The Golden Fig House Beyond Railway Garden Still Waits Behind Its Green Gate
This detached house near Railway Garden remained occupied by the Haddou family for nearly thirty-five years. The owner worked as a watch repair specialist, maintaining mechanical wristwatches and clocks for neighborhood customers and several small jewelry shops nearby.
The house developed gradually around both family life and workshop use:
front sitting room, compact kitchen, two bedrooms, and a converted side room used for repair benches and precision storage.
The Repair Window Alcove
Several details remain throughout the property:
- magnifying lenses stored inside wooden trays
- watch straps organized by material
- repair invoices clipped together with pins
- brass alarm clocks resting on shelves
- embroidered curtains folded inside cupboards
- polishing cloths preserved near the workbench
- spare gears and springs sorted inside drawers
The surrounding district relied heavily on small independent trades and family-owned services for decades. During the early 2020s, however, cheaper imported electronics and shifting consumer habits gradually reduced demand for mechanical watch repair.
Traditional workshops became less sustainable.
Younger residents increasingly worked elsewhere.
The Haddou family reportedly remained in the house longer than many neighboring tradespeople because loyal customers continued visiting for specialist repairs. Eventually, however, declining business and retirement made maintaining both the workshop and property increasingly impractical.
The family relocated closer to adult children in a newer residential district.
Most furniture and repair materials remained inside.
The house has stayed closed ever since.
Today the house still reflects its connection to careful craftsmanship.
The clocks remain resting along the shelves.
The polishing cloths still sit near the bench.
And inside the repair window alcove, several unfinished watch cases remain exactly where they were last examined.
