Suwan · Bangkok
A Workshop Grounded in Patience
We work with watches the way their makers intended them to be cared for — methodically, respectfully, and without shortcuts.
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How Suwan Came to Be
Suwan began on Surawong Road in 2009, when watchmaker Prayuth Suwan-Akson returned from seven years of training and work across Switzerland and Japan. He had spent those years in small, disciplined environments where movements were studied as complete systems rather than collections of parts to be swapped out. He came home wanting to offer Bangkok something similar — a workshop where time and attention were given freely and work was not rushed to the next job.
The early years were modest. A single bench, a small set of tools accumulated over nearly a decade, and a growing number of customers who arrived after hearing a watch had been handled well. Suwan built a reputation slowly, which suited the nature of the work. Word spread in the way it does in a city like Bangkok — quietly, person to person, mostly among people who cared about their watches and had grown tired of impersonal service elsewhere.
Today the workshop occupies a small but well-equipped space in the same Bang Rak neighbourhood. The team has grown by three, each technician trained in-house under Prayuth's guidance. The approach has not changed: every watch is assessed individually, every recommendation is explained clearly, and no cosmetic choice is made without the owner's agreement.
We are not the fastest workshop in Bangkok. We do not try to be. What we offer is care, communication, and a standard of work that a watch worth keeping deserves.
Established
2009
Surawong Road, Bangkok
Services Offered
3
Crystal care · Mechanical servicing · Restoration
Workshop Team
4
Trained technicians, all in-house
Our Mission
"To care for watches with the attention they were built to receive, and to return them in a condition that does justice to their making."
The People
Who Works on Your Watch
Prayuth Suwan-Akson
Lead Watchmaker & Founder
Trained in Neuchâtel and Nagoya, Prayuth focuses on complex mechanical servicing and conservation work. He assesses every restoration personally.
Nattaya Wongprasert
Mechanical Technician
Nattaya handles mechanical servicing on ETA, Miyota, and selected in-house movements. She has been with the workshop since 2014.
Krittipat Thongchai
Case & Crystal Specialist
Krittipat works on case finishing, crystal replacement, and bracelet care. His steady attention to surface detail produces consistently clean results.
Siriporn Petcharat
Client Liaison
Siriporn manages enquiries, assessment notes, and collection scheduling. She ensures that owners are kept informed at every stage of the process.
How We Work
Our Working Standards
Written Assessments
Every watch receives a written assessment before work begins. We describe what we found, what we propose, and the expected cost. Work starts only with your written agreement.
Lubricants & Materials
We use manufacturer-recommended lubricants sourced from Swiss suppliers. Gaskets, crystals, and replacement components are selected for compatibility with each movement and case specification.
Timing Measurement
All serviced movements are measured on a timing machine across multiple positions. We aim for results within acceptable COSC-adjacent tolerances before returning a watch.
Part Retention Policy
Replaced parts are kept and returned with the watch unless you instruct otherwise. For restoration work, original components are documented and, where possible, conserved rather than discarded.
Secure Storage
Watches in our care are kept in a locked cabinet during non-working hours. Insurance coverage applies to all pieces left with us. Details are available on request.
Aftercare Guidance
We provide brief written guidance on care and storage for each watch we return. If a watch needs attention sooner than expected after a service, we discuss the situation openly before quoting further work.
Watch Repair and Restoration in Bangkok
Bangkok has no shortage of watch repair services, ranging from market stalls handling battery changes to larger authorised service centres for specific brands. Suwan occupies a different space: an independent workshop with the tools and experience to handle both everyday mechanical work and more involved conservation projects, without the waiting times or minimum spend requirements of a dealer service centre.
For vintage and pre-owned watches in particular, an independent workshop often offers more considered options. We assess each piece on its own merits. A watch from the 1960s that runs adequately may not need a full overhaul — it may simply need cleaning and fresh lubrication. An older piece with a damaged dial is not automatically a candidate for refinishing; sometimes the original surface, however worn, is worth preserving. These are the kinds of judgements we enjoy making, and we make them in conversation with the owner.
The neighbourhood of Bang Rak, where our workshop sits, has long been one of Bangkok's more varied commercial districts — a mix of trading houses, small manufacturers, and specialist craftspeople. We feel at home here. The street is easy to reach by BTS Sala Daeng or a short taxi ride from Silom or Sathorn, and there is usually space to sit and speak unhurriedly when you visit.
Whether your watch is a working daily wearer that needs attention, a family piece that has stopped entirely, or something you acquired and want assessed before deciding what to do with it, you are welcome to bring it in or write to us at [email protected].
Ready to Begin
Bring Your Watch to Us
We are open Tuesday through Saturday. Call ahead or send a message, and we will set aside time to look at your watch properly.
Contact the Workshop