Our Story
A workshop where patience is the primary tool.
Mekhala Watch was established in Bangkok's Thonglor district with one purpose: to give mechanical timepieces the careful, considered attention they require — nothing rushed, nothing assumed.
Back to HomeWho We Are
Started at the bench. Still at the bench.
Mekhala Watch came together gradually, as many small workshops do — first as a space for careful personal work, then as a place other owners began to ask about. The name was chosen for the Thai goddess of lightning, whose calm authority over storm and sky felt right for a workshop that works slowly through difficult problems.
We opened formally in Thonglor because the neighbourhood has long been home to collectors and people who take material culture seriously. It is a practical location — easy to reach from central Bangkok, quiet enough for concentrated work.
The work we do has not changed much since we opened: assessment appointments for owners who need a reliable opinion, caliber refresh services for movements that have been running without attention, and heritage restoration for pieces that deserve research alongside the bench work. We have kept the range of services small deliberately. It allows us to do each one properly.
Mission
To return each mechanical watch to its owner in a condition that reflects the standard of its maker — and to be honest when the appropriate answer is that no work is needed at all.
Values
- Transparency about what is observed and what is recommended
- Work that suits the movement's era and maker, not a generic process
- Written records for every assessment and restoration
- Unhurried timelines that allow for proper observation
People
The workshop team
Pramote Wattana
Head of Workshop
Pramote has been working with mechanical movements for over eighteen years, with a particular focus on Swiss pocket watches and early wristwatch calibers from the mid-twentieth century.
Nalinee Kaewsri
Research & Documentation
Nalinee manages the archive research and written documentation for heritage restoration work. She maintains access to period catalogues and reference texts across several major European makers.
Somchai Thaweesuk
Bench Technician
Somchai joined the workshop after training in Chiang Mai and specialises in Japanese automatic movements. He handles a large portion of the caliber refresh work and conducts timing machine evaluations during assessment appointments.
Standards
How we approach the work
These are not aspirational statements — they describe the practical steps taken on every job that passes through the workshop.
Timing machine verification
Every movement that receives a service is assessed on the timing machine at arrival and re-evaluated after assembly and adjustment. Rate readings are recorded and shared with the owner.
Period-appropriate lubrication
Lubricants are selected to suit the movement's design and age. Modern synthetic lubricants are not always appropriate for older mechanisms designed around different oil viscosities.
No unnecessary intervention
Parts that are functioning correctly are not replaced for the sake of procedure. If a component does not require attention, it is left as found and that decision is noted in the written record.
Secure handling at all times
Watches in our care are kept in a secure, climate-stable environment. They are never transported unnecessarily and are handled only on the bench or in their original case.
Written record for every job
A written record accompanies every assessment and service. This documents condition at arrival, work performed, parts consulted or replaced, and timing results at completion.
Owner communication
If anything unexpected is found during work — a damaged jewel, a worn pivot, an unusual repair from a previous workshop — the owner is contacted before any decision is made about how to proceed.
Mechanical watch repair in Bangkok
Bangkok has a substantial community of watch owners and collectors whose pieces require proper mechanical attention rather than battery replacement or cosmetic cleaning. Mekhala Watch serves that community from a workshop in Watthana, within comfortable reach of central Bangkok via Thonglor BTS station.
Mechanical watch service in Thailand has historically required sending pieces abroad or accepting work from technicians with only general experience. Our workshop takes a different position: specific expertise for specific movements, with the reference library and timing equipment to support it.
Heritage pieces — pocket watches, early wristwatches, family heirlooms — present particular challenges that require research alongside technical skill. The finish on a 1940s dial, the correct profile of a replacement crown, the appropriate way to regulate a particular lever escapement — these details matter to owners who understand what they hold. Our heritage restoration service is structured around that understanding.
Assessment appointments are available for owners who are uncertain about any aspect of a watch's condition or suitability for purchase. The written report that follows each appointment is a practical document, not a sales tool. We sometimes conclude that a watch needs nothing done to it at present, and we say so clearly when that is the case.
Get Started
Have a watch in mind?
A short conversation about your piece is always a reasonable first step. Get in touch and we can discuss what the watch might need before any appointment is arranged.
Contact the Workshop