Our Story
A workshop built on patience and precision
Wela Thong was founded in Bangkok in 2009 with a simple idea: that a good watchmaker and a good goldsmith share the same temperament — unhurried, attentive, and honest about what each piece needs.
← Back to HomeFounded 2009
How Wela Thong began
Wela Thong — a name that means "golden time" in Thai — grew from a small back-room bench on Sukhumvit into one of Bangkok's more quietly regarded watch workshops. The founder, Khun Siripong Thavorntham, came to watches through his background in jewellery craft, a path that shaped the way the workshop still approaches case finishing today.
The early years were spent mostly on vintage Thai and Japanese pieces brought in by collectors and long-term residents. Over time, as clients began arriving with Swiss movements — complicated wristwatches, dress watches, older pieces that had been worn daily for decades — the workshop's scope expanded carefully, service by service.
What has not changed is the pace. Wela Thong takes on a limited number of pieces at any one time, which allows each watch to receive the attention it warrants rather than moving through a high-volume workflow.
Our Mission
Two crafts, one standard of care
The workshop holds a simple position: mechanical timepieces deserve work done to a standard that honours their original construction. That means we do not cut corners on lubricants, do not rush regulation checks, and do not refinish a case surface in a way that erases its character.
Where movement work and goldsmith-level finishing intersect — particularly in our Fine Restoration service — the workshop coordinates both disciplines in-house, which is not common in Bangkok. This avoids the handoff quality loss that often occurs when movement service and case work are separated.
We are not the largest workshop in the city, and we have no ambition to be. Our measure of a good year is straightforward: watches returned in better condition than when they arrived, and clients who feel the outcome was handled honestly.
The People
Who works on your watch
A small team with distinct skills — working together on every piece that comes through the workshop.
Siripong Thavorntham
Founder & Head Watchmaker
Trained in jewellery craft before turning to horology, Siripong brings a goldsmith's eye to movement work and leads all Fine Restoration projects.
Nattaporn Puengdang
Movement Technician
Specialising in automatic and hand-wound calibres, Nattaporn handles full overhauls and multi-position regulation with care and patience.
Manee Wattanaporn
Case & Surface Specialist
Manee works exclusively on case and bracelet finishing, applying hand-polishing and brushing techniques to return surfaces close to their original look.
Workshop Standards
How we work
The practices and protocols that shape every service — from an initial assessment to the final timing check before return.
Initial condition assessment
Every watch is examined under magnification and on the timing machine before we discuss a service option. No assumptions — only what we can observe and measure.
Quality lubricants only
We use Moebius lubricants throughout, applied at the correct points and in the correct quantities. No substitutions for cost or convenience.
Multi-position timing checks
All overhauled movements are regulated in at least four positions before being cased up. We record timing results and share them with the client on completion.
Hand-finishing for cases
Case surfaces are finished by hand using appropriate tools for each surface type — flat polishing for high-gloss zones, hand-drawn brushing for satin surfaces.
Written service documentation
Each completed service includes a written record of what was found, what was done, and any notes relevant to the watch's ongoing maintenance.
Secure handling throughout
Watches are kept in individual trays in a secure, climate-appropriate environment throughout the service period. We do not take on more pieces than we can track carefully.
Our Values
The principles behind the bench
Watch repair in Bangkok spans a wide range of approaches — from fast-turnaround high-street services to technically rigorous independent workshops. Wela Thong sits firmly in the latter group, with a view that mechanical horology warrants a different kind of attention than a consumer product.
We hold that the client's role in the process matters. A good service begins with a clear conversation: what the watch means, how it is used, what the owner would like to preserve. This shapes everything from the finish approach to whether a worn component is renewed or left in place.
Transparency is not incidental to us — it is the basis for trust. We discuss findings before we act on them. We explain why a particular approach is recommended rather than simply presenting an invoice. And we do not overstate the condition of a watch after service.
Our location at 119 Sukhumvit Soi 24 keeps us accessible to Bangkok residents and visitors alike. Over fifteen years, many of our clients have become returning clients — which we take as a quiet measure of whether the work is done as it should be.
Work with us
Bring your watch in for a look
An initial assessment is offered at no charge. We'll share what we find and let you decide how you'd like to proceed.
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