Our Story

A Workshop Built on Patience and Precision

Bezel Crown has served watch owners in northern Thailand since 2009. We work on three services, with one technician, and take our time.

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About Bezel Crown

Bezel Crown opened its doors in Wat Ket in 2009, in a shop space that had previously been a small furniture repair workshop. The owner, Prawit Naksuwan, had spent the preceding decade learning horology in Bangkok before deciding that Chiang Mai's slower pace suited the work better. He chose the name because the bezel and the crown — two of the most touched parts of any watch — tell you a great deal about how a timepiece has been treated.

The workshop has never grown beyond a single technician at the bench at any given time. That is not an accident. Prawit has had opportunities to expand, to hire assistants, to take on more volume. He has consistently chosen not to, on the grounds that the quality of attention a watch receives diminishes with each additional hand involved. An owner who brings a piece to Bezel Crown can expect that Prawit himself will handle it from the moment it arrives to the moment it is returned.

Over fifteen years, the workshop has developed a particular familiarity with mid-twentieth-century Swiss and Japanese mechanical movements. This is partly because Chiang Mai attracts collectors passing through Southeast Asia, and partly because Prawit has always found the engineering of that era more interesting than the modern equivalents. He keeps a working reference library of technical manuals and original caliber documentation at the bench.

Bezel Crown is not a watch shop. There is no display case, no retail inventory. Owners arrive with a piece they care about, describe what they have noticed or what they would like, and leave with a clear understanding of what was done. The shop is small, quiet, and arranged for work rather than display.

Founded

2009, in the Wat Ket neighbourhood of Mueang Chiang Mai. Same location for sixteen years.

One Technician

Every piece is handled by the same person, start to finish. No delegation to assistants or subcontractors.

Reference Library

Original caliber documentation kept on-site for accurate identification of vintage movements.

The People at the Bench

Prawit Naksuwan

Head Technician & Founder

Sixteen years at the Bezel Crown bench. Specialises in mid-twentieth-century mechanical movements and vintage bracelet restoration. Studied horology in Bangkok before returning north.

Nattaya Wongchai

Client Liaison

Handles all appointments, written summaries, and correspondence with owners. Ensures that the written record from each visit is accurate and useful to the client.

Suphan Kerdpol

Parts & Reference Research

Sources donor links and period-correct components for bracelet work. Maintains the caliber documentation library and assists with vintage part identification.

How We Approach the Work

These are the standards that shape each appointment, not as a marketing promise, but as a description of how the workshop actually operates.

Photographic Documentation

Movement and case condition are photographed before any work begins. The owner has a visual record of the piece's state on arrival.

Ultrasonic Cleaning Protocols

Bracelet links are cleaned ultrasonically before reassembly. Cleaning solutions are matched to the alloy composition of the bracelet material.

Written Assessment Reports

Every assessment produces a document the owner keeps. Findings, options, and any limitations are written in plain language.

Owner Consultation Before Proceeding

Nothing beyond the agreed scope is done without a conversation. If new findings require a different path, we discuss it before acting.

Secure Storage During Service

Pieces left at the workshop are stored in a locked display cabinet overnight. Access is limited to the technician and the owner.

Honest Scope Limits

We decline work that falls outside our current capability rather than attempt it. An owner deserves to know when a different specialist is the better choice.

Mechanical Watches in Northern Thailand

Chiang Mai has long been a point of passage for travellers carrying watches they value. Some arrive for a holiday and notice that a bracelet has loosened. Others have brought a grandfather's piece and want to understand what they have before deciding whether to pursue a service. Bezel Crown has developed its three offerings specifically around these situations: the owner who is about to travel, the owner who needs to understand a vintage movement, and the owner whose bracelet has seen enough decades to need proper attention.

The workshop sits in Wat Ket, a neighbourhood that has historically housed craftspeople and small trades alongside the older residential streets. The location was not chosen for foot traffic — the workshop takes no walk-in appointments — but for its quietness and the space it allows for focused work. Owners who visit by arrangement find a working bench rather than a retail environment, which reflects the intent of the business.

Bezel Crown does not advertise turnaround times or make claims about what a service will achieve. A Pre-Travel Check is a bench appointment, not a comprehensive overhaul. A Vintage Movement Assessment tells an owner what they have, not what it will be worth. A Heritage Bracelet Re-Link restores comfortable wear without altering the character of the piece. These distinctions matter to owners who understand their watches, and they are the owners this workshop is built for.

Ready to Bring Your Watch In?

Appointments are arranged by phone or through the contact form. Tell us about your piece and we will suggest the right service.

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