While cell phones are slowing working to push wrist watches out of the picture, many still cling to the comforts of watch hands and a twelve hour dial. And, like many delicate mechanical objects, watches need care and cleaning every few years as they age to keep running smoothly and on time… Sometimes they even need to be brought back to life after years of disuse or neglect. In a world defined increasingly by high-tech gadgetry, people with the skills to bring back our favorite old-school watches are in high demand.

 
Around the world there are people like Dimitrie Vicovanu of New York who repair and breathe life back into old and classic watches with care and dedication. Working on vintage Rolex and Patek Philippe watches, Vicovanu pays attention to the myriad of tiny details and parts inside a watch that keep it running, even creating delicate watch parts from scratch to replace watch parts that can no longer be purchased. And as a testimony to Vicovanu’s talents, watchmakers from across the country come to him for advice and help on particularly tricky watch repairs. To learn more about this incredible watchmaker and repairer, check out the New York Times profile on him.