Best of 2003: Best Clock Repair Shop

Bob's Carlsbad Clock Shop
1055 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad
800-734-5121

This Carlsbad institution has two staffers who, for $85, make house calls from Los Angeles to the border. In-house, they fix broken clocks and oil the mechanisms of functioning ones (a maintenance step that's recommended every two to three years and costs $30 to $85, depending on the complexity of the timepiece). If your repair turns out to be uneconomical, the store sells replacement possibilities that range from cutesy, animated bedside clocks to $20,000 Gazo masterpieces.