Our Company
A workshop shaped by craft and quiet commitment
Khwan Dial was founded on a straightforward idea: that mechanical watches deserve careful, informed attention from people who understand them.
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How Khwan Dial began
Khwan Dial opened in Sukhothai in 2011, growing from a small repair bench in the old town into its current workshop on Thanon Si Chum. The name — drawing on the Thai word khwan, which relates to the vital spirit within a person — reflects an approach to watchmaking that treats each timepiece as something with its own history and presence, not simply a mechanism to be processed.
The workshop began with a focus on everyday mechanical watch servicing, primarily for local owners who wanted their daily pieces kept in good order. Over time, the scope widened naturally as owners brought in pieces with more complex needs: cases requiring careful refinishing, pocket watches from a grandparent's collection, or antique wristwatches where original parts were long out of production.
Each of these projects shaped the skills and approach that the workshop brings to its work today. Antique restoration in particular requires a willingness to work slowly, to research, and sometimes to fabricate — and it remains the area where Khwan Dial invests the most care.
Our Mission
What we aim to do
The workshop's purpose is simple: to return mechanical watches to reliable, appropriate function while respecting what they already are. This means resisting the urge to over-restore, to replace what is genuinely serviceable, or to apply a polish that strips a case of its character.
We believe the owner's preference should guide the work, and that our role is to explain the options clearly and then carry out whatever is agreed with skill and attention. A watch that has been faithfully worn for forty years carries a particular kind of value — we are mindful of that.
For owners who simply want a watch to keep reasonable time again, we offer that. For those with a piece that represents something — a family connection, a significant occasion, an interest in horological history — we offer the kind of considered attention that kind of object deserves.
The People
Who works on your watch
Nattawut Khamchan
Head Watchmaker
Trained in mechanical watch servicing with over fourteen years at the bench. Nattawut handles all movement work and leads assessments on antique and unusual pieces.
Praew Srisuk
Case & Dial Specialist
Responsible for case refinishing and crystal fitting, Praew brings a careful eye to surface work — knowing when to restore and when to leave well enough alone.
Apinya Thongchai
Client Liaison
Apinya manages intake, written assessments, and communication throughout each job — ensuring owners are kept informed and that expectations are clearly set from the start.
Standards & Practice
How we approach every job
Condition Photography at Intake
Each piece is photographed thoroughly on arrival, providing a clear record of its condition before any work begins. This protects both the owner and the workshop.
Appropriate Lubricants
We use lubricants matched to the grade and movement type of each watch. Modern synthetic oils are used where appropriate; period-correct approaches are followed for antique work.
Written Scope for Complex Work
For antique restoration and any work beyond a standard service, we prepare a written scope document covering findings, proposed work, and an itemised estimate. Nothing proceeds without the owner's approval.
Rate Testing After Service
All serviced movements are run on a timing machine after reassembly to confirm they are regulated to a reasonable rate before being returned to the owner.
Secure Storage
Pieces awaiting work or collection are stored in locked, climate-appropriate conditions. High-value and antique items are logged individually and kept separately.
Post-Service Guidance
On collection, we take a few minutes to go over any observations from the service and note anything the owner should be aware of — wear patterns, parts nearing end of life, or care advice for the specific movement.
Expertise & Values
Watchmaking in Sukhothai
Mechanical watchmaking is a precise discipline that sits at an interesting intersection of craft and engineering. A watch movement may contain over a hundred individual components, each held to tolerances measured in microns. Maintaining these movements well — knowing when a part can be cleaned and re-used, when it must be replaced, and how to regulate a balance wheel to acceptable performance — requires both training and accumulated experience.
At Khwan Dial, we handle watches from the early twentieth century through to current production. Older movements, particularly Swiss lever escapements from the mid-century period, are well within the scope of practical repair; parts for many common calibres remain available through specialist suppliers, and for those that do not, skilled fabrication is an option for owners whose pieces justify the investment.
Sukhothai's position as a heritage city in northern Thailand shapes something of our character as a workshop. Many of the pieces we see arrive with histories attached — a watch worn by a grandfather through decades of work, a dress watch purchased on a significant trip, a pocket watch that has passed through several generations. These objects carry meanings that reach beyond their function, and we treat that dimension of our work with appropriate seriousness.
We are not the fastest workshop, and we do not aim to be. What we aim to offer is careful, well-considered work, clear communication, and a result that the owner is satisfied with for years rather than months.
Work With Us
Bring your watch to people who appreciate it
Whether it is a straightforward service or a complex restoration, we are glad to take a look and give our honest assessment of what is possible.
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