Meet the Indian watchmakers turning coins, cities, history, aviation and modern India into something you can wear on your wrist. For decades, luxury watchmaking spoke with a Swiss accent. Today, a new generation of Indian watchmakers is giving the industry a different perspective, drawing inspiration from the country’s history, architecture, aviation, sport and evolving identity.
These brands aren’t simply recreating traditional luxury. They’re building their own stories, often combining international movements and components with Indian design and independent watchmaking.
Bangalore Watch Company was founded in 2018 by Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj with a focus on contemporary India. Its collections explore aviation, cricket and space, with MACH 1 inspired by Indian Air Force aviation and Apogee drawing from the country’s space programme.
Jaipur Watch Company takes a different approach. Founded by Gaurav Mehta in 2013, it transforms historical artefacts into wearable collectibles. From pre-Independence coins embedded in dials to stamps and traditional Indian art, its watches bring heritage into a distinctly modern format.
Delhi Watch Company, established in 2020, brings microbrand energy to Indian watchmaking. Its designs explore everything from Devanagari typography to the bioluminescent waters around Havelock Island. The brand has also ventured into exploration-inspired watches, appealing to enthusiasts looking for distinctive designs at accessible prices.
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Argos Watches focuses on making mechanical watch ownership more approachable. With automatic movements, sapphire crystals and stainless-steel construction, the brand targets a generation interested in the mechanics behind a timepiece as much as its appearance.
Mumbai-based Ajwain Watches brings history into the conversation through limited, story driven collections. Its Kakori Ape Town draws inspiration from the 1925 Kakori train action, translating a significant moment in Indian history into a contemporary watch design.
What connects these watchmakers is their willingness to look inward without being confined by nostalgia. They’re exploring new ways to interpret Indian identity, making watches that feel relevant to the present while carrying stories from the past.
The question is no longer whether India can make a watch. It’s what an Indian watch can say.