The Swiss don’t buy new clocks anymore — many actually are trying to get rid of the ones they have. Tourists, usually from Asia, had been buying clocks in recent years — but then the pandemic happened and tourism did not. Laurent Panzella, 46, was explaining the situation via FaceTime from his clock repair atelier in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, in the French-speaking canton of Vaud. He talked while he gave a virtual tour of the shop (white walls lined with clocks of all shapes and sizes, as well as work tables and pieces of machinery) and of the quiet street right outside. Two clients did walk in during the call: One dropped off two clocks for repair, and the other inquired about services.

Source: International New York Times November 03, 2020 10:07 UTC