Mr. C Watch & Clock Repair Has Been Fixing Timepieces Since 1995
Mr. C Watch & Clock Repair has been a family business since its establishment. That has been consistent from its start on Bellaire's east side to its current location, said Kira Carroll, whose mother and father, Adelaida and Homero Capetillo, have co-run the repair shop since 1995. "It's a passion that we all have," Carroll said.
The idea for the shop did not come until after 1986 when Homero graduated from Houston Technical College with a diploma in horology, the study of time and making timepieces. He also earned a certification in 1985 from the Omega SA watch company and would later become a member of the American Watchmakers Institute.
Homero heard about an opportunity from a member of his family's church. He had just been laid off by Brown & Root Industrial Services, where he worked as a mechanic. Then he worked at a local watch shop for several years before deciding on becoming an independent horologist (钟表师).
Since then, the shop has focused on providing consistent quality. Also, there are other products, such as jewellery. The owners had considered getting out of the clock repair business because of the time and effort but decided against it because of customer demand. "We get people to come here through word of mouth because we provide good service," Carroll said. The shop has adapted in other areas, such as with remodels in 2001 from Tropical Storm Allison flooding and a break-in a few years ago.
Homero's son, Homer CapetilloⅡ, is slated to take over in the future. He is also a horologist who graduated with a certification from Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Education Program in 2014. He was the first in the family to attain that professional distinction. The aim is to keep the shop family-run because of its importance to the Capetillos.
"You don't just wake up one day and decide, 'Oh I want to be a horologist,' " Carroll said.
