Having the time of their life: Business brisk for clock sales, service, repair shop in Hannibal

HANNIBAL, Mo. — You might hear the beep of a watch or, if you’re lucky, the chimes of church bells during the course of a typical day.

A symphony of chimes, cuckoos, dings and bongs can be heard every hour on the hour at Marion County Clocks, 115 S. Fourth.

“It’s like the beginning of Pink Floyd’s ‘Time’ with all the clocks going off,” said John Ryan, the 23-year-old co-owner of the new clock sales, service and repair shop in Hannibal.

Ryan, who completed his horology program twice as fast as the average student, has been working on clocks since he was 15 years old. He shares the shop with Matt Walden. The two met while working at Ralls County Clock Company, and they had great respect for owner Dave Miller, who owned the business in 1996.

Ryan mentioned that Miller “made me value hard work … and take pride in what I do.” After he died in 2017, his wife Nancy ran the shop until she retired in October, prompting Ryan and Walden to open a business of their own.

Walden found his way to clocks after he served as a mechanic in the Air Force for 23 years before retiring. He traded out fighters and bomber jets for cuckoo and grandfather clocks and got to work learning the trade. The precision needed for the craft was evident by the magnifying lens Walden had attached to his glasses.

The shop is tidy, decorated with all types of ornate wooden time-tellers, plus a calm Yorkie named Brewster. They’re open for business from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and sometimes clock-lovers are known to loiter there. Marion County Clocks also serves in-house calls, repairing larger clocks that are better not transported. 

“I don’t have enough good things to say about those guys,” said Scot Atwood, a timekeeper enthusiast and loyal customer. 

Atwood’s grandfather collected clocks in the 1960s, inspiring his grandson with a love of craftsmanship. Today, Atwood has around 14 grandfather clocks, some built in the 1790s. When Marion County Clocks serviced Atwood’s antiques, they discovered that one was fitted with wooden gears inside, which is rare. Atwood himself wasn’t aware of what intricacy lay inside his clock before the visit.

“Educating people on what they have” is a particularly special part of the job, Ryan said. Many clients come in, having inherited family clocks that may not have been working in years. The pair finds joy in getting these beautiful clocks cleaned up and ticking, ready to keep time for its new owner.

Ryan and Walden are excited about the freedom owning a business allows. 

“We’re not punching the clock,” Walden noted.

Their partnership, despite a generation gap, is invaluable to the business operation.

“We bounce everything off each other,” Walden said.

They’ve been open for three weeks, and business has been steady so far. They hope to expand the geographical area of their service calls, expand their clock selection beyond antiques to include newer models, and provide simple watch repairs.

If you stop by Marion County Clocks, try to do it just before the hour. The chorus of chimes alone will make your visit well worth it.

Annie C. Reller is a Seattle native and a recent Stanford graduate serving as an intern for Muddy River News this spring.