ince 2018, Bangalore Watch Company has established itself as one of the most promising faces of Indian watchmaking. While displaying a very contemporary aesthetic, its collections are inspired by major themes of national culture: cricket, military aviation, the national space programme and the landscapes of the subcontinent. Each watch is designed as a miniature narrative, an object of conversation as much as an instrument for measuring time. In the words of founders Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj, “our watches are a reflection of a modern and confident India”.

Their approach has transformed the image of Indian watches, long confined to mass production, and demonstrated that a brand from the subcontinent has the ability to appeal to collectors around the world, paving the way for a whole new ecosystem. “We always wanted to prove that a watch designed and manufactured in India could rise to the level of the world’s leading brands,” says Nirupesh Joshi.

Peninsula

Certified for space

Or even higher! In 2024, the brand made headlines when one of its watches from the Apogee collection, inspired by the Indian space programme, was sent 114,000 feet above the Earth, to the edge of space. Exposed to vacuum, extreme temperatures and atmospheric re-entry, the watch continued to function and became the first Indian watch tested and certified for space – a technical and symbolic achievement for a young brand, which is now part of the select circle of those watchmakers that have truly surpassed Earth’s limits.

Like any self-respecting new player in the watchmaking industry, since 2022 the brand has been welcoming visitors to its own experiential “lounge” in Bangalore, which is at once a studio and salon, workshop, exhibition space and café for collectors, equipped with an ultra-modern clean room for testing water-resistance and precision.

Back to nature

This year, Bangalore Watch Company unveiled the Peninsula Professional collection, celebrating India’s geographical diversity. “India’s history goes back not just centuries, but hundreds of millions of years. The Indian peninsula was formed from the Gondwana supercontinent about 180 million years ago,” says Nirupesh Joshi.

This collection pays tribute to India’s diverse natural landscape, from the Himalayan mountains to tropical forests, vast coastlines and coral islands. The Peninsula Professional is water-resistant to 200 metres, powered by a Swiss Sellita SW200 automatic movement and crafted from robust steel, with particular attention paid to the finishes. Its design is inspired by a polished pebble, a symbol of balance and continuity. The absence of a rotating bezel frees up the dial and enhances readability, making this a versatile instrument. The collection consists of four watches – Agumbe, Laccadive, Zanskar and Mannar. The latter, a limited edition, features a black mother-of-pearl dial in tribute to the divers of the Gulf of Mannar. Each Peninsula Professional watch is priced at $1,400.

Bangalore Watch Company illustrates a possible, modern and demanding path for Indian watchmaking. It represents the tip of the iceberg of a new Indian watch ecosystem. No doubt many will follow suit.