History

In 1950, Robert Emmett Graham started Auto Clock Shop in Washington, DC, at 19th and M Street. He entered the automobile clock repair business because there was a need. We repaired clocks for car dealers up and down the East Coast. We were a factory-authorized service center for Borg Instruments, Westclox, Tally Industries, and Seth Thomas, to name a few. He employed five full-time watch and clockmakers back in the day.

Our second location in DC was on Bladensburg Road and New York Avenue NE. We remained there for 27 years.

The Auto Clock division was handed over to his son, Richard Robert Graham (Rick), in 1969. Robert (Bob) Graham was fighting a long battle with leukemia and needed help running the business.

Rick married Doris in August 1972. He was 19, and she was 17 and in nursing school. When Bob’s battle ended, Rick took over the entire shop and asked his wife Doris to help. Rick was already an expert on auto clocks, but the business evolved into a full-service clock repair and restoration company. With the help of Barry Cheslock, Rick learned the fine art of clockmaking from one of the best. Rick apprenticed under Barry for many years and absorbed all of his knowledge. Barry, a loyal employee, had studied watch and clock repair in Pennsylvania, grew up in Baltimore, and later moved to DC, where he worked for us and others because of his love of antiques and clocks.

We did trade repair for Woodward & Lothrop (“Woodies”) in DC and for jewelry stores all over town. Daughter Sarah was born in 1975, son Eric Emmett in 1981, and Steven Richard in 1985. Doris worked at the DC location for 13 years before taking a few years off to be home with the children.

When it was time to return to work, Doris asked her husband Rick if she could open a store where we could sell clocks and take in repairs. His answer was yes, and so it began. On October 1, 1983, Maryland Clock Company opened its new mall location in Bowie, MD—a tiny 650 sq. ft. showroom full of every kind of clock money could buy. Back then, we had hundreds of manufacturers to choose from: Seth Thomas, Ansonia, Ridgeway, Howard Miller, New England, Chelsea, Weems & Plath, Seiko, Rhythm, Kundo, Westminster Time, Hermle, Sligh, Ethan Allen, and more.

That was an exciting experience—running a retail store along with the repair service. Many clocks were sold over the years. We created our own reason to exist, so to speak, knowing that all clocks need regular maintenance to run properly.

We had two locations—DC and MD—for many years but decided to move fully to Maryland in 1997.

We set up the repair shop in Upper Marlboro and worked out of that shop for 40 years.

After 27 years in Bowie, we moved the showroom to Davidsonville, where Doris could operate both of her businesses in the same location: Maryland Clock Company, with Rick and their grandson and apprentice Noah Kline, and Time for Travel LTD, where she worked as Vice President with their daughter Sarah. Time for Travel was Sarah’s passion and was incorporated in June 1996.

Rick sadly passed away in November 2021, after teaching his oldest grandson Noah the art of clockmaking.

What a blessing it is to have Noah James Kline to carry on this wonderful 75-year-old family business. May the pendulum of life keep swinging.

Noah’s skill and technical knowledge surpass those of both previous generations. His work is beautiful, and hopefully he will have a long, fruitful career with Maryland Clock Company for many years to come. This is our gift to the gifted.

Love,
Grandma Doris