'My story is one of passion'

Salah Al-Din watchmaker upholds family tradition despite adversity

2024-08-23 | 11:45

SALAH AL-DIN — Born in 1980 in the Baiji district of Salah Al-Din, Jasim Mohammed Ibrahim has built a reputation as a watchmaker, a craft deeply rooted in his family’s heritage. Jasim started learning the trade from his father at the tender age of nine and pursued mechanical engineering studies at the Technical Institute before opening his own shop in Tikrit in 2008.

However, escalating tensions and threats from terror groups forced Jasim to relocate to Kirkuk, where he established a small watch repair stall. His work quickly gained popularity, especially among displaced individuals from Tikrit, earning him the moniker “Jasim Al-Saati” (Jasim the Watchmaker).

“My story is one of passion and perseverance,” Jasim told 964media. “The watch workshop in Tikrit is not just a job for me; it’s a part of my family’s heritage and a place where I find happiness and peace.”

In 2016, Jasim returned to Tikrit and reopened his shop on Al-Zuhour Street, continuing his operations in the city that serves as the administrative capital of the Salah Al-Din governorate.

Reflecting on his family’s history in the trade, Jasim shared that his father, Mohammed Ibrahim, started the watchmaking business in 1979. Despite being employed at the local religious endowments, his father was deeply passionate about watches and honed his skills to eventually open a shop in Baiji. This shop quickly became known for its expertise in handling well-known watch brands.

Jasim’s father was not alone in his endeavors. He enlisted the help of a skilled repairman named Abu Subhi Saleh from Baiji, and in 1985, an Egyptian worker named Abu Abdullah Salah also joined the team. It was during this period that Jasim began working alongside his father, learning the intricacies of watch repair while he was still a student.

Today, Jasim’s shop on Al-Zuhour Street in Tikrit offers a variety of timepieces, including battery-operated watches, wall clocks, and wristwatches, along with repair services, continuing a family legacy of precision and care in watchmaking.