Our Story
A Family Business on Sherbrooke West
Established in 1961 by Mathias Worontschak Sr., OTA began as a small watchmaking business in an upstairs apartment on Sherbrooke West. More than six decades later, the shop remains in the same family, serving clients with the same care, patience, and hands-on service it was built on.
The Beginning
A Small Room Above College Inn Pizzeria
Mathias Worontschak Sr. came to Canada after the Second World War with his family and a dream of independence. In the apartment above what was then College Inn Pizzeria, he turned one of the bedrooms into a small watch repair shop. In the early days, he would stand at the bottom of the stairs, greeting people as they passed and inviting them in with the charm and persistence that would soon make him known as “Mr. OTA.”
From Upstairs to Storefront
A Bold Move in 1974
As word of his work spread, clients from all walks of life began making their way upstairs for watch and clock repairs. In 1974, when the restaurant below closed, Mathias Sr. made the bold decision to purchase the building and move the business into the ground-floor space it still occupies today. From there, OTA grew to include jewellery repair, sales, and custom design.
Carrying the Craft Forward
A Family Shop Across Generations
All four Worontschak children spent time in the shop, learning through summers and after school. Lucas officially joined the company in 1988, after first sitting at the workbench in the summer of 1983. Trained in watch repair, jewellery repair, and gemology, he continued the traditions passed down by his father while keeping OTA connected to the needs of today’s clients.
OTA Today
A Family Vocation on Sherbrooke West
Today, OTA remains a family-run shop rooted in NDG, Montréal, and Québec. From small repairs to complete overhauls, jewellery remodeling, and custom design, the shop continues to welcome people with honest advice, careful work, and the same hands-on service it was built on. Thank you for taking the time to learn our story. We look forward to being of service.
Mathias Lucas Worontschak OTA Watchmaker & Jewellery Co.
