General News
31 October, 2025
Winding up for rare trades festival
THOMAS Habel is part of a new generation turning back the clock and keeping a rare trade ticking.
At the age of 36, Thomas is one of Australia’s youngest clock repairers to have their own workshop.
He will be one of over a dozen rare trades on display as part of the Wreckfest Rare Trades Festival at Flagstaff Hill this Sunday, November 2.
Thomas currently works from a workshop in Macchia Jewellery in Liebig Street.
He completed an apprenticeship in watch repair, and has been working primarily with clocks for about a decade.
“I wanted to do something different,” he said.
“Watchmaking was brought to my attention, and everything fell into place.
“In my apprenticeship, there were six of us who completed it for the whole year, and that’s Australia wide. And I think there are only three of us who continued, so three apprentices a year isn’t many.”
He said that while there weren’t many clock repairers in Australia, older colleagues were very supportive and generous with their time.
And almost every clock he works on has a story to tell.
“I’ve heard of stories where they have carried the clock into the dam and it’s the only thing they rescued in a bushfire,” he said.
“Or of a clock that might have been someone’s grandmother’s or great-grandmother’s and they’ve never heard it strike - to see that excitement on their faces, it can be very special.”
He said he was looking forward to taking the time to demonstrate how clocks work at the Wreckfest Rare Trades Festival.
“I really enjoy having the opportunity to show off what I do,” he said.
“Most people don’t understand how clocks work… so to have the opportunity to show people the amount of mechanics that goes behind it, so they can see how ingenious people have been in the past to make the clocks that are as refined as they are, is exciting.”
Other rare trades on display will include blade shearing, rope making, blacksmithing, whip plaiting, beekeeping, wheel making, cane fishing rod making, glassblowing, signwriting, silversmithing, barrel making and hat making.
Expert chainsaw artist Rob Bast will also carve a life-sized Maremma dog out of wood.
There will also be children’s activities and food vans on site.
The Wreckfest Rare Trades Festival will run from 9.30am-4.30pm on Sunday.
As a special event, regular admission fees apply (no free Local Ambassador tickets).
