From the Owners
What Owners Say After Collecting Their Pieces
First-hand accounts from people who have brought watches in for assessment, restoration and overhaul.
← Back to Home340+
Pieces serviced
4.9
Average satisfaction
6+
Years in practice
97%
Estimates within scope
Owner Accounts
Lee Wei Xian
Johor Bahru
June 2025
I came in after getting a quote from two other workshops that couldn't give me a clear breakdown. The diagnostic report from Mainspring Works laid out every line on its own — parts, labour, each job separate. I understood exactly what I was deciding. The watch came back running within six seconds a day, which the timing slip confirmed. That slip alone was worth the assessment fee.
Nur Fadzilah Bt Ramli
Skudai, Johor
May 2025
My father's Seiko had been sitting in a drawer for eight years. I wasn't sure it was worth spending on. The assessment told me the mainspring was set and the cannon pinion worn, and gave me a cost for just those two items — I didn't have to take the full package. That flexibility was something I hadn't seen at the other places I called. The watch now runs and belongs back on a wrist.
David Tan Boon Huat
Singapore
June 2025
Brought my Submariner for water resistance restoration. The pre-work vacuum test found the leak at the crown tube, not the caseback as I'd assumed. Knowing the specific path before the work started meant the scope was right rather than replacing everything on the chance something might be failing. The post-work certificate quoted bar — an actual figure — rather than repeating the case marking. Wait time was nine working days.
Rajan Manoharan
Kulai, Johor
April 2025
I consign through a regional auction house and they asked for documented service records for a lot of seven vintage pieces I was selling. The calibre documentation service was the right fit — proper photographs, a written condition assessment, and the watchmaker's notes for each calibre in a bound dossier. The auction house noted the records in the catalogue. I'll use the service again for the next consignment.
Chan Yoke Ping
Johor Bahru
May 2025
I wanted a second opinion on a diagnosis I'd received elsewhere. The report from here didn't match the other workshop's findings — the amplitude was measured lower and the beat error higher than I'd been told. Both readings were documented with timestamps from the timing machine. Having those numbers let me ask the right questions of the other workshop and understand what I was actually dealing with.
Ahmad Hafizi Bin Nordin
Batu Pahat, Johor
June 2025
I asked about visiting mid-way through a long service on a 1960s Omega. It was arranged without fuss. Seeing the movement disassembled with each component photographed and tagged was something I hadn't expected to be shown. The watchmaker explained the pivot wear measurements against the factory spec sheet — I didn't follow all of it, but having the chance to ask was the point.
Three Cases in Detail
Case Study 01
1968 Longines Flagship — Auction Consignment Documentation
The Situation
An owner preparing to consign a Longines Flagship through an auction house needed documentation of the movement's current condition and any service carried out. The piece had not been opened since the 1990s. The auction house required a written report with photographs and a rate log from a named repairer.
The Work
Full long-form calibre documentation and overhaul. The movement was photographed before disassembly; pivot and jewel dimensions were recorded against the cal. 30L tolerance document. The mainspring and keyless work were the principal items requiring attention. Bridges were cleaned to original finish. A 14-day rate log followed reassembly.
The Result
Final rate: +4 seconds per day, dial up. Amplitude 285 degrees. The bound dossier was provided to the auction house and referenced in the lot description. The piece sold within the estimated range. The owner has since returned with two further pieces for the same service ahead of subsequent sales.
"The dossier was what made the lot stand apart from comparable pieces in the same sale."
Case Study 02
Seiko 6309 Turtle — Water Ingress After Dive
The Situation
A diver noticed moisture under the crystal after a shallow dive in Tioman. The case was marked 200m. The owner had not had the watch pressure-tested in four years; the crown gasket had likely hardened with age. A previous repair had replaced the crystal without noting the gasket specification.
The Work
Vacuum test confirmed the primary leak at the crown tube; a secondary path was found at the caseback. Crystal gasket was also replaced as a precaution given age. Crown tube was replaced with period-correct stock. Post-work dry-pressure test to 20 bar. Movement dried and timed before reassembly.
The Result
Pressure hold confirmed at 20 bar, documented on the certificate with the test date and equipment used. Rate settled at −3 seconds per day after a week on the wrist. The owner received both the vacuum test record and the pressure certificate. Total bench time was eleven working days.
Case Study 03
Family Heirloom Pocket Watch — Condition Assessment Before Restoration Decision
The Situation
An owner inherited a pocket watch from a grandfather and received widely varying informal estimates from three people, none of whom provided a written document. The owner wanted to know whether restoration was financially sensible or whether the piece was better left as an object to keep rather than wear.
The Work
Diagnostic assessment only. The movement was measured and photographed; the report documented hairspring distortion and worn pallet stones, and included a costed plan for a full overhaul. The report also noted plainly that the cost of repair would exceed the market value of the piece, and that the decision was one of personal significance rather than financial logic.
The Result
The owner chose to proceed with the full overhaul. The piece now runs and was worn at a family occasion. The diagnostic report — including the cost plain statement — was kept with the watch. The owner's feedback noted that the honest framing of the decision was what made it possible to choose with confidence.
Professional Credentials
Contact Details
Phone
+60 7 361 4802Workshop
Suite 5-2, Menara Landmark
Jalan Ngee Heng, 80000 Johor Bahru
Workshop Hours
Mon – Fri: 09:00 – 18:00
Sat: 10:00 – 14:00
Bring Your Piece In
Begin with a diagnostic assessment. Three to five working days; a written report and cost plan to take away. No further obligation.
Book an Assessment