Chiang Mai · Est. 2011
A Workshop Built on Patience and Craft
Thong Lanna was founded with a single purpose: to give watches the careful, unhurried attention they deserve — and to be honest with every owner about what is needed and why.
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How Thong Lanna Came to Be
The workshop opened in 2011 in Chang Khlan, a few doors from the moat at the eastern edge of Chiang Mai's Old City. The name Thong Lanna — roughly, "gold of the Lanna kingdom" — was chosen not as an emblem of grandeur but as a quiet nod to the brass and gilded metalwork that has always been part of Northern Thai craft traditions.
The founder, Wanchai Srisombat, trained for several years with an independent watchmaker in Lamphun before opening his own workshop. His interest in mechanical movements began long before any formal training — as a child he was the one in the household quietly dismantling and reassembling anything with visible gears. That curiosity never left.
In the years since, the workshop has grown to include two additional craftspeople and serves a range of clients — from local residents with daily wearers that have slowed down, to collectors from across Thailand and beyond who want careful work on pieces with real history.
What Guides Us
Our Approach and Values
We hold to a few straightforward principles. First: nothing is done to a watch without the owner's understanding and agreement. We assess, explain, and wait for a clear yes before any tools are picked up. This is not a formality — it is how we think the relationship between a watchmaker and an owner should work.
Second: documentation matters. A watch that leaves our workshop carries a record of what was found, what was done, and what was measured. This record belongs to the owner and stays with the watch — useful context for future care regardless of who provides it.
Third: we are honest about the limits of what we can do. Not every movement is within our scope, and we would rather say so at the outset than disappoint a client after extended time and effort. Referrals to specialist restorers, when appropriate, are made willingly.
The People
Who Works Here
Three craftspeople, each with a different strength, working in the same unhurried way.
Wanchai Srisombat
Founder & Master Watchmaker
Over fourteen years of experience with mechanical and vintage movements. Wanchai leads all pocket watch and antique restorations and carries out the more involved overhaul work.
Napatsorn Phromma
Watchmaker & Regulation Specialist
Napatsorn handles tune-up services and regulation work, operating the timing equipment and carrying out adjustment across the range of movements the workshop sees most regularly.
Kraisorn Thanakul
Case & Bracelet Restorer
Kraisorn focuses on the exterior work — case cleaning, surface restoration, and bracelet reconditioning. His preference for restraint suits owners who want their watch tidied rather than remade.
Standards & Protocols
How We Maintain Quality
Consistent practices across every service, regardless of the watch's age or value.
Calibrated Timing Equipment
All rate and amplitude measurements are taken on a calibrated timegrapher. Results are noted and shared with the owner, not estimated from feel.
Correct Lubricants Only
We use horological lubricants suited to each component — oils and greases selected by the movement type, not applied uniformly. Incorrect lubrication ages a movement faster than no lubrication at all.
Step-by-Step Documentation
Photographs are taken at key stages of each service. This record is provided to the owner alongside a plain-language summary of what was done.
Handling Protocols for Antiques
Enamel dials, painted surfaces, and fragile case metal receive dedicated handling procedures. No abrasive compounds are used near dial edges or original lacquered surfaces without explicit discussion.
Secure Storage While in Our Care
Watches left with us are catalogued, tagged, and stored securely. No piece is set aside without a corresponding record of its condition on arrival.
Clear Communication Throughout
If the scope of work changes after the movement is opened, we contact the owner before proceeding. Unexpected findings are explained clearly — not buried in a final invoice.
Expertise & Context
Mechanical Watchmaking in Northern Thailand
Chiang Mai has a long tradition of fine metalwork, from temple gilding to silversmithing in the surrounding villages. It is a city where careful, detailed craft still has an audience, and where clients tend to value considered work over quick results. Thong Lanna fits naturally into that context.
Mechanical watches — those driven by a coiled mainspring and a balance wheel rather than a battery — require periodic servicing to maintain their accuracy and extend their working life. Lubricants dry and migrate, tiny parts wear against one another, and the rate drifts. A watch that is serviced at appropriate intervals by someone who understands the movement will typically outlast one that is simply replaced when it stops keeping time.
Older and antique pieces present additional considerations. Parts may no longer be available from suppliers, dials may be fragile, and the correct approach to a given movement may require research rather than routine. Thong Lanna approaches these pieces with patience, sourcing or hand-finishing replacement components where necessary and taking the time to understand the piece before intervening.
We serve clients from Chiang Mai and the wider region, including visitors to the city who choose to bring a watch for assessment during their stay. Postal services are also accepted for clients elsewhere in Thailand, by prior arrangement.
We're Here
Come and Talk to Us
Whether you have a question about a specific watch or simply want to understand what a service might involve, we are happy to have a conversation without any pressure to proceed.
Get in Touch