Eugene and Guisseppe Scarcella

With a packed room as part of History week 2012, we celebrated 60 years of business for Scarcella Watchmakers. Like the hands of a clock the fashions in time keeping have come full circle. It is a local business which survives in a suburb where a penchant for old craftsmanship keeps the Scarcella business alive. Giuseppe and Eugene continue the business laid down by father and grandfather Carmello Scarcella who started the business just  three days  after arrival to Australia.

Now Leichhardt watchmakers Guiseppe and Eugene Scarcella keep the family tradition going. The Local communities love of things old and well made with sentimental penchant for family aerlooms which have kept people coming from all over Sydney for many years “People like old watches. It’s actually a fad at the moment – people buy them on eBay. Which is good for us, because we have to do the repairs !” Eugene said “A lot of people will come in with watches that may not be the most expensive, but their father wore it every day. They’ll pay to have it fixed because they’re so attached to it,” he said. Carmello Scarcella opened up the business in the first week of arriving to Australia in July 1952. His son Giuseppe Scarcella joined him in the businesses from 1960 and Eugene joined the family trade in 1982 full time. The Leichhardt family business is one of the longest surviving on Norton Street with some customers still coming from the time it opened. The small shopfront filled with watches parts and clocks has worked for them.

Three generations Carmello Giuseppe and Eugene

Carmelo was a healthy 105 yrs old when he passed away in 2011. 1930s/1940s:

1952“Carmelo Scarcella owns a jewellery and wedding gift shop in Messina” which was damaged in WorldWar 2. They sold wedding gifts like vases. Carmelo Scarcella arrives in Australia from Messina, where he had a jewellery and wedding gift shop. He opened up the watchmakers shop at 12 Norton Street in his first week of arriving. He began his trade at age 8.

1960 Giuseppe Scarcella joins his father in the shop at 12 Norton Street Leichhardt. They specialise in fixing in older watchers, old clocks, automatic, all watches, geek watches. 1982

Eugene Scarcella starts working full time in the shop. 2012