sound that doesn't sound very good compared to a real hammer," said Nipps.
But despite how many clocks surround him, he still looses track of time.
"Sometimes I'll come in here and start working on a clock and literally lose track of time, and hours will have gone by and I'll have forgotten to eat," he added.
To contact Nipps, click here for repairs and any purchases.
During the holidays, he and his wife make handmade nutcrackers with vintage clocks inside each.
For the full story, watch FOX21 News Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m.