Earlier this year, international pop icon Ed Sheeran made local news following his appearance on Netflix’s The Great Indian Kapil Show. Sheeran, who was touring the country, appeared as his usual dressed-down self, sporting a black t-shirt and black trousers not drawing any attention. What did draw attention was what occupied his wrist – an Devanagari Baagh watch made by the Jaipur Watch Company.
Sheeran had opted to wear the watch, which featured a Japanese Miyota movement retrofitted into a 1947-issue one rupee coin, instead of the Audemars Piguet he wore onto the show’s set. It was a moment of reckoning for India’s independent watchmakers. Meet the Independent Watchmakers of India Founded eleven years ago, the Jaipur Watch Company is at the vanguard of niche Indian watchmakers tapping into the Indian aesthetic while also offering bespoke craftsmanship at a far more affordable price point.
Jaipur Watch Company made a name by offering a series of coin-based watches making it its aesthetic mainstay while also tapping into the works of Indian artists like Raja Ravi Verma and displaying them on a horological canvas. Its founder Gaurav Mehta categorises the brand as a “bridge-to-luxury”. Something that is unique and mechanically complex enough to fall out of the confines of affordable FMCG brands and yet, be more affordable than high-end Swiss watchmakers who charge a premium for brand equity.
The Jaipur Watch Company is far from the only upstart. Based out of Bengal.