Log in

Sun City clock master celebrating twin milestones

Store anniversary, birthday events on tap

Posted 2/17/20

The owner of New England Clock Shop, 9835 W. Bell Road, Sun City, has two milestones to celebrate this year. He turned 91 years old and he will celebrate 50 years in the Sun City store.

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Sun City clock master celebrating twin milestones

Store anniversary, birthday events on tap

Posted

Karl Robinson has time on his hands.

The owner of New England Clock Shop, 9835 W. Bell Road, Sun City, has two milestones to celebrate this year. He turned 91 years old and he will celebrate 50 years in the Sun City store.

Mr. Robinson opened New England Clock Shop in 1970. But it was not his first Arizona business. Prior to the Sun City shop, he owned two stores in Tucson, two in Phoenix and one in Mesa. But it was not his life-long work, just the second half of his life. among his long list of jobs before becoming a clock master, he was a nurse, drilled wells, plumbing, gas station, auto repair and the railroad.

“I’ve always liked things mechanical,” Mr. Robinson said. “But getting into the clock business was really an accident.”

He was in Phoenix’s Thomas Mall and saw a clock shop. He thought to himself that would be an interesting business. Before he knew it, he had his own shop.

A Michigan native, Mr. Robinson served one tour in the U,S. Navy before moving to Tucson. He opened his first store there, of 600 square feet, with just $700.

“I had five stores in less than eight years,” Mr. Robinson said.

The Sun City store started in Youngtown and later moved to its present loation, 9835 W. Bell Road, in 2004. Mr. Robinson said the Sun City store was the natural one for him to keep when he divested all the others.

“I was getting older and Sun City seemed the best place to be,” he said.

Last year, the New England Clock Shop had more than 38,000 customers come through the door. The store includes thousands of clocks of different varieties and thousands of watches, along with novelty items.

While clock sales have slowed over the years, repair and watches continue to be prosperous. Mr. Robinson said he does 60,000 watch banners and 300 clock overhauls per year. The shop also sees about 100 customers per day, he added.

“Doing well in business is simple, offer a good price and be honest,” Mr. Robinson said.

Mr. Robinson plans to celebrate the store’s anniversary throughout February. Cooking is one of his hobbies and he will make a daily batch of his signature molasses cookies to share with store customers. Also during the anniversary celebration, customers can enter to win a weekly $100 cash prize.

As he begins his 91st year of life and 50th year in the Sun City store, Mr. Robinson has no plans to walk away from the business.

“I want to be here until I am 100,” he said. “My doctor said I am more fit than most 65-year-olds.”