About Kala
A workshop that values
patience over pace
We are a small team in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district, attending to mechanical watches with the kind of care and candour we would want for our own.
Back to HomeOur story
How Kala came to be
Kala started quietly, in 2009, from a small room in Phra Nakhon. The name — drawn from the Thai and Sanskrit word for time — felt fitting for a place whose entire purpose is attending to instruments that measure it.
The founder, Narong Chaiprasit, had spent years working under a Swiss-trained watchmaker in Chiang Mai before moving to Bangkok with the idea of opening a workshop focused exclusively on mechanical timepieces — no batteries, no electronics, only the kind of work that requires real stillness.
Over time, a small team gathered around shared values: careful handling, honest assessment, and a refusal to rush. We still work from the same address on Maha Chai Road, and the approach has not changed much since those early years.
Our mission
What we are here to do
Mechanical watches are among the few objects that genuinely improve with attentive care. Our purpose is to provide that care — and to do so with transparency, so the people who bring their watches to us always know what is happening and why.
We do not take on more work than we can do well. When a watch arrives that falls outside our experience, we say so, and we help where we can. Trust takes time to build and very little time to lose; we prefer to be honest from the first conversation.
Every piece that passes through this workshop — whether a modest field watch or a rare vintage movement — receives the same considered attention.
The people
The hands behind the work
Narong Chaiprasit
Founder & Lead Watchmaker
Over twenty years working with mechanical movements, with particular experience in vintage Swiss and Japanese calibres. Narong handles the most complex restorations and all initial assessments.
Pranee Wattana
Watchmaker
Trained in Osaka before returning to Bangkok, Pranee specialises in movement servicing and multi-position timing regulation. She works with care and an eye for the small details that matter.
Siraporn Kerdphol
Client Relations
Siraporn manages enquiries, condition reports, and collection arrangements. She makes sure every communication with clients is clear and unhurried, and that no question goes without a thoughtful reply.
Our standards
How we approach the work
These are not marketing commitments. They are the working habits we have built over time and hold ourselves to on every job.
Condition Documented on Arrival
Every watch is photographed before any work begins. The record is kept throughout the service and shared with the client as part of their condition report.
Timing Verified Across Positions
After servicing, mechanical movements are regulated and tested across multiple positions using a timegrapher. Results are noted in the service record provided to the client.
Secure Storage Throughout
Watches in our care are stored in a locked cabinet and handled individually. No piece is left unattended on a bench or shared workspace during servicing.
Appropriate Lubricants Only
We use lubricants specified for mechanical horology — the correct viscosity for each component. No general-purpose substitutes, even where they would be harder to notice.
Written Service Record
Each completed service is accompanied by a written record of the work performed, parts reviewed, timing results, and any observations noted during assessment. This stays with you.
Post-Service Follow-Up
For full movement services and restorations, we ask clients to let us know how the watch is keeping time after two to three weeks of wear. If something needs adjusting, we address it.
Our values
What shapes the way we work
Mechanical watchmaking is a trade that rewards patience. A movement disassembled without care, cleaned without the right approach, or regulated without sufficient testing will not give a watch the attention it needs to keep accurate, reliable time. At Kala, we are not interested in shortcuts — not because of principle for its own sake, but because shortcuts simply produce worse results.
We work on a small number of pieces at a time. This is not a decision we make reluctantly; it is how we maintain the level of focus the work requires. A watchmaker handling twenty jobs at once is unlikely to notice the small things — a slightly worn pinion, a mainspring that feels off, a dial foot that has been bent at some point and never quite returned to its original position. These details matter, and catching them takes time.
Our workshop in Phra Nakhon draws clients from across Bangkok and occasionally from other provinces. Many have had watches for years — pieces inherited, purchased during travels, or worn for long enough that they carry a particular meaning. We are aware of this when handling a watch, and we treat that context with respect.
We do not offer turnaround times we cannot keep. We do not suggest additional work unless we have a genuine reason to. And we do not make cosmetic changes to a watch without the owner's explicit agreement — even when we think a change might improve its appearance. The watch belongs to the person who brings it to us, and our job is to serve their wishes, not to impose our own preferences.
Ready when you are
Come and talk to us about your watch
There is no obligation in reaching out. We are glad to answer questions and offer an initial view of what a watch may need.
Get in Touch