On the last evening of 2024, elderly brothers Joe and Maurice Agius pulled down the shutters of A. Agius Watch Dealers, in Valletta, for the last time.

After almost 90 years of serving royalty, prime ministers and presidents, and surviving the smart watch, old age has called time on their beloved business.

The ‘A’ in the name refers to their father, Anthony, who started the family business on Melita Street in 1935.

“When he was a child, he contracted polio, which meant that he wasn’t chosen for the military later in life. So, our grandfather, who used to sell flowers and toy soldiers, set him up with a small shop selling watches,” says 81-year-old Maurice.

Maurice joined his father fresh out of school at the age of 15. Younger brother Joe, now 73, followed a few years later.

“One day after school, I went and told my dad that I didn’t want to go to school anymore. I thought he would bite my head off but he said: ‘Are you sure?’

"I told him I was and he left it at that. Early the next morning, my mother woke up and said that my father wanted to speak to me. I told her: ‘Mum, tell him I don’t want to go to school.’

She insisted that I go downstairs and speak to him myself. So, I went downstairs and he said, ‘Put some clothes on – you’re coming to work’.”

The shop front in modern times.

Agius Senior also helped his brothers set up their own watch shops. “He wanted them to succeed just like he did. He always put family first,” says Maurice.

The brothers estimate they have sold thousands of watches over the years, including to Queen Elizabeth II, who sent a representative of the Crown to the shop with a cheque from the Royal Purse for 35 pounds and nine shillings – around £800 today – during her visit to Malta in 1954.

A copy of a cheque issued by the Royal Purse to the shop.

The shop also counts Sir Maurice Dorman, Malta’s last British governor before independence, as a former customer. The brothers say that every single prime minister and president since then has visited and purchased a watch.

“Many of them were clients during our father’s time and they kept coming back when we took over, not just as customers but also as friends,” says Maurice, listing Guido de Marco, Eddie Fenech Adami, George Vella, and Myriam Spiteri Debono as heads of state who have visited more recently.

As if on cue, a young man knocks on the door to ask if the shop is open. “He’s the son of a magistrate,” says Joe. Not long after, a judge also passes by to wish the brothers well.

Mr Justice Henri Mizzi pops into the shop to wish the brothers well.

Maurice says the shop was also popular with pilots from the Indian Air Force who were returning home from training in the UK via Malta.

“We’d get a telegram a week in advance of their arrival with huge orders – sometimes a pilot would want 10 of a particular model. Then, an army truck would come by the shop and we’d load all the boxes onto it. I remember my back used to be killing me at the end of the day. I assume they’d sell them as contraband,” he says.

While the Agius brothers share mostly fond memories, they also recall an unpleasant incident from July 1969, which made the front page of Times of Malta.

“I was in Libya seeking new opportunities, as my family was growing and there wasn’t a lot of money in Malta at the time. I had just come back home for a visit when my father phoned me while I was at my mother-in-law’s and told me: ‘You need to come now because there was an accident at your uncle’s shop.’ When I arrived, I found the shop in ruins,” says Maurice.

A copy of the Times of Malta front page reporting on the explosion that destroyed the shop of the Agius brothers’ uncle.

The incident in question was an explosion caused by a suspected gas leak in an adjacent building. The blast caused the shop’s ceiling to collapse, injuring the brothers’ uncle and cousin. Luckily, both they and the American soldiers who happened to be in the shop at the time survived.

“It’s something I’ll never forget,” the older Agius adds.

Over seven decades, the brothers have seen trends come and go and recent technologies emerge, from mechanical to quartz watches, to the first digital watches whose batteries would only last two weeks.

“To be honest, when smart phones came onto the scene, we thought we were done for. But it turned out that people still appreciated the craftsmanship of a good watch, so we were safe for a while longer.”

A. Agius Watch Dealers was also one of the first shops in Malta to start selling smart watches in the early 2010s.

“That didn’t last long because we didn’t have a clue how they worked and, so, we couldn’t guide customers,” laughs Joe.

Certificates of guarantee that customers brought back to the shop for the brothers to keep as mementos.

Cultural changes have also taken place, with the pair observing that Christmas time no longer brings with it a huge increase in footfall, while giving a watch as a gift for a child’s baptism, first holy communion or confirmation is not as fashionable as it used to be.

While the pair admit that moving with the times is crucial to staying in business, they are critical of modern tastes, with oversized watches being a particular pet peeve.

An old photograph of the shop front.

“These days it’s all about showing off. As people who love the craft, we don’t like that people buy big flashy watches – sometimes fakes – that look good on the outside but have cheap movement [the moving parts of a watch],” says Maurice, noting that people are easily swayed by marketing.

Despite the brothers repeatedly expressing their gratitude to their father for setting them on the path to what would become a fulfilling life, their own children will not be taking over the business.

Maurice, left and Joe, right behind the shop counter, in earlier days

“They’ve forged their own careers and we’re very happy for them. We never pressured them into joining the business. On the contrary, we told them about all the sacrifices you have to make to keep a business afloat. I don’t think young people are prepared to work such long hours as we and our dad used to do,” says Joe.

“We didn’t want our kids to suffer. When you own a shop, you’re tied to it, not just the time you spend there but also managing finances. It can drive you a bit mad, maybe not so much during the good times but, during the bad times, you still have to make ends meet. You don’t have a salary coming in. You have to earn every cent you make.”

Nowadays, most businesses are lucky if they make it to five years, let alone 90. What advice do the Agius brothers have for budding entrepreneurs?

One of the brothers fixing a watch.

“Our father taught us that if you take care of your customers, they’ll take care of you. That’s been our policy ever since,” says Joe.

“If you treat people well, they’ll keep coming back,” agrees Maurice.

With their shop being part of the fabric of Valletta for so long, the brothers have seen the capital change before their eyes. Its future, they believe, is bleak.

“We see a lot of businesses opening and then shutting down in a short space of time. In a few years, you’re going to be seeing the closure of small shops like this one much more often as more and more businesses struggle to afford the rent. To be fair, if I were a landlord, I would probably raise rent too,” says Joe.

Maurice believes the lack of a sense of community in modern-day Valletta also makes running a business less enjoyable.

“Back in the day, you’d enjoy coming into work and chatting with the neighbouring shopkeepers. When you were having a bad day, they’d be there to support you and cheer you up. I don’t think that exists much anymore,” he says.

Times of Malta reporting on the explosion that destroyed the shop of the Agius brothers’ uncle.

While a decrease in demand and a struggle to keep up with modern trends in recent years have been factors in their decision to call it a day, the pivotal moment came two months ago.

“We were just about to renew the contract with the landlord until 2028. Then, Joe fell ill and we asked each other: ‘Are we pushing our limits too much? Do we really need to carry on working?’ We phoned the landlord to tell him we wouldn’t be renewing and that was that.”

Just like their father, their commitment to their families comes first.

“My wife’s health has recently taken a turn for the worse. She’s supported me through thick and then throughout all these years, and now it’s my turn to take care of her,” says Maurice.

His brother says he will now have more time to visit his children who live in the UK and the US.

“I’m glad we got to have this experience but I won’t miss it. The shop will live on in people’s memories,” says Maurice.

Before leaving the shop one last time, the brothers thank their families for their support and their customers for their loyalty.

“We can’t give you the time anymore, so you’ll have to find it yourselves,” concludes Joe.