Just like clockwork

Born in Beijing in 1981, Qi graduated from the capital's North China University of Technology in 2004. Majoring in mechanical automation, he became an intern at an internet company, but quit the job due to its heavy workload.

"When I heard there was a job opening at the Palace Museum, I decided to apply," Qi says, adding that visiting the museum's gallery of clocks reinforced his decision.

"These timepieces opened my mind to clocks. They are mechanical wonders combining technology and art," he says.

In 2005, he joined the cultural relics restoration department at the Palace Museum, becoming an apprentice of Wang, the museum's third generation watchmaker.

"In the beginning, everything in the palace was fresh to me. It made me excited to even think about repairing vintage clocks," Qi says.