Today I had one of those “everything happens for a reason” moments. My husband and I left home this morning headed for our favourite NYC furniture store – Restoration Hardware. We had received a gift voucher from my parents-in-law LAST Christmas and keep forgetting to use it… as we all do right!?
We had scanned the website and decided on this vintage, Gymnasium Clock for $229. We both LOVE old, industrial pieces and although this was a replica, we loved it.
Halfway there, we realized we had left our voucher at home. ARGH! We decided to go to the store anyway and see if they had our clock in stock. They did not. Bummer. We had time on our hands (no pun intended) so we walked to one of our favourite market places nearby – the Garage Antique Flea Market in Chelsea.
After a brisk walk through the stalls (it was freeeezing), I spied this little beauty! The seller told me it was from the 1930s – which I confirmed after a quick Google search on my iphone.
The seller was asking $35, which I thought was reasonable. After consulting with the hubby – we agreed we both really loved it, even though it needed some TLC. I told the seller it needed some work, so would he accept $25? He said yes – SOLD!
My husband dabbles in watch repair, so he is going to try and get the mechanics working again. But honestly, I love it for its aesthetic quality, so don’t mind if it’s not functional. I will however, try and take it apart and clean up the inside of the glass and try and remove some of the rust around the centre. We shall see how it cleans up! I also need to find a good spot in our home to display it.
I love that we set out to buy a replica vintage clock from a store for $225, and ended up with an original for $25. Now, what shall we but with our gift voucher!?! Another trip to Restoration Hardware next weekend methinks!
– Penny xo
