About the Workshop
A Bench Built on Patience and Precision
Horolume was set up for one purpose: to give watches the time and attention they actually need. No shortcuts, no stock answers.
Back to HomeOur Story
How Horolume Came to Be
Horolume opened on Jalan Sultan Ismail after years spent doing watch repairs at the back of a larger jewellery shop — a situation that worked for the shop but not especially well for the watches. The watchmaker who founded the workshop had developed a habit of writing detailed notes on everything he touched, partly because memory fails and partly because owners deserved to know what had happened to their pieces.
When the decision was made to operate independently, the written record became a formal part of every service. The condition note, the timing report, the restoration proposal — these are not extras. They are how we understand what we are doing and communicate it plainly to the person whose watch it is.
The name Horolume combines horology with the Latin word for light — the idea that a good inspection starts with illuminating exactly what is there, before deciding what to do about it.
Our Mission
What We Are Here to Do
To carry out honest, well-documented bench work on watches that deserve more than a quick battery change. We aim to leave every piece in a better mechanical state than it arrived, and every owner better informed about their watch than before.
"Nothing is touched until we know what we are touching — and nothing is decided without telling you first."
— Workshop principle, Horolume
The People
Who Works on Your Watch
Zulkifli Rashid
Head Watchmaker
Over two decades working on Swiss and Japanese calibres. Handles mechanical servicing and all vintage case projects personally.
Priya Nair
Bench Assistant & Records
Manages intake photography, condition notes, and timing records. Background in technical documentation for precision instruments.
Ahmad Hazwan
Quartz & Case Technician
Specialises in quartz care, gasket renewal, and water resistance testing. Trained in movement identification across major Japanese manufacturers.
How We Work
Workshop Standards
Independent Inspection
Every piece is inspected by the watchmaker before any work is agreed. We do not price off a description — we price off what we see.
Manufacturer-Specified Lubricants
Oils and greases are selected per-movement from current horological supply. Expired or wrong-viscosity lubricants are not used, ever.
Pressure Testing on Quartz Work
Water resistance is tested to the case rating after every quartz service. Watches are not returned if they do not pass.
Timing Machine Regulation
Mechanical calibres are regulated in six positions and results documented in a timing report that is handed to the owner on collection.
Written Proposals for Restoration
No surface on a vintage piece is refinished without a signed-off written proposal. Scope changes mid-project are not taken unilaterally.
Secure Storage on Premises
Watches in our care are stored in a locked cabinet when not on the bench. No piece is left unattended in an open workshop area.
Our Approach
Craft, Documentation, and Plain Communication
Watch repair in Kuala Lumpur covers a wide range of practices, from fast-turnaround battery counters in shopping centres to specialist workshops that deal with one watch at a time. Horolume sits firmly in the second category. Each piece receives the watchmaker's full attention, which means work takes longer and costs more than a counter service — that is the nature of the work, and we do not apologise for it.
Our workshop on Jalan Sultan Ismail handles quartz battery and seal work, full mechanical movement servicing, and long-form vintage case and dial restoration. These three services cover most of what a watch owner in Malaysia will need, short of manufacturer warranty work.
We keep our tool inventory current and replace lubricants on a scheduled basis so that nothing on the bench has expired. The timing machine we use measures amplitude, beat error, and daily rate across six positions — the same data a Swiss manufacture would expect to see from an approved service centre.
Owners who bring us a watch with sentimental value or significant monetary worth tend to be relieved to find that we slow down rather than speed up when the piece matters more. The written record we provide is partly for peace of mind and partly so that the next watchmaker — wherever and whenever they appear — knows the full service history without guessing.
Begin Here
Bring Your Watch to the Bench
Send us a message describing your watch and what you have noticed. We will reply within one working day with an honest assessment.
Send an Enquiry