Client Experiences
What Clients Say
About the Work
Accounts from clients who have brought pieces to Bumi — told in their own words, without editorial gloss.
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From the People Who Brought Their Pieces In
Ahmad Mukhriz
Kuching, Sarawak
Brought my grandfather's Vienna regulator in — it hadn't run since about 2010. The assessment was thorough and the explanation was patient. About seven weeks later, it came back running well and keeping reasonable time. The dial was untouched, which was important to me. Suhaimi was direct about what was feasible and what wasn't. I appreciated that.
April 2025 · Wall Clock Restoration
Lily Kueh
Kuching, Sarawak
Had a Seiko with a badly scratched mineral crystal — accumulated over about fifteen years of daily wear. Polishing took two days and the result was noticeably clearer. There is still a faint mark from one deep scratch but Chee Wai pointed this out before they started, so there were no surprises. Fair about the limitations and good at the actual work.
May 2025 · Crystal Polishing
Roslan Hamid
Kota Samarahan
My dress watch was losing about three minutes a day — had been since I bought it second-hand. Pivot work fixed it. The lead time was three weeks, which felt long at first, but the timekeeping afterwards made the wait sensible. I was told at the start it might need additional movement work and it did, but I was called before anything extra was done. That matters.
April 2025 · Pivot Polishing & Burnishing
Natasha Chai
Kuching, Sarawak
I have an old German wall clock — a Black Forest piece my parents brought back in the 1980s. It had stopped and the case had a cracked glass panel. Bumi restored the movement and sourced a replacement glass that fitted. The clock is back in the hallway and chiming on the hour. Worth every ringgit and the lead time was exactly what was promised.
March 2025 · Wall Clock Restoration
Zulkifli Abd Rahman
Samarahan Division
The crystal on my father's old Citizen was more haze than scratch — years of accumulated fine marks. The polishing brought it back to something close to new. I did not expect the result to be that good. The workshop was easy to deal with — no upsell, no pressure, just a straight conversation about what was possible.
May 2025 · Crystal Polishing
Patricia Lim
Kuching, Sarawak
I was not sure whether to spend the money restoring my grandmother's pendulum clock or just leave it as a display piece. Bumi's assessment helped me make that decision properly — they told me what it would take, roughly what it would cost, and what the realistic outcome would be. I went ahead. The clock now runs. I am glad I did.
April 2025 · Wall Clock Restoration
Case Studies
Three Commission Accounts in Detail
Longer accounts of specific restoration work — the situation, the approach, and the outcome.
1920s German Regulator — Kuching Family Estate
A large wall-mounted regulator clock, in the family since the 1960s. Had not run since 2003. The movement was seized, the suspension spring broken, and the pendulum rod had a hairline crack. The owner had been told by another workshop that the piece was not worth restoring.
Movement disassembled, cleaned, and inspected. Worn pivot polished on three arbors. Suspension spring replaced. Pendulum rod repaired at the crack using period-appropriate approach. Case given a light clean — no alteration to finish. Reassembled and regulated over two weeks.
Clock returned running at approximately ±30 seconds per week — acceptable for a piece of this type and age. Owner collected it after nine weeks. Now on display in the family home, running as intended.
"I had given up on it. It's been in the hallway for a year now." — client
Vintage Mechanical Watch — Rate Fault After Storage
A 1970s Swiss mechanical watch stored unworn for several years. On winding, it ran but lost eight to ten minutes daily. The owner wanted to wear it regularly but found the rate frustrating. Previous repair had been attempted elsewhere without success.
Movement assessed and three pivots found to be worn beyond what lubrication alone would address. Pivot polishing on all three. Movement reassembled with fresh lubrication. Rate tested over five days before handover. Additional worn jewel noted and discussed with client — jewel replaced with period-appropriate replacement.
Watch returned after three and a half weeks running at ±8 seconds per day — within acceptable tolerance for the calibre. Owner now wears it daily. Total cost was slightly above the starting figure due to the jewel replacement, agreed at the time it was discovered.
"Finally wearable. No surprises on the bill either." — client
Acrylic Crystal — Deep Scratch Across Dial Window
A daily-wear watch with a single deep diagonal scratch running across the centre of the crystal. The owner had assumed replacement was the only option and asked Bumi to source a replacement crystal first. Bumi recommended assessment before ordering.
Crystal assessed — acrylic material, scratch depth moderate but not through-and-through. Graduated polishing undertaken over two sessions. Heat managed throughout. After the first session, significant improvement was visible. Second session completed the process. A faint trace remained at the deepest point — owner was shown this before completion and agreed it was acceptable.
Crystal polished to a standard the client found satisfactory. Replacement was not needed. Polishing cost was lower than replacement would have been, and the original crystal — which had a slight dome profile not easily sourced — was retained. Completed in two working days.
"I'm glad they suggested looking at it before just ordering a part." — client
Find Us
Workshop Contact Details
Phone
+60 82-374 951Address
36 Jalan Padungan93100 Kuching, Sarawak
Hours
Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm
Sat 9am–1pm
Credentials
Professional Standing
Horological Network
Malaysian Horological Practitioners Network member
Trade Certification
Movement servicing and pivot work — certified practice
Sarawak Craft Recognition
Noted for traditional clock restoration, 2023
Referral Rate
96% of new clients referred by past clients
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