Nothing but time

Remembering to set his store full of clocks forward this weekend won’t be difficult for 90-year-old Seby Sebastian — almost all the clocks require a once-a-week winding anyway.

Sebastian began his love affair with watches and clocks as a 12-year-old growing up in Romania. Today, the energetic, warm and humble 90-year-old man still works at the Peninsula Clock Shop in San Mateo — his store since 1963 — with the manager Keith Ma for the joy.

Clocks rhythmically tick and tock as Sebastian remembers his life by looking through a collection of article clippings, photos and letters he bound together.

"I’m cuckoo,” he said with a laugh. "It’s my life.”

Fixing watches started as a side job. Sebastian would work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. then come home and fix watches his wife Marieta would pick up during the day. Sebastian would work until the wee hours of the morning fixing the watches in his garage. Marieta would return them the next day and gather more watches for Sebastian to tackle.

"If you don’t work, you don’t have anything,” he said.

From 1953 to 1962 he had a clock and watch shop in Bucharest, Romania. It was here that he began gathering and displaying his well-known collection of watches with pieces dating back to the 1700s.

The collection grew, but much got left behind when Sebastian left with his wife two days before the communist takeover. He again opened a clock shop, this time on El Camino Real in San Mateo. Sebastian took with him the watch of King Michael I of Romania – a watch Sebastian was working on. He and his wife held onto the relic for 50 years until the royal family visited San Francisco in 2000. At that time, Sebastian met with the family and returned the watch.

Sebastian never included it into his collection – which grew to more than 300 watches. All of the watches are now on display at a clock museum.

But Sebastian’s greatest joy was working on watches and clocks others wouldn’t touch. He’s kept many letters thanking him for his skill and restoration of family heirlooms and treasured gifts. The store features a number of Atmos clocks – clocks that don’t require a battery or plug to run – that were recently fixed. Sebastian also created clocks – like a water clock and a flower clock, both of which he keeps a photo of on display.

In his years as a master European watchmaker Sebastian has worked for Bing Crosby. Famous or not, Sebastian greets all as if they were old friends with a grand hug, warm smile and a kiss on the cheek.

Sebastian has now passed on his skill to store manager Keith Ma, who Sebastian describes as the best.

The friendly time-themed existence even shows up on Sebastian’s business cards, a little nice to meet you token Sebastian hands out, but can barely keep in stock. The card features a quote on the back Sebastian loves sharing and leaving with people.

"The clock of Life is wound but once/And no man hath the Power/To tell just when the hands will stop/At late or early hour. Now is the only time you own/Live, Love, Toil at will/Place no faith in tomorrow/For the clock may then be still.”

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.