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Al Maddox, fixing watches in NYC since 1949

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  • Al Maddox opened his watch repair business in downtown Manhattan in 1949.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Maddox has worked on everything from $7,000 Rolexes to 1930s Bulovas.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Ethan Poskanzer has his watch looked over by Al Maddox. However, Maddox says he exclusively does work for stores now.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Maddox discovered his love for horology when he started taking apart and rebuilding his father's timepieces as a child.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • “It’s intricate, it’s interesting and you bring things to life,” Maddox said of why he enjoys his work.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Maddox's first job in the field was working with a jeweler who helped him refine his skills.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Maddox lives in Windsor Terrace, where he and his wife raised their three children.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Maddox graduated from a horology program at George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • Maddox has also accumulated so many parts that watch companies have reached out to him when in need.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • “Bulova called me up, they needed a couple of parts, they couldn’t get them anywhere,” Maddox said. “I said, ‘How many parts do you need?’”
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • At 90 years old, Maddox's hands are still dexterous enough to handle minuscule repairs.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith
  • In his spare time, Maddox makes rings, cuff-links and necklace pendants from spare watch movements.
    Photo Credit: Bryan Smith

Al Maddox has been been fixing and building watches since 1949.

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