Why Tickraft
What you get from a workshop that takes fewer jobs and handles each one properly
The benefits here are not about speed or volume. They come from focus — a narrow set of services, a small team, and a steady approach to how a watch is handled and how an owner is kept informed.
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Six things that shape what working with Tickraft is like
The watchmaker handles your piece directly
No intake clerk passes your watch to a junior. The bench owner assesses it, plans the work, and carries it out. You deal with the person doing the job.
Photographs shared throughout
You see the condition of your watch before work begins and at key points during it. Nothing is a surprise at collection — the visual record keeps the process transparent.
Nothing added to the scope without permission
If the bench finds something outside the original brief, you are contacted first. Additional work only begins after you agree to it.
Respect for the watch's existing character
Patina is preserved where it contributes to the piece. Cosmetic changes are conservative unless the owner specifically asks otherwise.
Written record with heritage work
Full heritage refurbishments come with a printed service record documenting every significant decision, part, and timing figure. This record stays with the watch.
Fixed, accessible location in Kota Kinabalu
The shop is at a physical address on Jalan Gaya. You can drop in, see where your watch will be worked on, and collect it in person when ready.
In more detail
Each benefit, explained
Expertise
Deep knowledge of the work, not a wide menu of services
Tickraft handles three services. That is deliberate. A shop that handles everything — battery changes, strap swaps, full overhauls, and deep restorations under one roof — often means the skilled work gets treated with the same urgency as the quick jobs. Here, the bench is set up for the three things it does well, and the time each job receives reflects what it actually needs.
- Over a decade working on Swiss and Japanese movements
- Specific experience with water-resistance systems and gasket fitting
- Heritage refurbishment using period-correct methods
Process
A process the owner can follow, not just trust blindly
Most watch repair shops take the watch, disappear for a few weeks, and hand it back. Tickraft works differently. Photographs are taken at intake, at key stages, and at completion. Short written notes accompany each update. For heritage work, the record of what was done and why is compiled throughout and handed over at collection.
- Intake photograph and condition note on day one
- Updates at each significant stage of the job
- Final service record for heritage pieces
Communication
Decisions stay in the owner's hands throughout
Watch repair involves choices — whether to preserve a worn gasket or replace it, whether to leave aged lume or re-apply it, whether to clean a dial surface or leave it alone. At Tickraft, those choices are discussed with the owner rather than made unilaterally at the bench. The expertise is here to advise; the decision is yours.
- Contact before any out-of-scope work begins
- Honest assessments, including when a repair may not be worthwhile
- Clear timelines updated as work progresses
Value
Pricing reflects the time and skill the work requires
Tickraft's pricing is set to reflect what each service genuinely involves. A crown tube replacement is priced from RM 540 — that covers careful work, the right gasket, and a post-fit check, not a rushed swap. Heritage refurbishment at RM 4,500 represents weeks of careful, documented work by the watchmaker. Prices are given before work begins and do not change without agreement.
- Prices stated clearly before work begins
- No surprises at collection
- Scope changes discussed and agreed before proceeding
Results
A watch you understand more fully after collecting it
Collecting a watch from Tickraft should leave the owner with more knowledge about their piece than they had when they brought it in. The photographs show what was found. The notes explain what was done and why. The timing figures for heritage work give a starting point for the next service. The aim is not just a repaired watch but a documented one.
- Condition report at intake and completion
- Timing figures for heritage pieces
- Written service record adds to the watch's own history
How it compares
Tickraft against a typical watch repair provider
This comparison is not about any specific shop — it reflects the differences between a focused one-bench workshop and a general repair counter.
| Feature | Typical Provider | Tickraft |
|---|---|---|
| Watchmaker handles every job personally | ||
| Photographs shared before and after | ||
| Owner contacted before scope changes | ||
| Written service record provided | ||
| Period-correct parts for heritage work | ||
| Conservative approach to cosmetic work | ||
| Fixed address with drop-in option |
What sets Tickraft apart
Four things you will not find at most watch repair counters
A running photographic record
Most repair shops return a watch with no visual record of what was found inside. Tickraft photographs each piece at intake, during significant stages, and at completion. You leave with a picture of what your watch looked like before the bench touched it.
No work proceeds without consent
If the scope changes — because of corroded threads, a worn jewel, or an unexpected dial issue — the bench stops and contacts the owner before going further. This is not industry standard. At Tickraft it is the default.
Heritage programme with staged owner involvement
The Heritage Refurbishment Programme walks the owner through each stage with photographs and short notes. Decisions about parts, dial work, and finishing are made together, not handed down from the bench.
Honest assessments, including when to not proceed
Not every watch is worth the cost of a full service. If the bench assesses a piece and the repair cost would be disproportionate to the watch's condition or value, you will be told that clearly — before any work begins.
Milestones
A small shop with a steady record
11+
Years on the bench
340+
Heritage pieces completed
96%
Jobs within original scope
3
Focused services, done well
Sabah Artisan Business Recognition
Kota Kinabalu Trade Association · 2023
Horological Society of Malaysia — Member
Professional membership · since 2016
Best Specialist Repair — East Malaysia
Sabah Consumer Choice Awards · 2024
The right watch, the right time
These benefits only matter when the watch is on the bench
Whether you have a crown question, a dial concern, or a piece that has been sitting in a drawer for years — get in touch. The bench will let you know what it sees and what makes sense.
Get in Touch