Monthly Archives: January 2016

Time matters – A traditional watch repair shop in Belgrade

Looking for old craft places in Belgrade, I have passed by this little watch repair shop located in Stari Grad.

Petar Pavic, an expert in the art of repairing old mechanical watches, is the 3rd generation running this business having decided to take on the tradition started by his grandfather in 1948. He currently works with his mother, not present at the moment of our visit, who offers a complete watch restoration.

When I was invited behind the counter, my attention was caught by the amount of watches, small parts, working tool and cards scattered on the table. Petar, indeed, feels very comfortable in his own working environment, as he remembers where to find things and the content of each little container and drawer.

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During the short time I have spent in the shop, there was a constant stream of customers from all generations, and Petar’s approach to work was very responsive and rapid.

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Not only Petar is equipped to repair almost any type of mechanical watch, but he also creates the tools to make parts he needs to fix vintage and rare pieces. Some of the oldest watches he repaired were a 220 years old and made in the Netherlands, a 150 years old satin wall clock, Russian “Zvezda“ from the 2nd Word War. Wall and standing clocks are another of Petar’s passion, and he has some examples of “Gustav Becker” clocks from 1865. These days he finds very interesting the “Junghans” German clocks, often seen in Belgrade. Junghans, once a dominant force, was producing 100 clocks per day in 1870 and in 1903 was the largest clock maker in the world. In 1930, “Gustav Becker” a successful German clock maker well known in Paris, Sydney, Berlin and Amsterdam, merged with Junghans.

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Image above courtesy of Petar Pavic, a Zvezda watch inside

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Watch restauration demands a far more intimate knowledge of the techniques used in traditional horology, and a greater experience in the aesthetic and mechanical design used.

I learnt that nowadays it is not easy to come by a school that teaches the skills needed to repair watches, as it is cheaper to replace the all faulty part rather than fix it. This makes Petar’s job more unique and hard to learn, and makes his dedication and passion to this craft another example where traditional skills, knowledge and passion are transmitted across generation.

 

Časovničar Pavić,12a Cetinjska, Stari Grad, Beolgrade, Serbia

 

Francesco

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Traditional Bookbinding in Belgrade

Another great discovery in the heart of Belgrade, located in Gospodar Jevremova 63, Dorcol.

A family own boutique bookbinder (Knjigovezac), run by Dusan and his father Svetislav, offering traditional and contemporary bookbinding, preservation and conservation of printed material and box making. They use only mechanical machines, some over 100 years old which require minimal maintenance.

Svetislav took over this shop in 2003 from the previous owner, and we know that the business existed at this location from 1914, as an old receipt was recently brought by a customer.

Svetislav has a vast experience with conservation of manuscripts having worked for the University Library “Svetozar Markovic” and the National Library, and he was awarded in 2005 as best bookbinder by The Belgrade City Library.

 

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Slovakian book from 1861

He made bespoke tools to create leather binding for Serbian Cyrillic books from the 12th to 19th century, and uses his graphical skills to create templates for the book engraving in order to preserve precious collections.

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The reproduction of 12th century Serbian manuscript

Dusan and Svetislav had a number of important commissions such as the leather binding of “The Mountain Wreath” book and its box, a masterpiece of Montenegrin literature, written by poet Petar II Petrović-Njegoš.

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This is only a small part of the craft and art skills, as they are constantly requested to produce beautiful leather cases by embassies and private customers. Part of their work are cases for swords for various Head of States.

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I was fascinated by this traditional craft because of its importance in preserving the heritage, and I was delighted to see the traditional skills and knowledge being passes from father to son.

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KNJIGOVEZNICA VUKASOVIC ,Gospodar Jevremova 63, Dorcol, Belgrade, Serbia

 

Francesco

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