Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Elisabeth Altamirano-Smith | Community Columnist

Myckeal Disharoon of Clanton has always had an interest in antique clocks. As a child, he inherited clocks from his grandparents. Now 54, his interest has evolved into a clock repair business for the public, A Skip In Time, which he operates from his home.

“My interest started when my paternal grandfather brought a vintage German clock back from World War II,” Disharoon said. “He found it in the rubble of a destroyed city. Later on, when I was a teenager, my maternal grandfather from Canada also gave me a vintage clock from the 1920s.”

Disharoon grew up in rural, south Georgia. In the early 1990s, he attended a six-week course in Waycross on clock repair. After the course, he began repairing clocks at the request of friends and family members.

As a welder by trade, he moved to Alabama from Georgia to work for O’Neil Transportation in Calera. He repairs railcars and currently serves as Plant Manager for O’Neil.

“Clock repair is something that I started as a hobby but has evolved into a business,” said Disharoon. “Most of what I work on is mantle or wall clocks. One of the oldest clocks that I have serviced is an 188’s wall clock. Whatever someone has, I will be happy to look at it for them.”

Disharoon occasionally makes house calls for grandfather clocks. Due to the clock’s size, they are unable to be moved. He takes out the movement piece and takes it with him to be repaired.

“I have always had an interest in antique clocks,” said Disharoon. “The most interesting part of the clock is the craftsmanship. Over a hundred years later, these clocks are still operating. When I disassemble them, clean them and put them back together again they still keep doing the job they were created for. That isn’t something you see often in workmanship anymore.”

Disharoon’s love for antique clocks is also partly due to the feeling he gets of bringing something back to life.

“One of the best parts of repairing an old clock is hearing the stories that come with it from the owner,” said Disharoon. “I love stories from grandparents who haven’t heard the clock work in 30 years. Hearing the clock sound brings back memories for them and sometimes they tear up.”

Disharoon is also recognized as a service center by Howard Miller and Ridgeway Clocks. In addition to clock repair, he enjoys gardening and carpentry. He and his wife, Julia of 29 years, have three children and five grandchildren.

For more information, contact A Skip In Time via Facebook- A Skip In Time or email myckeald@gmail.com.