The Workshop
A Workshop Built Around
the Piece, Not the Clock.
Cogspring was founded to serve owners of inherited and collected timepieces who want their watches working — and want to understand what that involves.
← Back to HomeAbout Cogspring
Cogspring began as a bench project in a corner of George Town's heritage district — a deliberate choice of location for a workshop whose work is rooted in period objects. The founder spent several years servicing movements privately before the workshop opened to the wider public, establishing a way of working that has not changed much since.
The name refers to the mainspring — the coiled strip of metal at the heart of every mechanical watch that stores and releases the energy driving the hands. At Cogspring, the mainspring is the starting point of every assessment: its condition often tells you more about a watch's history than the case or dial ever could.
The workshop accepts pocket watches, converted wristwatch-format pocket pieces, and dials for restoration work. Each project is taken individually. The watchmaker does not operate a conveyor-belt service; a piece may spend several weeks on the bench before it leaves, and that is by design.
Mission
To return inherited and collected pocket watches to running order while preserving the physical evidence of their history — hallmarks, patina, wear patterns, and all.
Location
Lot 8-3A, Lebuh Pantai
10300 George Town, Penang
Malaysia
Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00 · Sat 10:00–15:00
The Bench Team
A small workshop by design — work passes through few hands and each person involved is familiar with the full scope of a project.
Rafiq Harun
Head Watchmaker
Trained in movement servicing and escapement work over more than a decade of bench practice. Specialises in Swiss and English pocket calibres from 1880–1960.
Lim Wei Qiang
Dial & Case Specialist
Focuses on dial cleaning, lume assessment, and case work. Has restored dials from early Longines and Omega pocket pieces, as well as mid-century Japanese calibres.
Siti Norzahra
Client Liaison & Documentation
Manages intake assessments, owner communications, and project documentation — ensuring each piece is received, tracked, and returned with a clear written record.
Workshop Standards
The protocols governing bench practice at Cogspring are not written for display — they are the way the workshop actually operates.
Owner Consent at Every Stage
No irreversible procedure is carried out without the owner's written agreement. This applies to polishing, part replacement, and structural changes during conversion projects.
Photographic Records
Pieces are photographed at intake, during disassembly, and at completion. Owners receive a copy of the record when they collect their watch.
Period-Appropriate Tooling
The bench maintains a range of dies, openers, and hand tools suited to the case standards of different periods and countries of manufacture.
Non-Abrasive Cleaning
Dials and cases are cleaned with the most conservative approach that achieves the desired result. Aggressive solvents and abrasive compounds are not used on original surfaces.
Secure Custody
All pieces in the workshop are stored securely when not on the bench. Each item is individually tagged and tracked from intake to collection.
Rate Testing After Service
Serviced movements are tested for rate accuracy across multiple positions before the case is closed and the piece returned. Results are noted in the service record.
Watchmaking Knowledge & Approach
Pocket watch movements from the late nineteenth century were built to close tolerances in factory conditions — Waltham and Elgin in the United States, Longines and IWC in Switzerland, various makers in Lancashire and Coventry in England. Each tradition has its own conventions for jewelling, regulator design, and case fitting. A watchmaker working on heritage pieces needs to know which standards apply to which movement before opening the case.
George Town, Penang has a long history as a trading port where timepieces arrived from multiple manufacturing traditions. The workshop's collection of reference movements and period service manuals reflects that variety — and informs how each piece is approached.
The wristwatch conversion service requires a different set of considerations. The pocket watch movement is typically larger than a modern wristwatch movement and sits in a different relationship to the crown. Finding or commissioning a case that accommodates the movement without strain — and that the owner will actually wear — is as much a design exercise as a technical one.
Dial restoration involves reading the original surface before touching it. Some dials benefit from cleaning; others are better left with their age. Lume reapplication is a point of debate among collectors, and the workshop takes no position — the owner's preference governs the outcome.
Get in Touch
Ready to Discuss Your Piece?
Whether your watch needs a bench service, a dial assessment, or a conversation about conversion — the first step is an enquiry.
Send an Enquiry