About Sawat
Founded on Phang Nga Road, built on patience
Sawat was opened by a watchmaker who spent years working in repair shops before deciding that the way most watches are serviced — quickly, impersonally, with little communication — was not how he wanted to work. The name comes from the Thai greeting, and it reflects something of the approach: a genuine welcome to each watch that arrives, and the time taken to understand what it needs before picking up a tool.
The workshop is on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town, a few doors from buildings that have themselves been standing for over a century. That neighbourhood felt right. Old things kept in working order, given the attention they deserve — that is what the street has always been about, and it is what we do.
We work on mechanical and vintage movements. That focus is deliberate. These are the movements that reward careful hands, that deteriorate when neglected, and that often carry genuine sentimental weight. A grandfather's dress watch, a wedding gift, a piece brought back from an era before quartz — these pieces find their way to us because their owners sense that they need someone who will take them seriously.
Our process is transparent. We look at the watch, we tell you what we find and what the options are, and we do nothing you have not agreed to. The timelines we quote are the ones we keep. The prices listed are starting points and any additional cost is discussed before any work proceeds.
Our Mission
"To return each watch to working order with honesty, patience, and respect for what it is."
In Numbers
The People
Who works on your watch
Krit Prawit
Founder & Head Watchmaker
Trained in Switzerland and Hong Kong, Krit returned to Thailand to open Sawat and focus on the movements that interest him most — pre-quartz mechanical calibres.
Niran Apinya
Movement Specialist
Niran handles the majority of movement service work, with a particular interest in balance regulation and mainspring assessment in older pieces.
Suda Thong
Client Liaison
Suda manages intake, documentation, and communication — the person most customers speak with first, and the one who keeps owners informed through longer restoration projects.
How We Work
Standards we hold ourselves to
Condition Documented at Intake
Every watch is photographed and its condition noted before any work begins. You and we have a shared record from the moment it arrives.
Proper Lubricants Only
We use the grade of oil or grease each part requires — not a single lubricant for everything. The difference shows in how long a service lasts.
Timing Machine Verification
After assembly, movements are tested on a timing machine across multiple positions. The result is shared with the owner and kept on file.
Water Resistance Check Where Suitable
For watches rated for water resistance, we test case integrity after servicing. Seals are replaced as standard where appropriate.
Secure Storage During Work
Watches in for service are stored in locked individual trays. Nothing leaves the bench unaccounted for, and the workshop is secured after hours.
Agreement Before Any Additional Work
If something unexpected is discovered during service, we stop and contact you before proceeding. There are no surprise line items on the final invoice.
Watch repair in Phuket is not a large market. There are a handful of shops that will replace a battery or swap a strap, and a few more that offer general repairs on modern watches. Sawat occupies a different space: we work specifically on mechanical movements, vintage calibres, and watches where the owner wants genuine care rather than a quick turnaround.
Mechanical watchmaking requires a different set of tools and a different kind of time. A movement disassembled into its two hundred or more components cannot be hurried through cleaning and reassembly without losing something — usually the longevity of the service itself. We believe the three to four week window for a full movement service is the right one, and our customers who return to us after several years confirm it.
Phuket draws people from across Southeast Asia and beyond. A number of our sentimental restoration commissions come from customers who discovered us while visiting the island and decided to leave a family watch with us before returning home. This kind of trust is something we take seriously. The watch travels back to its owner in the same condition of care it arrived in — documented, tested, and explained.
Next Step
Tell us about your watch
A brief message is enough to start. We will let you know the most suitable service and what to expect.
Get in Touch