Our Story
A workshop built on patience and precision.
Wela Time has been caring for watches in Bangkok since 2009 — one piece at a time, without cutting corners.
Back to HomeHow We Started
Wela Time, since 2009.
Wela Time began in a small rented room off Sukhumvit, with a single watchmaker's bench, a loupe, and a small collection of tools accumulated over a decade of working in workshops around Southeast Asia. The name — "wela" being the Thai word for time — reflects the single thing we've always cared about most: giving time its due respect.
The early days were mostly battery changes and strap fittings for neighbours and colleagues. Word spread, as it tends to do in a neighbourhood. By 2012, mechanical servicing had become the heart of the work, and the first vintage restoration followed not long after — a 1967 dress watch brought in by a retired civil engineer who had kept it in a drawer for thirty years.
Today the workshop occupies a comfortable space at 142 Sukhumvit Road, and the team has grown to three. The work itself hasn't changed. Each watch is still examined by hand, discussed with its owner, and returned with a written account of what was done. We don't rush, and we don't promise outcomes we can't deliver.
Our customers include daily-wear owners who simply want their quartz running reliably, collectors working through a restoration, and families reviving a grandfather's watch that hasn't ticked in years. The job is different each time, and that's exactly why it remains interesting.
The Team
Three people, one workshop.
Krit Phongpan
Head Watchmaker
Seventeen years working with mechanical movements, including a three-year stint at a Swiss movement repair centre in Geneva. Krit handles all mechanical servicing and vintage restoration work.
Nida Sombat
Quartz & Battery Specialist
Nida joined in 2015 with a background in electronics and precision assembly. She manages battery replacements, pressure testing, and case work, and has a particular interest in sports and dive watches.
Thanwa Prasit
Customer & Parts Liaison
Thanwa coordinates customer communication, parts sourcing, and workshop scheduling. He's fluent in Thai, English, and conversational Japanese, and is the first point of contact for most enquiries.
How We Work
Standards we hold ourselves to.
Examination before estimation
We don't quote a price without looking at the movement. Every watch receives a visual inspection before we discuss cost or timeline.
Written work record
Every completed job comes with a written summary — what was found, what was replaced, and what the movement measured before and after regulation.
Pressure testing as standard
All battery replacements include a seal inspection and pressure test. We don't reassemble a case and assume it's watertight — we verify.
Respectful handling of vintage pieces
We take photographs before opening a vintage watch and discuss every intervention with the owner. Irreversible work is never undertaken without agreement.
Watch-grade lubricants only
We use purpose-formulated lubricants matched to the movement type and component. Substitutions are not made to save cost or time.
Secure storage while in care
Watches held in the workshop are kept in a locked cabinet, tracked by individual job number, and never handled without a corresponding work record.
Our Approach
Watch repair, done at the right pace.
Bangkok is a city with no shortage of watch repair counters. Most are fast, cheap, and adequate for straightforward jobs. Wela Time occupies a different position — we take fewer watches at a time so that each one receives proper attention. A mechanical service at a busy counter may take a morning. At Wela Time, it takes the time it actually needs, typically two to three weeks, because that's how long it takes to do it properly.
We work on timepieces across a wide range of styles and eras — from contemporary automatics to mid-century dress watches to sports watches from the 1980s. What they share is that their owners care about them, often deeply. That context shapes how we approach every job. We're not processing units; we're looking after something that matters to someone.
Wela Time is a member of the Thailand Watchmakers' Trade Association and maintains relationships with parts suppliers in Switzerland, Germany, and Japan. Our work on mechanical movements follows the service protocols established by the respective manufacturers where documentation is available. For vintage pieces where no documentation exists, we apply established horological practice and document our own approach in writing.
Have a watch that needs attention?
Send us a message or call ahead. We'll be straightforward about what your watch needs and what it will cost.
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