It's not everyday that Newcastle business owner David Thomas sells a $600 watch to a Hollywood actor, comedian and international rock star.
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But that's exactly what happened on Monday afternoon when School Of Rock, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Kung Fu Panda star, Jack Black, stepped into his Thomas' Timepieces watch and clock shop in Wolfe Street.
Black is in town for his sold-out Tenacious D concert on Tuesday night at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
At around 4.45pm on Monday Black was walking down Scott Street in Newcastle when he was recognised by Thomas' Timepieces apprentice Luke Slavin.
"They had a chat and he [Black] asked, 'Where are you from', and he [Slavin] said, 'Around the corner in the watch shop'," Mr Thomas told the Newcastle Herald.
"So he came in and had a look. When he walked in I thought it was him, but you don't know if it was him because you don't see celebrities like that laying around.
"We had a chat and he looked at watches and he said, 'That one is speaking to me. I like that one'."
Black picked out a $600 limited edition Seiko 5 SRPK41K automatic watch.
Mr Thomas described Black as "a very nice gentlemen."
Black isn't the first US celebrity to step into his business. Rock legend Alice Cooper also once "called in as he was looking for old pieces," during one of his previous visits to Newcastle.
Black and his Tenacious D bandmate, Kyle Gass, kicked off their Australian tour on the weekend with two shows at the ICC Sydney Theatre.
The Sunday night concert reportedly received a mixed response after Black presented Gass with a cake for his 64th birthday on stage and asked him to make a wish. Gass blew out the candles and joked, "Don't miss Trump next time."
The joke came just hours after the attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump at a campaign rally.
Meanwhile, Hunter Drama have reached out to Black's management to extend an invitation to visit the dress rehearsal of their School Of Rock theatre production at the Civic Theatre on Tuesday afternoon.
Black was the lead actor in the 2003 comedy film and sang the title track. The film was subsequently adapted by theatre legend Andrew Lloyd Webber into a musical.
The Newcastle premiere of the School Of Rock begins on Thursday at the Civic Theatre and runs until Saturday.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
