Our story
How Pradit Time came to be
Pradit Nantawan spent twelve years learning the craft from two generations of watchmakers who had occupied the same section of Charoen Krung Road since the 1960s. When his teacher retired in 2008, Pradit took on the workshop lease and the accumulated tools, continuing a tradition that predates his involvement by several decades.
The name Pradit Time reflects something simple: this is a personal workshop, not a franchise. When you bring a watch here, the person who receives it is the same person who will work on it. There is no handoff to another technician, no production queue.
Charoen Krung Road has long been associated with jewellery, antiques, and precision craft. The workshop sits in the Bang Rak stretch of that history — a neighbourhood where careful work has always been valued over quick results.
Our approach
Methodology of a single craftsman
Every watch that enters the workshop begins the same way: a quiet period of observation. Before any disassembly, we examine the case, the crystal, the crown action, and the movement sound to form a preliminary picture of what is happening inside.
This is followed by a written diagnosis — not a verbal estimate, but a documented assessment that the owner can keep. Only after agreement on the scope of work does any physical intervention begin.
Reassembly is tested on a timing machine before the watch is returned, and the results are included in the condition report that accompanies the finished piece. We believe an owner should be able to read exactly what was done and verify the outcome.
Mission
"To return each timepiece in better condition than it arrived, with a written record that makes the work transparent to whoever owns the watch — now and in the future."
— Pradit Nantawan, founder
The people
Who works at the bench
Pradit Nantawan
Founder & Master Technician
Seventeen years of hands-on watchmaking with a background in Swiss calibre servicing and Thai heritage restoration. Trained under two generations of Charoen Krung craftsmen.
Sunisa Klaewkla
Case & Crystal Specialist
Specialises in case restoration, gasket renewal, and crystal fitting across acrylic, mineral, and sapphire types. Trained in pressure testing and case polishing techniques.
Anurak Thongchai
Complications & Diagnostics
Focused on vintage chronograph and complication regulation. Brings particular care to pieces that have been resting unused for extended periods and need careful reintroduction to service.
Standards
How we work
Ultrasonic cleaning
All disassembled parts are cleaned ultrasonically before inspection. This removes oils, debris, and oxidation without mechanical abrasion to the surfaces.
Timing machine calibration
Every movement is measured on a timing machine after reassembly. The rate, beat error, and amplitude readings are recorded in the condition report.
Correct-grade lubricants
Different parts of a movement — escapement jewels, barrel walls, keyless works — each require a specific lubricant viscosity. We use the appropriate grade at each location.
Water-resistance pressure test
Cases with a water-resistance rating are pressure tested after gasket renewal. Results are noted and shared with the owner before the watch is returned.
Written condition records
A written report accompanies every completed watch. It describes findings before work, what was addressed, and the performance figures from the timing machine.
Photographic documentation
Heritage and complication watches are photographed throughout the process. Owners receive updates at key stages so the work remains visible and understood.
About the craft
Mechanical watch servicing is a discipline that rewards patience over speed. A movement with fifty or more individual components — each toleranced to fractions of a millimetre — requires careful handling at every stage of disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly. The lubricants used have a working life of approximately four to six years in most mechanical calibres; beyond that, they dry out or migrate, increasing friction and wearing parts that are often irreplaceable in older watches.
The Charoen Krung Road district of Bangkok has housed precision craftspeople for well over a century. Goldsmiths, jewellers, and watchmakers established workshops along this stretch in the early twentieth century, drawn by the river access and the proximity of trading houses. Pradit Time works within this tradition — a small, specialist workshop rather than a retail service counter, where the technician who accepts your watch is the person who will work on it.
Heritage watches present particular challenges. A vintage chronograph, perpetual calendar, or moonphase complication may have been designed with parts that are no longer manufactured. Sourcing replacement components requires knowledge of the calibre family and access to the network of parts suppliers and other watchmakers who occasionally have relevant stock. This is part of the diagnostic conversation we have before committing to any restoration work: understanding clearly what is available and what the realistic outcome of the service will be.
Bangkok's climate — warm and humid throughout most of the year — has specific implications for mechanical watches. Moisture can accelerate lubricant degradation and, in unsealed cases, encourage corrosion on steel parts. Owners of vintage pieces that were not originally designed with modern water-resistance standards should be aware that increased servicing frequency may be appropriate. We are happy to discuss maintenance schedules and storage recommendations during or after any workshop visit.
Get in touch
Come and talk about your watch
An initial consultation costs nothing. We are happy to look at the piece with you and describe what the work would involve before you make any decision.
Request an Estimate