Ticking through the years

Ticking through the years
Tanguay Jewelers thrives with a family approach

+ click to enlarge News staff photo by Andrew Mansfield Brian Tanguay of Tanguay Jewelers in Gardner shows a shadow box with a watch and other pieces from its time period. Tanguay is in his 40th year in business. + click to enlarge News staff photos by Andrew Mansfield Seth, front, and Brian Tanguay sit at repair stations at Tanguay Jewelers in Gardner. Brian Tanguay is now in his 40th year in business. Andrew Mansfield Reporter GARDNER  The phrase “like clockwork” is an inescapable pun describing the family craftsmanship that makes Tanguay Jewelers as reliable as passing time. Starting as a high school student learning the trade from his grandparents, owner Brian Tan­guay has now been in business for 40 years and runs the Connors Street shop with his son, Seth. “We can virtually do anything, which makes it fun. There’s always something different to do here, always,” said Brian. “Our service is the center of our business.” Whether it’s repairing, engraving, polishing, sizing or stone setting, the business has the expertise in jewelry and watches. The father-and-son duo were trained not just through family practice, but they also went to school: Brian is a certified watchmaker from the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking; and Seth graduated from the North Bennet Street School in Boston. The customer requests they receive can range from a standard ring sizing to quirkier, more artistically demanding jobs, keep­ing the business evolving within the same industry. A recent example was Brian being approached by a woman who had old coins her father collected; he shaved down the coin metal and turned it into the dial of a watch. Having the kind of skill that can be adapted to different jobs was initially harnessed by his grandparents, who had their own jewelry shop in Fitchburg. After time spent learning there, Brian became good enough to open up his own repair business, beginning in 1976 out of his father’s house. In 1980, he merged for a few years with his grandparents, creating Murphy Jewelers in Fitch­burg, after their last name. As success grew, there was a need for a new building and expansion, leading him in 1985 to move to the current location at 19 Connors St. The property was a home business for the Tanguay family for five years, with a section of the house being dedicated to the repair shop. The family moved in the early 1990s to allow for the entire Connors Street home to be turned into the jewelry shop, and where Brian and Seth now repair jewelry was previously their kitchen. “This was our family home. I was born and grew up here in this house,” said Seth, talking about how he started learning jewelry at a young age, too. “I took to it really well and I like doing it.” “He’s better than I am actually,” said Brian. “Everything he does is perfect; it really is a joy to have a good jeweler.” Oftentimes, the watches repaired at Tanguay Jewelers haven’t worked in decades, and there aren’t too many other shops around that can get them ticking again. Waltham Watch Company, which began manufacturing in the 1850s, is known for its pocket watches and is a popular type Brian restores. As a gift for customers that makes for a nice conversation piece, Brian will repair those watches and put them in a shadow box to be displayed along with images and information from the time period the watch was made, or in other cases the watch goes with family heirlooms. While the art of the repair is the mainstay of Tanguay Jewelers, they do sell merchandise from selected vendors and have their own signature Swiss-made Tanguay series watches. Because the local business doesn’t spend on advertising the way larger companies do, merchandise can be offered for less while still being of the highest quality. Besides Seth, Brian has another married son whose wife actually works at the store as well. It’s certainly a little early to tell, but the prospect of future grandchildren seems strong and the window is open for him to one day apprentice a grandchild just as his grandparents did for him, who remained working into their 80s. That age is still a couple of decades away for Brian, giving him time to see how the future of the business will unfold with his family, and time to keep working as well. “That’s exactly what I plan on doing. I’ll stay here as long as I’m needed and as long as I have something to do,” he said. Tanguay Jewelers is open for business Tuesday through Saturday and can be reached at 978-632-1362.