Young apprentices keep rare clock repair craft alive in Tampa

By Corey Beckman

Updated July 20, 2026 10:54 AM EDT

Published July 20, 2026 10:28 AM EDT
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Boyd Clocks: Keeping time on their side

Boyd Clocks in Tampa is actively preserving the hands-on craft of mechanical clock repair in an increasingly digital world. FOX 13 photojournalist Corey Beckman has the story.

The Brief

    • Boyd Clocks in Tampa is actively preserving the hands-on craft of mechanical clock repair in an increasingly digital world.
    • Two young apprentices are learning the specialized trade as experienced clockmakers across the country retire or die.
    • The family-owned local business restores thousands of antique timepieces each year, preserving important generational family heirlooms.

TAMPA, Fla. - Inside Boyd Clocks, time still ticks, chimes and depends on a skilled human touch.

Tampa clockmaker restoration craft

The backstory:

Owner David Boyd is a horologist who repairs and restores mechanical clocks. The Tampa shop works on thousands of timepieces each year, many of them family heirlooms that have been passed down for generations.

"The number one reason that someone gets a clock restored is because it’s been in their family. It has sentimental value," Boyd said.

The business is also part of Boyd’s own family history. His father contracted polio at 19, used a wheelchair and built a career and business around clocks. Boyd began helping him on service calls as a child and now continues the work to preserve his father’s legacy.

Sentimental heirloom values

Dig deeper:

As longtime clockmakers retire or die, fewer people know how to repair the gears, springs and movements inside antique clocks. Boyd is working to pass those skills to apprentices Steven Cox and Hailey Morris.

Cox said he enjoys solving problems with his hands and returning meaningful pieces to their owners.

"I worked on it, you know, like a clock that comes in that isn’t running at all and has all these problems, and I fix it. The person who brought it in is now happy, and I got an heirloom of theirs running again," Cox said.

Morris sees the work as a mechanical puzzle. Together, the apprentices are learning a trade that many people assume is disappearing while helping keep the shop and its clocks moving forward.

Antique timepiece retail

What you can do:

Boyd Clocks serves as both a classroom, repair center and shop. Customers can bring in clocks for restoration or shop for one to purchase.

The business is located at 11620 N. Florida Ave. in Tampa and is open Tuesday through Sunday.

The Source:  

TampaBusiness