Yunlin siblings take on family watch business and revitalization of rural economy
The watch industry has been through tough times in the last 20 years. Once a common accessory, the watch is now a niche interest. But two siblings are swimming against the tide to keep their family watch business afloat. They’re the third generation to manage the watch shop in Yunlin’s Tuku Township. Customers come in for repair services and a cup of coffee, and the Tings hope to make a creative case for the watch in 2023. Revitalizing the rural economy is a big interest for both. Let’s go to Yunlin to see how watches keep pace with the times.
Here on Zhongzheng Road in Yunlin’s historic Tuku Township, many special old businesses live on. One of them is this remarkable watch shop. Customers come here for a leisurely cup of coffee and a chance to admire the watches in their glass cases, taking a step back in time to a different era.
In 1948, Ting Ting-fang’s grandfather founded this, the first watch shop in Tuku. As the times changed, there were more and more places to buy watches, while demand for repairs shrank. Gradually, the industry withered, but Ting Ting-fang has come back to her old hometown to breathe fresh life into the family business. And in her repertoire is her own personal passion: coffee.
Ting Ting-fang
Third-generation clock industry owner
A woman of 60 or 70 asked me, “What’s this?” I said, “This is a coffee machine.” She said, “You’re making coffee…?! This is too complicated.” At first, people weren’t very positive about the coffee industry in this small town. It was kind of a novelty.
While Ting Ting-fang brews a cup, her brother Ting Chien-fu is in the back repairing a customer’s watch. The siblings used to watch and learn from their grandfather and father, learning the ropes of the watch industry as children. Ting Chien-fu even qualified as a watchmaker. They both moved back to Tuku after time away, hoping to offer their loyal customers immaculate service and attract new demographics to the shop.
Ting Chien-fu
Third-generation clock industry owner
I guess you would say it’s the changing times. It’s an irreversible trend. Everyone is using smartphones and lots of digital products. So I was very lucky that my sister came back home, and by combining it with the coffee, we’ve got people more interested in what we’ve changed through our transition. We want to incorporate more unusual materials to create unique, creative clock products.
Job opportunities can be limited in the countryside, which makes many young people hesitate to settle in their rural hometowns after growing up. But the Tings have not only taken on the family business. They’re invested in revitalizing local culture, and want to encourage more people to join the community.
Ting Ting-fang
Third-generation clock industry owner
I think everything’s possible now. Coming home to the country, things aren’t as convenient, and information isn’t so advanced. But we’re in the internet age now, and the age of online retail. So many things are actually unlimited, without national borders. So I think there are opportunities for entrepreneurship wherever you go.
The brother and sister duo are finding innovative ways to make this traditional shop relevant. As third generation owners, they’re bringing a breath of fresh air into an old industry, and helping carve out a wholly new path for their community.
2023-07-18
