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At 72, Arif Kocaman is still at work in his shop in Fatih, Istanbul, carefully restoring antique clocks and watches after nearly six decades in the trade. Known locally as “Iskele Arif Usta,” he has carried on the craft with the same energy he first brought to it as a teenager.
Born in Cankiri in 1954, Kocaman came to Istanbul to stay with his uncle and began selling watches at Eminonu Ferry Pier when he was only 14. Eminonu is one of Istanbul’s historic waterfront districts, long tied to ferry traffic and small trade.
Selling watches soon was not enough for him, and his curiosity pushed him to learn repair work on his own. By taking watches apart, lining up the pieces, and putting them back together, he gradually built the skills that would shape his whole working life.
Because he spent many years working at the ferry pier, Kocaman came to be known as “Iskele Arif Usta,” meaning Arif the Master from the pier. The nickname stayed with him as he moved from selling watches on the waterfront to repairing them with growing precision.
Today he continues to work in his Fatih shop without stepping away from the principle he says matters most: Using the right part and staying honest.
Kocaman described watch repair as highly delicate work that goes far beyond simply opening a case and replacing a battery. Over the years, he said he has been able to repair everything from antique timepieces to modern watches, a range that reflects both patience and long-practiced skill.
His years in the trade were not limited to his own bench, as he also trained apprentices along the way. Some of those apprentices, he said, even went on to surpass him, showing how a craft learned alone in youth later turned into knowledge passed down to others.
Among all the watches and clocks he has handled, antique pieces hold a special place for him. He said he has repaired a 200-year-old antique clock and added that when a timepiece is especially valuable, he may repair it without charging because the satisfaction comes from being able to bring it back to life.
Even at 72, and despite dealing with several illnesses, Kocaman still spends his Sundays walking through flea markets in search of antique clocks. That weekly routine shows that his connection to old timepieces has not faded with age, but has instead remained part of his daily way of life.
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