Inside Patek Philippe's Singapore Service Centre

With the upgrade to its workshop here, the luxury watchmaker is doubling down on after-sales care

- Wong Kim Hoh Features Editor

Singapore's latest horological hot spot is not a boutique or a popup, but a quietly humming workshop above Orchard Road.

At Wheelock Place, the newly renovated Patek Philippe Singapore Service Centre has swung open its doors.

A key figure at the Jan 22 reopening ceremony was Mr Francois Bauder, Patek Philippe's international service centre director. Trained in the tiniest of details - he holds a master's in microengineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne - he now operates at a far larger scale, running the luxury Swiss watchmaker's global service network.

His role goes well beyond talking about gears and springs. At its core, it is about looking after watches for generations to come - making sure the craft, care and know-how behind each piece are preserved long after the timepieces leave the workshop.

One of 13 authorised Patek Philippe service centres in the world, the expanded facility now spans more than 8,000 sq ft, cementing its role as a key service hub for increasingly discerning collectors in Singapore and the region.

Up front, there are comfortable consultation lounges where clients can speak directly with certified watchmakers. Behind the scenes is where the real work happens.

Mr Bauder is especially pleased with the technical upgrades.