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Malay Mail
a day ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Ipoh's last watch repairmen fight to keep a fading craft ticking
IPOH, June 15 — In a quiet corner of Ipoh's old town, 57-year-old Kwan Siew Mung spends his days repairing old watches and clocks from behind a modest glass counter. As one of the few remaining traditional watch repairmen in the city, Kwan is preserving a craft that is slowly slipping into obscurity. 'There used to be more than ten watch repair shops here,' he told Malay Mail. 'Now, from old town to new town, you might find five or six only. And all of us are old. When we close shop, there won't be anyone left.' Kwan first learned the intricacies of watch repair as a teenager, under the tutelage of his father, who ran a small stall along Jalan Market. After completing his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Kwan fully committed to the trade. Kwan Siew Mung, 57, showing a picture of his father's old watch stall also located at Jalan Market in Ipoh. Today, he operates from a small shop he moved into seven years ago, following increased tourism that made it unfeasible to continue working from his father's corridor stall. 'This job isn't about being difficult or easy; it's about interest,' he said. 'Without passion, you can't even fix a single screw properly in the watch, no matter how long you try.' Over the past 30 years, Kwan has repaired everything from solar-powered timepieces to 50-year-old mechanical watches. 'Mechanical and automatic watches are different because they don't use batteries. They require winding or movement to work. Their build is complex and unique,' he explained. A typical watch service takes about 40 minutes to an hour, but vintage timepieces often require weeks or even months, especially if rare parts are needed. 'If you can't find spare parts like a tiny spring, the whole repair is stuck. Every component matters, especially for old and rare pieces,' he said. Kwan has serviced prestigious brands such as Seiko, Omega, and Rolex, with the most expensive piece valued at RM30,000, even as a second-hand item. While his trade no longer attracts the crowds it once did, Kwan's business survives on repairs, especially for timepieces with sentimental value. 'People don't buy watches from us anymore. They go to shopping malls or shop online. But some still come to repair watches that mean something to them,' he said. However, he notes a generational shift. 'Young people prefer smartwatches, which are cheaper and easier to replace. These can't be repaired the same way and don't carry the same sense of status or story.' Despite rising costs — RM2,000 a month for his current shop compared to RM300 during his stall days — Kwan remains steadfast in his commitment. Yet, the future of his craft seems uncertain. 'My children aren't interested in continuing this business. You can't get rich from it; you can only survive. In 10 years, I don't think there'll be many old watch repair shops left,' he said. For now, Kwan stands as a guardian of a meticulous and vanishing tradition — keeping time alive, one delicate repair at a time.
Times
09-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Times
The best ceramic watches that are tough enough for everyday wear
Unlike those made of noble metals and stainless steel, a ceramic watch has the curiously attractive property of adjusting to your body temperature. While serving no specific function, the effect is comforting and borderline sensual. Then there are the material's other desirable qualities such as its lightness and durability, and excellent resistance to daily wear and tear. Plus it's hypoallergenic. Team that with its versatile appearance, featuring smooth surfaces that can be polished or matt, and — as watchmakers explore the science and refine their ceramic-making processes — a whole spectrum of colours, and ceramic is a sure-fire winner. It's not the only non-traditional material to have been used in recent years on watches — faces have been crafted from carbon fibre, titanium and even tungsten — but ceramic has become something of a trailblazer. While traditionally made of compounds that have been shaped then hardened by heating to a high temperature for use in a myriad practical products, high-tech or 'advanced' ceramic for watchmaking is generally made with zirconium oxide. • This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Today, thanks to pioneering research and development, the material is just as sought-after as its precious-metal counterparts. It is extremely challenging to work with because it is so hard, but watchmakers apply the same levels of craftsmanship to ceramic as to precious materials, using high-tech machining and traditional hand-finishing. Many of the upmarket watch companies now include ceramic models in their collections. Louis Vuitton's remastered Tambour line, for instance, has a glamorous, refined brown ceramic version with subtle pink-gold touches. Generally considered to be the first ceramic watch, Rado's DiaStar was introduced in 1962 and touted as 'the world's first scratchproof watch'. The brand continued to innovate and 1983's Anatom was a radical timepiece, painted by the artist and Rado fan Andy Warhol. This year's Anatom editions have a bracelet formed from links of polished high-tech ceramic to match the bezel, allowing the watch to sit comfortably on the wrist. Meanwhile, the Swiss house Audemars Piguet recently unveiled a ceramic shade inspired by the blue colour it developed in 1972 for the dial of the first Royal Oak. Its distinctive deep hue echoes the night sky of the Le Brassus region where the house was founded 150 years ago. Although ceramic has been part of the brand's offering since the Eighties, it took six years of research and testing 'to find the exact consistency and durability of this new vibrant shade', Lucas Raggi, senior director of R&D, says. Chanel caused a stir 25 years ago with the launch of its J12 watch in black, then white, ceramic. It was one of the earliest watch collections to feature a ceramic bracelet and the fashion crowd lapped it up. It's still popular, as is its new limited-edition, deep-blue version. Further shades will no doubt emerge; the material, says Arnaud Chastaingt, the director of Chanel's Watch Creation Studio, offers 'a vast creative playing field'. • Our watch director picks the best men's luxury watches Also making its mark is Hublot, a brand known for pushing boundaries. The use of ceramic reflects 'a genuine pursuit of technical performance and long-term durability', according to Mathias Buttet, its R&D director. The maker was the first to introduce vivid colours such as Ferrari Red, which took more than four years to develop. Today there's also a unique multicoloured Big Bang Unico model, as well as variations with mint-green and petrol-blue ceramic cases. It's clear that, in the horology world, ceramic is hotter than ever.
