Downtown Lodi’s House of Clocks endures with time
On the hour every hour, House of Clocks isn’t a shop. It’s a concert hall.
Hundreds of chimes go off in unison filling the air with tinny, gleeful dings and pings emanating from a wall-to-wall assortment of clocks of all shapes and sizes -- desk clocks to cuckoos from the Black Forest to majestic grandfather clocks. The complex, intricate inner-mechanisms, the stunning detail in the handcarved wood cabinets -- each of the more than 1,000 pieces on display has its own allure; its own story; its unique sentimental journey.
Since 1970, the Hohn family has curated perhaps the finest collection of clocks in the state. People from Long Beach to Vacaville, from Reno to San Francisco have entrusted their clocks, some that have been in their family for decades, to the skillful, careful hands of owners Chuck and Steve Hohn, who not only sell clocks but bring pieces back to life.
During a recent visit to the shop, Steve was out of town on a house call and had stops scheduled the following day in Sacramento.
Nearly every inch of their 5,000square-foot showroom on School Street in downtown Lodi is packed with clocks for sale, some dating more than 100 years, as well as clock parts and clocks waiting or undergoing repairs.
The Hohns have built a loyal following and attracted new clientele to their throwback business that continues to thrive in today’s online driven economy. In September, House of will celebrate 50 years in business, and founders, the late Marie and Joe Hohn, would be proud of how their sons and Chuck’s wife, Sandy, have grown the business.
“We’ve always had a good reputation,” Chuck Hohn said. “We’re fair and we’re honest. I always try to stress just treat people right and do it at a fair price; same thing with the retail end of it. Give them a quality product at a good, reasonable price.”
Joe Hohn brought clocks home from Germany after serving in the military and set up shop in the family home on Lodi Avenue. Chuck, Steve and their two brothers worked in the store in their spare time. The Hohns also had a store in Stockton for 36 years, first in St. Mark’s Plaza, then University Square and then Lincoln Center. The downtown Lodi store has been their exclusive location for several years.
“We probably get 10 to 12 phone calls and emails a week from people wanting to sell,” Sandy Hohn. “They’re moving, downsizing or have inherited clocks. We can’t take them all but we try to come across something unique that you can’t purchase any more.”
Chuck Hohn, 61, said by the time he graduated from Tokay High in 1977 and attended San Joaquin Delta College, he knew he wanted to continue the family business.
“I just couldn’t (let my parents’ dream) die,” he said. “It’s a product that’s everlasting.”
Technology hasn’t rendered clocks useless just yet.
“People walk in and say I don’t need that alarm clock or wall clock any more, I have my phone,” Hohn said. “Are you going to hang that up on your wall and enjoy it,” he said, and “pass that on?” Sandy Hohn, 60, said.
“These are heirloom pieces,” Chuck Hohn said. “Sentimentality is the biggest thing in our repair business.”
The couple have two sons who may carry on, but if not, it’s been a good run.
“It’s pretty difficult, so we’ll see,” Chuck said. “I’d love to hit 60 years. Financially and God willing healthwise we can do it and we would have given this area 60 good years of quality service and product and made a ton of friends.”
This year, House of Clocks was named the Bill Dauer Small Business of the Year by the Lodi Chamber of Commerce.