— Our Workshop —
A workshop where patience shapes the work, not deadlines
Mainspring Atelier was founded on a single idea: that a mechanical watch is worth taking time over — from first inspection to final timing check.
Back to Homepage— Our Story —
How Mainspring Atelier came to Jalan Wong Ah Fook
The workshop opened at its current address on Jalan Wong Ah Fook after its founder, a watchmaker trained across both Swiss and Japanese servicing traditions, returned to Johor Bahru with the intention of building a small, deliberate practice — not a quick-turnaround repair shop, but a proper bench where movements could be examined, understood, and restored at a considered pace.
Johor Bahru has long been a city of traders and craftspeople, and Mainspring Atelier fits that tradition — positioned between the old commercial district and the river, drawing customers from across the state as well as from Singapore. Many arrive with pieces they inherited, pieces that have sat in a drawer for a decade, or pieces they have worn every day and come to depend on.
What has not changed since the first year is the approach: one movement at a time, full attention, honest assessment. We do not accept more work than we can give proper time to, and we do not describe a movement as ready until we are satisfied with what the timing instrument shows.
Our mission
"To give each movement the full attention it was designed to receive."
We measure, we describe, we document — and we hand the watch back to its owner with a clearer understanding of what they carry on their wrist.
Workshop in numbers
12+
Years at the bench
400+
Movements serviced
3
Focused services offered
100%
Work documented in writing
— The People —
Who works at the bench
A small team. Each person has a specific role — no piece passes through more hands than necessary.
Hafizuddin Nordin
Principal Watchmaker
Trained in movement regulation and escapement work. Handles all calibration sessions and complicated servicing, with particular experience in column-wheel chronograph movements.
Siti Rahayu
Bracelet & Case Specialist
Responsible for all bracelet resizing, spring bar work, and case exterior assessment. Over eight years handling folded-link and solid-link construction across Swiss and Japanese makes.
Jie Liang
Workshop Coordinator
Manages intake, documentation, and parts sourcing. Prepares the written bench notes and tracks each piece through the workshop from drop-off to collection.
— Workshop Standards —
What we hold ourselves to
These are not certificates on a wall. They are the working practices that govern how each piece is handled from the moment it crosses the counter.
Loupe inspection at every stage
No component is returned to the movement without being examined under magnification. Wear, burrs, and surface condition are noted before and after cleaning.
Vibrograph timing in multiple positions
Beat rate, amplitude, and beat error are measured in at least five positions. Readings are recorded and shared with the owner as part of the session note.
Calibre-appropriate lubricants
We use different lubrication grades for different friction points — mainspring, pallet fork, escapement wheel, and keyless works each require specific compounds.
Written documentation for every job
Every piece leaves with a bench note — a typed record of what was found, what was done, and what was replaced. The owner keeps this with the watch.
Secure handling and custody
Each piece is signed in, assigned a job number, and stored in a padded tray during service. Nothing is left on an open bench overnight.
Scope agreed before work begins
For complex servicing, we confirm the full scope in writing before disassembly. No additional work is undertaken without the owner's knowledge and agreement.
— Workshop Values —
Craft, documentation, and honest conversation
Watch repair at the bench level — as opposed to the mail-order or brand-service-centre model — is a discipline that relies heavily on the relationship between the watchmaker and the owner. At Mainspring Atelier, we have tried to build that relationship carefully. We describe what we see rather than simply quoting a flat rate and returning a watch that runs better for reasons the owner doesn't understand.
The movements we work with most frequently are Swiss-lever escapement calibres — both manually wound and automatic — from the mid-twentieth century through to contemporary production. Johor Bahru's proximity to Singapore means we often work with pieces acquired across the causeway, and the broad range of ownership culture in the region means we encounter calibres from German, Japanese, and Swiss manufacture in roughly equal proportion.
We believe a watchmaker's job is not to make a piece disappear into a service interval and emerge unchanged. It is to communicate — to describe what a thirty-year-old mainspring looks like under a loupe, to explain why a balance spring that looks intact might still be the source of erratic rate, to help an owner understand whether what they carry belongs to the everyday world or to a more protected one. That kind of conversation is what we make time for at Mainspring Atelier.
— The Workshop —
Come and see the bench for yourself
Walk-ins are welcome on Tuesday through Saturday. Bring the watch, describe what you've noticed, and we'll take a look together — no obligation to proceed further.
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