Competence Built at the Bench
Kaliber was set up to do one thing well — service and restore mechanical watches for owners who want to know exactly what was done, and why.
How Kaliber Came About
Kaliber opened at 27 Jalan Sultan Ismail after years of working through a backlog of watches that arrived at other workshops and left without a proper diagnosis. The name refers to calibre — the internal reference for a movement's design — because the name signals where attention belongs: inside the case, not on the counter.
The workshop handles three tiers of work: routine full mechanical services for watches that are running but overdue, a staged vintage restoration programme for older pieces, and an annual collection care retainer for owners keeping several watches in rotation. Each service tier has a written scope, a defined price and a documented outcome that stays with the owner.
Kuala Lumpur's climate — consistent humidity and heat — means watches stored without attention degrade faster than in cooler, drier conditions. Part of what the workshop does is advise owners on storage and rotation schedules that extend the period between full services. That advisory layer comes with the work rather than as a separate consultation.
Mission
To return every watch in better running order than it arrived, with a written record of what was found and what was done — and to do that consistently, without shortcuts that are invisible until the next service.
Workshop Location
27 Jalan Sultan Ismail50250 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Contact
The Workshop Team
A small team where every person handles work end-to-end rather than passing components between stations.
Handles full mechanical services and movement regulation. Has spent fifteen years working on Swiss lever-escapement watches across independent Malaysian workshops before founding Kaliber.
Focuses on the vintage restoration programme — condition surveys, case refinishing assessment and coordination with specialist dial facilities. Manages the parts sourcing process for pre-1980 calibres.
Manages intake, condition documentation and the service records issued with each completed job. Coordinates collection and return for Klang Valley retainer clients.
How Quality Is Maintained
Protocols observed at every job, regardless of service tier.
Ultrasonic Cleaning
All movement components pass through an ultrasonic bath before inspection and lubrication. This removes particulate contamination invisible to the naked eye.
Regulation in Five Positions
Rate testing and adjustment covers five positions — dial up, dial down, crown up, crown left, crown right — to achieve consistent performance across how a watch is actually worn.
Water Resistance Testing
Where gaskets are replaced as part of a mechanical service, the case is pressure-tested against the original manufacturer rating before the watch leaves the bench.
Photographic Condition Record
Vintage restoration work begins with a photographic condition survey so there is a clear before-and-after reference. Intake photos are held on file for all service work.
Written Scope Before Work Starts
No parts are ordered and no work begins until the scope document is agreed and signed. Any change to scope goes through the same sign-off process.
Workmanship Cover
Full mechanical services carry twelve months of cover on the labour. If the same fault recurs within that period due to a servicing issue, it is attended to at no further charge.
Watch Servicing in Kuala Lumpur
Mechanical watches need periodic servicing because lubricants break down, mainsprings fatigue and dust settles into clearances that tolerances are not designed to absorb. In Malaysian conditions — where relative humidity rarely drops below sixty percent — this process accelerates. An oil film that might hold for seven years in a dry alpine climate may begin to congeal or migrate in four to five years in Kuala Lumpur.
Full strip-and-service work at Kaliber covers every component: the escapement wheel and pallet fork, the gear train, the barrel and mainspring, the keyless works, and the dial-side components. Everything is cleaned ultrasonically, inspected under magnification for wear, re-lubricated to the movement manufacturer's published specifications and reassembled in dust-controlled conditions. The completed movement is regulated on a timing machine across five positions before being cased up and pressure-tested.
Vintage watch restoration requires a different approach — one that balances mechanical function with historical accuracy. A case that has been buffed to remove scratches loses something that cannot be put back. Kaliber's approach is to document the condition before touching anything, agree the scope in writing with the owner, and proceed one stage at a time. Parts that cannot be sourced identically are discussed before any substitution is made.
The collection care retainer was developed for owners who rotate between several pieces and want each watch maintained on a documented schedule rather than serviced reactively when something stops working. The retainer covers up to six watches per year, with two timing checks per piece, water-resistance verification, and the kind of storage advice that is specific to Klang Valley humidity profiles rather than generic guidance written for European conditions.
Talk to the Workshop
If you have a watch that needs attention or you would like to discuss what a service involves, the workshop handles enquiries by phone and email during business hours.