Ratchathewi, Bangkok
A Workshop Built on Patient Work
Escapement opened with one straightforward intention: to look after timepieces with the same care their owners give them. No shortcuts, no overselling, no unnecessary replacements.
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How Escapement Began
Escapement started on Phaya Thai Road in 2014, in a narrow unit above a fabric shop. The founder, Khun Natthawut, had spent a decade working under a Swiss-trained technician in the Silom area before deciding to open a space where each job could be given full attention — not one of twenty watches queued up on a bench by a third party.
The name comes from the mechanism at the heart of every mechanical movement: the escapement, which regulates the release of energy and controls the rate of the hands. It seemed fitting. Careful regulation is what the work is really about.
Over the years the workshop has taken on a small number of additional technicians, each brought in for their patience rather than their speed. The intake process has always included a written pre-work assessment shared with the owner before any service begins, and that practice has stayed in place from the first year to today.
Escapement works on quartz and mechanical movements, including older calibers and complications. Pieces arrive from collectors, from families with inherited watches, and from professionals who wear a watch daily and simply want it running well. The approach is the same regardless of the piece's age or value.
Mission
To service and restore timepieces in a way the owner can follow from intake to collection. Every decision is documented, every assessment shared before work proceeds.
Approach
Measure twice, work once. Preservation over replacement wherever the movement and case allow it. A thorough record of what was found and what was done — returned with the watch at collection.
Values
Honesty about timelines, clarity about costs, and respect for the pieces in our care. We don't take on work we can't do well, and we say so when that's the case.
The People
Workshop Team
Natthawut Kasem
Founder & Lead Technician
Fourteen years in movement servicing, with a particular focus on Swiss and Japanese mechanical calibers. Trained under a Zurich-certified watchmaker before establishing Escapement in 2014.
Pattaraporn Thongdee
Case & Dial Specialist
Focused on case polishing, crystal work, and dial assessment. Approaches each piece with the aim of preserving original surfaces rather than eliminating signs of age.
Wichian Somsak
Heritage & Complication Technician
Specialises in older calibers, chronographs, and calendar complications. Takes the longer, stage-by-stage approach that vintage and heritage overhauls require.
Standards
How We Work
The protocols below apply to every service that passes through the workshop, regardless of price point or complexity.
Written Intake Assessment
Every piece is photographed and described on intake. Condition notes are recorded so there is a baseline reference throughout the job.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Protocol
Movement components are cleaned ultrasonically in the appropriate solution for the material, then air-dried and inspected before lubrication.
Regulation & Timing Check
Mechanical movements are regulated after reassembly and assessed on a timing machine across multiple positions before the case is closed.
Secure Storage
Pieces are stored in individual trays in a secure cabinet throughout their time at the workshop. Access is limited to the assigned technician.
Appropriate Lubrication
Only watch-grade lubricants are used, applied in the quantities specified for each friction point. Over-lubrication is as harmful as none and is avoided.
Work Record at Collection
A written record of the service is handed to the owner at collection: what was found, what was done, which parts were addressed, and any observations for future reference.
Workshop & Expertise
Precision Watchmaking in Central Bangkok
The workshop sits on Phaya Thai Road in Ratchathewi, a few minutes from the BTS Phaya Thai interchange. It operates by appointment for intake and collection, which allows each technician to give their full attention to handovers rather than managing a walk-in queue while working at the bench.
Escapement handles a range of movements — from standard ETA and Miyota calibers found in everyday Swiss and Japanese pieces, through to older movements from Omega, Seiko, Citizen, and a range of independent and lesser-documented calibers that require research before disassembly. The work on these older pieces is slower and the timelines reflect that honestly.
Case and dial work follows a conservation-first approach. Bangkok's humidity and the wear patterns of a daily-worn watch each leave marks that tell the story of a piece. Not all of those marks need to be removed — and the conversation at assessment will consider which restoration steps the owner actually wants and which would take something away from the piece rather than adding to it.
Escapement does not operate a postal drop-off service. All pieces are received and collected in person at the Phaya Thai Road workshop, which keeps the chain of custody clear and allows for a proper discussion at both ends of the service.
Next Step
Tell Us About Your Piece
A short description of the watch and what you've observed is all that's needed to start the conversation. We'll come back with an honest view of what might be involved.
Send an Enquiry