Our Story
Practised Hands.
Unhurried Attention.
Rembau Tempo was founded on the conviction that a mechanical watch deserves the same deliberate care as the craft that made it. That conviction shapes every intake, every disassembly, every reassembly.
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The Rembau Tempo Atelier
How We Began
Rembau Tempo opened its doors in Kuala Lumpur in 2009, founded by Farizal Hadzri after a decade training under a Swiss-trained watchmaker in Penang. The name carries a quiet significance — Rembau, a district in Negeri Sembilan known for the multi-generational tradition of its artisanal crafts, and Tempo, borrowed from horology's own vocabulary for measured pace and rhythm.
From the beginning, the atelier occupied a single room above a trading company in Jalan Pinang, equipped with a professional watchmaker's bench, an ultrasonic cleaning station, and a Witschi timing machine. The intention was never scale — it was depth. Taking fewer pieces at a time, giving each the attention it warranted, and communicating honestly with every owner throughout the process.
Over fifteen years, that approach has drawn a particular kind of client: one who values transparency, who cares about their watch beyond its market price, and who prefers careful judgement over fast turnaround. We remain a small atelier by design. The Jalan Pinang premises still house our bench — expanded now, but not transformed.
Our Mission
To offer horological care that is proportionate to the significance of the piece receiving it. A watch brought to us after twenty years in a drawer deserves a different kind of attention than one arriving on a regular service interval — and both deserve more than a quick clean and a reset.
We work with mechanical calibres ranging from reliable daily-wear workhorses to pieces with considerable collector significance. Our restoration programme exists specifically for watches that require a more extended and collaborative process — one where the owner remains part of the conversation, particularly when decisions about patina, component sourcing, or dial condition arise.
"A piece that has worn decades deserves to leave the bench in better condition than it arrived — not simply cleaned, but understood."
— Farizal Hadzri, Founder
The People
Those at the Bench
Farizal Hadzri
Founder & Master Watchmaker
Trained in Penang under Swiss-qualified supervision before establishing Rembau Tempo in 2009. Specialises in complex calibre servicing and the considered restoration programme.
Zulaikha Azman
Watchmaker & Case Specialist
Joined the atelier in 2015 following technical training in Singapore. Handles crown and stem services and oversees case and bracelet conservation work across all restoration projects.
Rafi Mahathir
Client Relations & Intake
Manages all client communications, intake documentation, and the photographic record for restoration pieces. Ensures every enquiry receives a thoughtful and accurate response.
Standards
How We Work
Written Intake Assessment
Every piece receives a documented intake record noting current rate behaviour, water resistance condition, visible wear, and owner-noted concerns. This forms the basis for all subsequent work decisions.
Magnification Inspection
Each component is examined under binocular magnification following disassembly. Wear patterns are assessed individually before decisions are made about cleaning, renewal, or continued use.
Staged Ultrasonic Cleaning
Component cleaning progresses through a sequence of horological-grade ultrasonic baths. The staging removes accumulated residue without exposing delicate parts to inappropriate chemical contact.
Professional Timing Equipment
Following reassembly, all movements are measured on Witschi timing equipment across multiple positions. Rate observations are recorded over several days before the piece is cleared for return.
Pressure Testing
All applicable pieces receive pressure testing following gasket renewal. Testing verifies water resistance integrity at the reference's original stated rating — not an approximation of it.
Secure Handling & Custody
All pieces in our care are held in a secured premises throughout the service period. Insurance documentation is available on request. The owner is notified before any work exceeding the agreed scope is undertaken.
Our Craft & Values
Horological Care in the Kuala Lumpur Tradition of Careful Work
Malaysia's watchmaking community has grown meaningfully over the past two decades, shaped partly by the country's position as a transit point for international timepieces, and partly by the rise of a domestic collector culture with discerning standards. Within this context, Rembau Tempo occupies a particular position — a small, independent atelier that has maintained consistent working standards since 2009 without expanding beyond what the quality of its output can sustain.
The atelier's approach draws from the Negeri Sembilan tradition of multi-generational craft: patience, proportion, and the understanding that materials — whether timber, weave, or mechanical steel — respond best to work that is neither hurried nor indifferent. This sensibility translates directly into how each service is conducted. The intake assessment is thorough. The disassembly is methodical. The cleaning is staged. The lubrication is selected by contact surface, not applied uniformly. The regulation is observed over days, not hours.
Rembau Tempo works with a range of Swiss and Japanese mechanical calibres — from robust everyday references to complicated movements requiring specialist attention. The considered restoration programme serves pieces that have been stored without service for extended periods, those acquired without documentation, and those with collector significance where any decision about surface treatment carries long-term consequences. In these cases, the owner is part of the process from intake to completion.
The values that have guided the atelier since its founding remain unchanged: transparency in communication, accuracy in technical assessment, and a preference for conservation over modification. A watch that leaves our bench should reflect what it was, with the accumulated wear of honest use maintained where it carries meaning — and renewed only where it has progressed beyond what the movement can accommodate.
Begin Here
Bring Your Timepiece to Rembau Tempo
Whether your watch needs a structured service, a component repair, or an extended restoration assessment — the first step is an honest conversation about its current condition.
Arrange an Enquiry