Est. 2011 · Chiang Mai
Work that comes from caring about the craft.
Rattana Time was started by a family with a deep respect for mechanical objects — the kind that keep time not by app or charge, but by the patience of tiny components working in unison.
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How Rattana Time came to be
Rattana Time opened in 2011 on Chang Khlan Road in the centre of Chiang Mai. The name comes from Rattana Buakaew, who spent years studying watch mechanics in Bangkok before returning north to open a shop of her own. The idea was simple: a place where a watch could be looked at properly, assessed honestly, and returned to its owner in better shape than it arrived.
The shop started with battery work and case cleaning. Over time, as the workshop's reputation for careful handling grew, more people began bringing in their automatics — inherited pieces, daily wearers, travel companions that had begun losing time. The mechanical overhaul service was added gradually, as the skills and the right tools for it came together.
Rattana Time has never been a large operation, and that is deliberate. A smaller volume of work means more time with each piece. When a watch comes in, it is assessed with care before anything is touched. The owner is told what was found and what is advisable — and then the decision is theirs.
Today the shop serves Chiang Mai residents, long-term expats, and visitors passing through. The location near the Night Bazaar makes it accessible, and the calm working environment means there is always time to answer questions without rush. The same values that opened the shop in 2011 still shape it: honesty, patience, and respect for the object in your hands.
Our approach in one sentence
"A watch comes in with a problem. It leaves with an honest explanation of what was found, what was done, and what to watch for next."
The People
A small team with focused skills
Rattana Buakaew
Founder & Head Watchmaker
Trained in Bangkok, Rattana handles all mechanical overhauls and assessments. She has worked with quartz and automatic movements for over fifteen years.
Nattawut Kaewdee
Case & Finishing Specialist
Nattawut focuses on case work — polishing, brushing, and glass replacement. He is careful about when polishing helps and when it is better avoided.
Supansa Leelakon
Customer Relations
Supansa manages intake, communication, and estimates. She keeps customers informed throughout the repair process and coordinates collection arrangements.
How We Work
Standards we hold to
Assessment Before Action
Every watch is looked at carefully and assessed before any work begins. We share what we find before we touch anything.
Pressure Testing
Water resistance is checked after every case opening. A new battery with a worn gasket is not a complete service — we make sure both are addressed.
Clear Communication
For overhauls, we provide progress notes and contact the customer if anything unexpected comes up. No surprise charges without a prior conversation.
Quality Lubricants & Parts
We use watchmaking-grade lubricants appropriate to each movement type, and source replacement parts from reputable suppliers.
Timing Documentation
Mechanical overhauls include a printed timing report. You can see exactly what the movement is doing after regulation — not just our word for it.
Careful Handling & Storage
Each watch in the workshop is stored securely with its intake card. We handle one movement at a time to avoid mix-ups.
Craft & Knowledge
Watch repair in Chiang Mai — a considered approach
Northern Thailand has a quieter pace than Bangkok, and Chiang Mai's craft culture — from silverwork to woodworking — has always placed value on patient, skilled labour. Watch repair fits naturally into that tradition. The objects that come through Rattana Time's door are often ones that have followed their owners for years: a dress watch from a milestone occasion, an automatic worn every day until it started losing minutes, an heirloom that sat in a drawer until the family wanted it running again.
Quartz movements need less frequent intervention than mechanical ones, but a neglected gasket can allow moisture into a case that was never designed to be wet. The battery-and-seal service exists precisely because battery replacement without gasket attention is an incomplete job. Pressure testing after the case is resealed gives a measurable result rather than a guess.
Mechanical overhauls require patience. A movement that has not been serviced in fifteen or twenty years accumulates dried lubricant and fine debris. Disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, and fresh lubrication are followed by careful regulation — adjusting the regulator until the movement runs as close to accurate as the particular calibre allows. The timing report at the end is not a formality; it is documentation of a result.
Rattana Time serves both residents and visitors. The location on Chang Khlan Road is easy to reach and the shop is open six days a week, giving people visiting Chiang Mai enough time to drop off and collect a watch for battery service within a single day.
Ready to Begin
Bring your watch in, or reach out first.
We're happy to discuss what a watch might need before you bring it in — no obligation to proceed until you're comfortable.
Get in Touch