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12 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 9 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m T R E N D I N G A master craftsman who's stood the test of time By Makayla Silva MEET THE MAKER W alking through the doors of the Yankee Clock Peddler in North Haven is like stepping back in time to a bygone era where time was analog and grandfather clocks were a staple in the parlors of homes. Here you might discover an authentic Black Forest cuckoo clock, a vintage Seiko Mickey Mouse clock or a polished brass ship's clock. As you're walking through the corridors of time, you'll hear the synchronizing musical chimes an- nouncing the hour in unison. ere are no digital clocks here. Here, Raymond Pavkov is the clockmaker who has been keep- ing time for 45 years, treasuring the clocks that have been passed through the generations, ticking away for centuries. Growing up on a farm in Ohio, Pavkov developed an early interest in all things mechanical, tinkering with farm equipment to repair broken-down tractors and greasing axles on wagon wheels from an early age. "We learned how to do things ourselves — doing our own main- tenance on machines. It took some ingenuity but it always interested me — the gears on machines, how things worked," Pavkov recounts. "As soon as I would get a new wag- on, I would take it apart and grease the wheels." Draed into the Army in 1967 during the Vietnam War era, Pavkov spent two years in Germany serving as a flight medic on a helicopter with the 3rd Armored Division. While stationed in Germany, Pavkov picked up a few old clocks and was instantly intrigued by the gears and intricate moving parts. Returning home, Pavkov went to work in Ansonia in the engineering department at manufacturer Farrel Corp. while his curiosity about clocks continued to incubate. Befriending a clockmaker at the Ye Olde Clock Shoppe in Guilford, Pavkov discovered an opportunity to join an apprenticeship program through a state of Connecticut program that allowed him to earn his certificate. Four years and 8,000 hours Aer mastering the cra of clock-making through the 8,000 hour apprenticeship program over four years, Pavkov received his certificate and later enrolled in the British Horological Institute, a three-year correspondence program that provided training and educa- tion for clock restoration and repair. "You can have all of the book knowledge and training you want, but until you sit at the bench and do it, you can't really understand the dynamics of clock-making and restoration," explains says. Pavkov started his own business in 1974, and opened his first shop on Whitney Avenue in Hamden in 1979. He has been at his current location on State Street in North Haven, opposite an Agway store, for the last 10 years. Pavkov estimates that he works on some 150 clocks each year, having seen literally thousands of timepieces over the course of his four-decade career. "It always starts the same: e customer comes in and says, 'It doesn't work — can you fix it?'" Pavkov explains. "I have to take it apart and go through and eliminate what I think the problems might be." Repair and restoration remains the bulk of Yankee Peddler's busi- ness with an average of about 50 clocks each month needing some species of maintenance. "A complete restoration costs about $500, where the entire clock is taken apart and cleaned — that takes quite a bit of time," Pavkov says. Of course, time — in more ways than one — is Ray Pavkov's best friend. n 'It always starts the same,' says Pavkov, here in his North Haven store. 'The customer comes in and says, "It doesn't work — can you fix it?"' "You can have all of the book knowledge and training you want, but until you sit at the bench and do it, you can't really understand the dynamics of clock- making and restoration." - Raymond Pavkov, Yankee Clock Peddler, North Haven PHOTO/MAKAYLA SILVA

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