ISERBROOK
Order from India: Repair Once palace watches, you're welcome!
Iserbrook. The Hamburg Wolfgang Domann has experienced in his 36-year career as a master watchmaker quite a bit. That a lady from Saigon calls and asks him, to repair historic clocks in a Indian Palace, however, is not as common. No wonder then, Domann that keeps the call only for a joke. But it soon becomes clear, that it means the unknown caller actually seriously.
Wolfgang Domann from Iserbrook part of a nationwide specialist group for historical clock. Along with a few colleagues, he restored regularly volunteer at the Museum Peterhof in St. Petersburg antike Uhren. About his work, a film was made for the third program. This film was also broadcast on the German wave and there the lady had discovered from Saigon Domann and his colleagues. The caller from Saigon was in contact with the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. There is also a museum, are in turn many defective watches. So asked the lady from Saigon to master watchmaker, whether he and his colleagues did not even once wanted to exercise their voluntary work in India. And Domann wanted.
+++Rajasthan – a turban full of legends
In February 2011 he was now traveling with five other watchmakers colleagues for the first time to India. The condition, however, was by Domann, that spouse of the party were. The Maharaja of Jodhpur took care of the accommodation and catering, watchmakers including spouse had to take care of Flight and Visa – after all 2000 Euros per person they had to spend on it. Two weeks should take the Maharajah of stay. Since there was no palace workshop, Domann and his team had to bring everything yourself. “So we had to take a complete workshop with India, 20 Kilo for Person “, sagt Domann. Shortly before the departure Domann was still on doubt, whether it would work all.
Doch into Jodhpur angekommen, all doubts were blown away: ” We were greeted with red carpet, placed directly in the Maharaja Gaj Singh II palace and treated like princes”, sagt Domann.
In a dance hall of the Maharaja provisional workshop was set up. There should be around 100 Watches, that were in the Museum of the Maharaja, be repaired and restored. “The watches were in a pitiful state, was all brass or bronze, was covered with a thick layer of verdigris”, sagt Domann. On the one hand this was due to the high humidity in India, on the other hand it, that there is no watchmaker in India, can take care of the restoration of watches.
+++For the top tier, you need a steady hand
Especially good is the 61- remember-year master watchmaker at his meeting with the Maharaja. “We had made us in advance thoughts, how to meet a Maharaja, but we did not make the typical knee case actually”, sagt Domann. That they had not also, because the Maharaja welcomed Domann and his team quite loose and worldly with a handshake. Once the Maharaja even had tears in his eyes. Domann had shown him an old music box, which the Maharaja probably had never seen running.
Also this year, Domann was with his colleagues back in India, order to take care of the clocks of the Maharajah. However, this time they were not so pompous housed and not received with red carpet. For Domann a token of appreciation. “Meanwhile, we are nothing special for the Indians, We have integrated our”, so the master watchmaker. If Domann talks about his India experience, he gets more rapturous: “It was like 1001 Night”. And something else inspired him during his travels: “Watchmakers are usually lone and during the journey we all have to work in a team”. In the coming year Domann will fly back to India- probably for the last time, because he wants now again reinforces the historic clocks in the museum in St. Petersburg and of course also take care of his own business in Iserbrook.
Christina Lachnitt