This wristwatch repairman in Baghdad is a timeless treasure

Watch repairman Abdelkarim at his workshop on Rasheed Street in Iraq's capital Baghdad. Photo: AFP

Youssef Abdelkarim's storefront on one of Baghdad's most historic streets is a time capsule – literally. Thousands of wristwatches fill the tiny shop, where three generations have repaired Iraq's oldest timepieces.

The dusty display window on Rasheed Street features a single row of classic watches in their felt boxes right at the front, with a mountain of haphazardly piled pieces behind it and others hanging from hooks overhead.