By Maureen King
“First, a disclaimer — I’ve known Julie Campisi and her dad “Papa Barry” (both Etz Chaim members!!) for over 15 years. I’ve sat at Julie’s Seder table and Hanukkah feast and birthday parties and kitchen counter and listened to Papa Barry’s stories. When she told me that he was writing them down, I was an enthusiastic supporter. And now that I’ve read their book, Watches That I Have Known, I’m encouraging you to give it a read.
What started as a project to record the stories “for the grandchildren” became much more, and now stands a testament to a true craftsman and his work.
Barry J. Marcus is a master watchmaker and has been plying his trade for nearly 70 years. He and Julie have compiled a book of short stories and vignettes that give a peak into what a watchmaker does, and it’s more than just replacing parts of a watch. Although I learned quite a bit about actual watch parts and Barry’s processes for repair, I also learned that Barry is an astute student of human nature. His stories might seem to be about the many different watches he’s repaired but in reality, they are about the watches’ owners, the emotional attachments people acquire to their watches, and time.
Watches come to Barry from far and wide. Through his many years at the bench, he has met and repaired thousands of watches. Barry’s touching encounters with many of the watch owners and inheritors are a wonderful window into the human side of his business. His customers find him through jewelry stores, recommendations from friends and acquaintances, and now the Internet. Many make a long drive to see if Barry can fix a special watch that belonged to a beloved family member. The watches are restored to running order and many of the customers leave restored as well.
Read Watches I Have Known to find out what I mean! The whole book full of stories is just like having a very long coffee break (black, no sugar) with Barry. The Samuel Osher Memorial Library and Etz Chaim will be hosting a book talk with Barry and Julie this fall. The date is still being arranged, but rest assured that coffee will be served so that you can enjoy a coffee break with Barry and hear some of his wonderful stories!!