George Town, Penang
One Bench. One Person. Every Watch Documented.
Verge Foliot is a single-operator watch repair practice in George Town, Penang — built around the idea that careful work and honest records are the only things that matter.
Back to HomeThe Story
How Verge Foliot Came to Be
The name comes from the verge-and-foliot escapement — the oldest known clock mechanism, a pairing of a vertical staff and a horizontal bar weighted at each end. It is not fast. It is not quiet. But it is a piece of engineering that kept time for several hundred years before anyone thought of something better. That seemed like a fitting reference for a repair practice.
Verge Foliot was set up at 17 Lorong Toh Aka in George Town because Penang already has a long tradition of careful, unhurried craft work. The island's heritage shophouse streets, its culture of maintenance over replacement — those are things that sit well with the kind of watchwork that takes four to seven weeks and involves writing down every adjustment.
The practice handles three categories of work: quartz module servicing, chronograph complication overhaul, and dial and hand refinishing commissions. Nothing outside those three, because doing fewer things carefully is preferable to doing more things adequately.
The Mission
What We Are Here to Do
The straightforward version: return watches to their owners in better condition than they arrived, with a written record of what was done and why.
The longer version involves the observation that a great deal of watch servicing in Malaysia is carried out quickly, at low prices, with no documentation. Cells are swapped without measuring current draw. Chronograph puzzleworks are oiled without being separated. Dials are refinished without a brief being agreed in writing first. None of that is dishonest — it is simply fast, and fast work and precise movement work do not always sit together comfortably.
Verge Foliot exists for owners who want the slower version. People who have a watch they are attached to and would rather wait seven weeks and receive a bench note than collect in two days and wonder what actually happened.
Bench open Tuesday – Saturday · 17 Lorong Toh Aka, George Town
The People
Who Works Here
Reuben Lim
Principal Watchmaker
Trained in movement servicing and chronograph work over fifteen years, with time spent at benches in Penang and Singapore. Handles all quartz and mechanical service work at Verge Foliot.
Nurul Tan
Dial and Hand Specialist
Focuses on the cosmetic programme — dial cleaning, marker refinishing, and lume matching. Carries out colour consultations with owners and manages the written brief process for all refinishing commissions.
Calvin Wong
Intake and Documentation
Manages initial assessments, work-order records, and owner communications. Every watch that enters the bench is photographed and logged by Calvin before being passed to the technical team.
How We Work
Bench Standards
Ultrasonic Cleaning
Movement parts are cleaned ultrasonically in solvent appropriate to the component material before reassembly. Parts are inspected under magnification after cleaning for surface condition.
Timing Machine Traces
Rate, amplitude, and beat error are measured on a timing machine both before any work begins and after completion. Results are included in the written bench note returned with the watch.
Calibre-Specific Lubrication
Lubricant selection follows the movement's own service documentation where available. Different lubricants are used at the escapement, jewel bearings, and keyless works according to function and surface speed.
Dry Pressure Testing
Cases assembled with new gaskets are dry pressure-tested before being returned. Results are noted on the bench record. Wet testing is not performed unless specifically requested and appropriate to the case design.
Written Work Records
Every service produces a written record listing parts renewed, adjustments made, and measurements taken. The record accompanies the watch on return and is held in the bench log for three years.
Photographic Intake Record
All watches are photographed on arrival to document pre-existing condition. For refinishing commissions, additional high-resolution images are taken of the dial and hands before any cosmetic work begins.
Our Values
Precision, Patience, and Plain Dealing
Watchwork rewards patience. The adjustment of a chronograph clutch is not a task that benefits from speed — it benefits from repeated measurement, incremental change, and the willingness to put the movement back on the timing machine another time. The bench hours at Verge Foliot reflect that. We take on a manageable number of pieces so that each one receives the time the calibre actually requires.
Plain dealing means that pricing is stated before work starts, scope is agreed in writing, and any deviation from the original estimate is communicated to the owner before proceeding. It means that if something cannot be done within the standard service price — an unusual calibre requiring a specialist part, for example — that is explained at assessment rather than appearing as a surprise on collection.
The watch repair market in Penang has a range of offerings, from fast-turnaround shops that handle high volume to specialist importers who send movements abroad. Verge Foliot occupies a specific position in that range: moderate volume, long turnarounds for complex work, and a documentation standard that is uncommon at this price point. Owners who value the record as much as the result tend to find the arrangement straightforward.
George Town suits this kind of work. The heritage district is not oriented toward speed. Its buildings take years to restore. Its craftspeople often carry knowledge that was passed down rather than studied. The bench at 17 Lorong Toh Aka fits that neighbourhood without effort.
Next Step
Ready to Bring Your Watch In?
Use the enquiry form to describe the piece and what it is doing. We will confirm whether the work falls within our service scope and give an initial estimate.
Send an Enquiry