Our Story
Wela Atelier —
a place where time is taken seriously.
A small, independent workshop in Bangkok's Charoen Krung district. We service mechanical watches and restore antique timepieces with attention to craft and respect for each piece's history.
Who We Are
How Wela Atelier came to be
Wela Atelier opened its doors on Charoen Krung Road in the Bang Rak district of Bangkok — a street with a long association with artisan trades and family workshops. The name comes from the Thai word wela, meaning time: a small acknowledgement that what we do is inseparable from time itself, in more than one sense.
The atelier was founded by a watchmaker who spent a number of years learning the trade in Switzerland before returning to Thailand. The motivation was straightforward: Bangkok had a genuine need for a small, independent workshop where collectors, inheritors, and everyday watch owners could bring their mechanical timepieces without feeling rushed or talked down to.
Most of the watches we see carry some meaning beyond their monetary value. A vintage Seiko that belonged to a grandfather. A Swiss dress watch purchased to mark a career milestone. A pocket watch from the early twentieth century that no longer runs but still holds someone's careful attention. We try to work with that weight in mind.
Our approach is to explain before we act. Every watch that comes to us receives a written assessment before any disassembly takes place. The owner is part of the conversation from the beginning — deciding how far to take restoration work, what aspects of a watch's character to preserve, and what the realistic timeline looks like.
We work on a relatively small number of pieces at any one time, which means each watch receives unhurried attention. We do not use shortcuts, and we do not rush a service to meet a date that was too optimistic in the first place.
The People
Who works on your watch
Prayut Nitiroj
Master Watchmaker & Founder
Trained in Geneva and La Chaux-de-Fonds, Prayut founded Wela Atelier after returning to Bangkok. He carries out all movement overhauls and complex restoration work personally.
Siriporn Watcharee
Case & Dial Specialist
Siriporn brings a background in fine metalwork and surface finishing. She handles case refinishing, dial assessment, and the considered cosmetic side of restoration.
Apirak Thamrongwit
Workshop Assistant & Parts Research
Apirak manages intake, parts sourcing, and the detailed record-keeping that ensures every owner receives an accurate account of what was done to their timepiece.
Our Standards
How we approach the work
Every piece that passes through Wela Atelier is subject to the same careful protocols, regardless of the watch's age, origin, or value.
Ultrasonic Cleaning Protocol
All movement components receive a multi-stage ultrasonic bath using watch-grade cleaning solutions. Parts are dried before reassembly in a dust-controlled environment.
Timing Machine Verification
Every serviced movement is tested on a multi-position timing machine. We check rate performance in six positions and adjust until the movement runs within acceptable parameters.
Water-Resistance Testing
Where a watch is rated for water resistance, we perform a pressure test after reassembly. Any degraded gaskets are replaced before the case is closed.
Written Service Records
A detailed record of all work performed is provided to the owner at collection. This document travels with the watch and provides a clear history of service for future reference.
Secure Watch Storage
All pieces in our care are stored in a locked, temperature-controlled room when not being actively worked on. We take responsibility for the security of your watch seriously.
NAWCC Membership
Our lead watchmaker holds membership with the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, maintaining access to technical resources, parts networks, and ongoing education.
Our Values
Craft, patience, and transparency
Wela Atelier occupies a particular position in Bangkok's horological landscape: a small, independent workshop with a background in Swiss training and a focus on mechanical movements. We do not service quartz watches, and we do not take on more work than we can handle well. That choice is deliberate.
The watches we work on range from everyday mechanical pieces requiring a routine service to pre-war pocket watches that need components fabricated by hand. Each project is assessed individually, and the owner is kept informed at every stage. We find that most people — whether they have a collector's technical knowledge or simply inherited a watch they love — appreciate being part of the process rather than waiting for the result.
Our workshop maintains a small collection of spare parts for common vintage calibres, as well as the tools and skills to fabricate components when originals are no longer available. When we encounter a movement we haven't seen before, we treat it as an opportunity rather than a problem.
Wela Atelier is located on Charoen Krung Road — one of Bangkok's older commercial streets, with a tradition of careful, skilled trades stretching back more than a century. We consider that a fitting address for a watchmaking workshop, and we try to honour it.
Ready to bring your watch in?
Whether it's a routine service or a complex restoration project, the first step is simply a conversation about what you have and what it might need.
Request a Consultation