WHY NAVA HOROLOGY
What Careful Service
Actually Looks Like
There are many places in Bangkok that will accept a watch for repair. Few will give it the kind of attention that a fine timepiece warrants. Here is how Nava Horology approaches that differently.
← Back to HomeAT A GLANCE
Six Reasons Owners Come to Us
These are not aspirational statements. They describe how each watch is handled, every time.
Specialist Focus
Nava Horology works only on mechanical and automatic watches. No electronics, no quartz battery swaps, no smartwatch work. The entire workshop is oriented around a single discipline.
- Swiss and Japanese mechanical movements
- Vintage and collectible calibres
- Pocket and dress watches included
No Volume Pressure
The workshop takes on a deliberately limited number of watches at any one time. This is not inefficiency — it is a structural choice that ensures nothing is rushed past by the next job in the queue.
- Individual attention for each piece
- Honest wait times given at intake
- No shortcuts to meet a date
Written Condition Reports
Before any work begins, the owner receives a written summary of the watch's condition and the work we believe is appropriate. Nothing proceeds without agreement. You are never presented with a completed bill for work you did not authorise.
- Report provided before any service
- Recommendations, not directives
- Full work record on return
Correct Tools and Technique
All movement work is conducted under stereo magnification with watchmaking tools appropriate to the calibre. The workshop does not improvise with general-purpose instruments on fine movements.
- Stereo magnification throughout
- Timing machine rate verification
- Pressure tester for water resistance
Originality Over Appearance
For vintage and collectible pieces, our default is to leave the case as it is unless cleaning is needed for the service. We will not polish a patinated case to a showroom finish without clear instruction from the owner — and a conversation about what that does to the watch's value.
- Patina respected as part of history
- Original dials and hands preserved
- Collector value considered throughout
Patient Parts Sourcing
When a vintage calibre needs a part that is not in stock in Bangkok, we source the correct component from Japan, Switzerland, or Germany rather than fitting an approximate substitute. This takes longer. The watch is better for it.
- Contacts with suppliers in three countries
- No substitute parts without discussion
- Timeline updated if sourcing takes time
IN DETAIL
How Each Advantage Is Put to Work
Watchmaking Expertise
The watchmaker at Nava Horology trained formally and has spent over a decade working specifically on fine mechanical watches. This is not a background in electronics repair that was extended to watches, nor a general jewellery service that handles timepieces as a sideline.
Mechanical movements from the mid-twentieth century onward — the Swiss lever escapement, the Japanese copy-then-improve calibres, the early automatic mechanisms — have recognisable failure modes and particular needs. Understanding these comes from years of specific work, not a general training.
TRAINING
Formal watchmaking education at the Watchmaking Institute of Thailand, supplemented by apprenticeship training under a Swiss-trained watchmaker based in Chiang Mai.
FOCUS
Mechanical and automatic movements. Swiss lever escapements, Japanese calibres, pocket watch movements, and early complications including date and moonphase.
BEFORE WORK BEGINS
Assessment completed, written condition report provided, recommendations discussed. Work only starts when the owner has read the report and agreed to proceed.
DURING SERVICE
Owner informed of any findings that change the scope. No additional work carried out without a second agreement if something unexpected is found.
ON COMPLETION
Full service record provided. Rate measurement results included. Water resistance result noted where applicable. The owner receives everything in writing.
Transparent Communication
One of the most consistent concerns among owners of fine watches is not knowing what has been done to their watch — or worse, being handed an invoice for work they did not request. Nava Horology addresses this directly.
The workshop communicates in plain language, not in technical terms designed to make the process opaque. Questions are welcome and treated as reasonable, because they are.
Pricing and Value
The services at Nava Horology are priced to reflect the time and care involved — not to suggest luxury through a high number, and not to undercut by using faster, less thorough methods. An Opening Inspection starts from ฿4,000. Mechanical Repair from ฿15,500. Restoration work from ฿47,500.
All prices are discussed in full before work begins. There are no additional charges for assessments that result in a decision not to proceed. The workshop does not charge for the initial conversation.
CLEAR PRICING
Starting prices published. Final cost agreed before work begins. No surprise invoices.
FREE ASSESSMENT CONVERSATIONS
Initial discussion at no charge. No obligation to proceed after an assessment.
VALUE PRESERVATION APPROACH
Work that respects a watch's originality tends to preserve its monetary and collector value over time.
HOW WE DIFFER
Nava Horology vs Typical Options
There are several ways to have a watch serviced in Bangkok. Here is an honest look at where this workshop sits relative to the common alternatives.
The last two rows are not weaknesses — they reflect different purposes. A watch that needs a new battery in twenty minutes does not need Nava Horology. A watch that deserves careful attention does.
WHAT SETS US APART
Particular Points of Difference
Full Documentation Provided
When your watch is returned, it comes with a service record that documents what was found, what was done, which parts were replaced, and the timing machine results. This record has practical value — it supports any future service and is useful to a buyer if the watch is ever sold.
By Appointment, Full Attention
Visits are by appointment so that when you arrive, there is time set aside to look at your watch properly and have a real conversation about it. This is not a retail counter with a queue. The watchmaker can be present to discuss the piece directly.
International Parts Network
Established supplier contacts in Japan, Switzerland, and Germany allow the workshop to source correct parts for calibres not commonly worked on in Thailand. This is how a 1968 Seiko 62GS or a 1970s Longines movement gets serviced correctly rather than with workarounds.
Candid Advice on Value and Work
If a watch is not worth the cost of the work proposed, we will say so. If a repair would reduce its collector value, we will explain why before proceeding. The aim is to give advice that is genuinely in the owner's interest — not to maximise the invoice.
MILESTONES
Fourteen Years of Watchcare
The workshop opened in 2011. These are some of the markers from the years since.
YEARS IN PHRA NAKHON
WATCHES SERVICED
CALIBRE FAMILIES WORKED ON
COUNTRIES SUPPLYING PARTS
Watchmaking Institute of Thailand
Formal training completion — the only accredited watchmaking programme in Thailand, covering mechanical horology, escapement theory, and precision adjustment.
Bangkok Heritage Watch Circle — Recognised Repairer
Listed as a recognised service provider by the Bangkok Heritage Watch Circle, a community of collectors of vintage and pre-owned timepieces in Thailand. Listed since 2018.
Member — Thai Horological Society
Active membership of the Thai Horological Society, which promotes watchmaking education and craft standards. Nava Horology has participated in two public workshops on vintage watch care since 2022.
READY TO TALK
Bring Us Your Watch
and We Will Look at It Properly
An initial assessment and conversation costs nothing. Contact us to arrange an appointment — by phone, email, or the contact form on the home page.