— About the Workshop
A Workshop Built Around
the Work, Not the Sale
Balancewright was set up to provide watch repair services where the scope is stated clearly, the work is documented, and the price holds to what was quoted.
← Back to Home— The Workshop
How Balancewright Came to Be
Balancewright opened at 118 Lebuh Pantai in George Town, Penang, after more than a decade of bench work at independent workshops and authorised service centres across Malaysia. The decision to operate independently came from a specific frustration: the difficulty of giving clients a clear account of what had been done, at what cost, and why.
Watch servicing carries an information asymmetry. The client hands over an object they care about, often an heirloom or a first mechanical purchase, and receives it back some weeks later with a bill. What happened in between is rarely explained in terms that mean anything. Balancewright was set up to close that gap.
Every piece that leaves the bench goes out with a written record. Not a tick-box form — a note specific to that watch, recording test pressures, parts fitted, rate readings and anything found outside tolerance. This takes more time to produce than an invoice. It is worth the time.
The George Town address was chosen for its access by foot, bus and car from across Penang Island, and for its proximity to the community of collectors and daily wearers in the historic city centre. The workshop accepts pieces in person and, for the Collection Care Programme, handles collection and return within Penang Island and Seberang Perai.
Workshop Statement
Three service categories. Fixed prices within each. Written documentation on every job. If additional work is found to be necessary, it is quoted before it is carried out. No piece is returned in worse condition than it arrived.
Operating Principles
- Scope before commitment. The service category and its scope are agreed before the watch is opened.
- Record at each stage. Findings, test results and parts fitted are noted in writing throughout.
- No work beyond quote. Out-of-scope findings are reported and priced separately before any action.
- Stated timelines. Turnaround windows are confirmed at drop-off, not adjusted after the fact.
Recent Calibre Families Handled
| ETA Valjoux 7750 | Chronograph |
| Sellita SW500 | Chronograph |
| ETA 2836 / 2824 | Date, Day-Date |
| Miyota 9015 / 8215 | Three-hand, Date |
| Seiko NH35 / NH38 | Three-hand, Hack |
— The Team
People at the Bench
Harith Tan
Head Watchmaker
Fourteen years on the bench across mechanical and quartz movements. Handles complication servicing and collection care assessments. Trained under independent horological workshops in Kuala Lumpur and Penang before establishing Balancewright.
Nurul Rashidah
Service Coordinator
Manages client communications, written service records and scheduling. Produces the rate sheets and function checklists issued with completed complication jobs. Responsible for Collection Care Programme documentation.
Zulkifli Azman
Workshop Technician
Handles quartz battery and seal work, pressure testing, and first-stage movement assessment. Six years of bench experience with quartz and entry-level mechanical movements. Carries out condensation checks and gasket seat inspection on all seal renewals.
— Standards
How the Work is Kept Consistent
Six protocols that apply to every piece handled at the workshop, regardless of which service category it falls under.
Pressure Testing on Every Seal Job
All seal renewal work is followed by a dry pressure test and condensation check. The pressure reached and any out-of-tolerance results are recorded in the written note issued at collection.
Current Draw Check Before Cell Replacement
On quartz movements, circuit current draw is verified before a replacement cell is fitted. A cell draining ahead of schedule points to a circuit fault. Fitting a new cell without this check is not a repair.
Five-Position Rate Measurement
Mechanical calibres are adjusted on a timing machine across five positions before the case is closed. Rate readings are recorded. On complication service jobs, a rate sheet is included in the collection documentation.
Written Record on Every Job
A written note specific to that piece accompanies every completed job. It records parts fitted, test results and any reading outside the movement manufacturer's stated tolerance.
No Undisclosed Work
Work beyond the agreed scope is not carried out without a separate quote and the client's explicit approval. This applies even to minor findings discovered during disassembly.
Piece Handled by One Technician
Each watch is assigned to a single technician for its full service. It is not passed between benches. This preserves continuity of the record and accountability for the result.
— Workshop Context
Watch Repair and Service in George Town, Penang
Balancewright operates from 118 Lebuh Pantai in George Town, within walking distance of the heritage zone and accessible by public transport from across Penang Island. The workshop handles quartz and mechanical watches from a range of brands and calibre families, covering battery replacement, seal renewal, and complication bench servicing.
The bench log covers calibre families commonly worn in Malaysia: ETA-based movements in Swiss-made dress and tool watches, Miyota and Seiko movements in Japanese pieces, and the Sellita and Valjoux families found in chronographs from European and independent brands. For owners whose collections include multiple references across different families, the Collection Care Programme provides a structured annual arrangement with scheduled visits and a maintained record set.
Penang's humidity and equatorial climate place particular demands on watch seals. Gaskets degrade at a different rate than in temperate conditions, and watches used near the sea or in air-conditioned environments experience additional stress on crown and case-back seals. Annual seal renewal is a reasonable schedule for watches worn regularly in the region, and the Battery, Seal and Water Resistance Renewal service is structured accordingly.
George Town's collector community has grown steadily over the past decade. The Penang watch market includes a range of buyers and wearers — from daily-use Seiko and Casio owners to collectors maintaining boutique Swiss and independent pieces. Balancewright's three service tiers were designed to serve that range without requiring clients to navigate service categories that do not apply to their pieces.
— Send an Enquiry
Begin with the Reference and the Issue
A short message with the brand, calibre and what you have observed is enough to begin. A response is sent within one working day.
Send Bench Enquiry