Our Story
How Klockwerk Came to Be
Klockwerk grew out of a simple observation: the watchmakers who shaped Malaysian horology over the past generation are retiring, and the people replacing them — if any are coming at all — often lack the depth of experience that older ateliers built quietly over decades. There was a gap, and it was widening.
Our founder, who spent years at a Swiss movement manufacturer before returning to Kuala Lumpur, set up the workshop at Jalan Sultan Ismail with one aim: to create a place where mechanical watches are opened, assessed, and attended to with the same patience that their makers originally expected. Not rushed, not subcontracted, not handled by someone who hasn't yet learned to read a worn pivot by the way it catches the light.
The name — Klockwerk — is a nod to the old Germanic horology tradition, an acknowledgement that the vocabulary and methods of watchmaking were largely set down in central Europe over three centuries, and that we carry those methods forward here in KL.
We work on hand-wound and self-winding pieces, dress watches and sport watches, daily wearers and family heirlooms. Vintage restoration projects — pieces that need more than routine bench work — are a particular interest of ours, and we take on a small number of these each month to ensure they receive the time they deserve.
10+
Years of bench experience
3
Workshop services offered
KL
Based in Kuala Lumpur
The People
Behind the Bench
Ahmad Hakim
Master Watchmaker
Trained in Switzerland before returning to Malaysia. Leads all movement services and vintage restoration projects at the Klockwerk bench.
Siti Raihanah
Case & Finishing Specialist
Focuses on case refinishing, crystal replacement, and bracelet restoration. Brings a jeweller's attention to surface work and finish recreation.
Chen Wei Liang
Parts Research & Documentation
Manages parts sourcing, correspondence with horological suppliers, and the preparation of written condition reports and restoration records.
How We Work
Our Workshop Standards
Magnification Inspection
Every component is examined under a binocular loupe before and after service. We look for wear patterns, surface condition, and signs of previous repairs that may affect the work.
Calibration-Grade Lubricants
We use greases and oils specified for each friction point — not a single oil applied throughout. The type and quantity of lubricant matters; we treat it accordingly.
Ultrasonic Cleaning
Movement parts are cleaned in an ultrasonic bath with appropriate solutions before reassembly. Old lubricant, dust, and oxidation are cleared before any new oil is applied.
Timing Machine Verification
After reassembly, movements are checked on a timing machine across multiple positions. Results are recorded and included in the service note we provide with every watch.
Photographic Records
Before-and-after photographs are taken for every bench service. Restoration projects include photographs at each major stage of disassembly and reassembly.
Secure Storage In-Workshop
Watches in our care are held in a secure, climate-managed storage area within the workshop. They are not sent out to third-party repairers without prior discussion.
Our Approach
Mechanical Watchmaking in Kuala Lumpur
The mechanical watch is among the more demanding objects to service properly. Unlike most machines, it operates continuously — often worn against the body for decades — and its tolerances are measured in microns. A movement that runs three seconds fast per day may seem close enough; the watchmaker knows it means a pivot is wearing or a spring is losing tension. These are things that read differently to someone who has spent time at a bench than to someone who has only replaced worn parts on a production line.
At Klockwerk, our point of view is that a watch worth wearing is worth attending to carefully. We apply this to daily-wear pieces as much as to rare vintage finds. The Seiko that your father gave you deserves the same considered disassembly as the Jaeger-LeCoultre that has been in a family for forty years. Both contain extraordinary engineering. Both respond well to being handled with knowledge and patience.
Our position in Kuala Lumpur also reflects something deliberate. Malaysia has a long tradition of craft skill — one that extends into metalwork, fine finish, and technical precision. Watchmaking fits naturally into that tradition, and we think it belongs here as much as it belongs in a Swiss workshop town. The tools are the same; the movements are the same; the approach need not differ.
Work with Us
Ready to Discuss Your Watch?
Send us a message, describe what you have, and we'll come back to you with an honest view of what the work involves.
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