arishma Karer was born in 1981 to a family of watch lovers. More than 70 years ago, her grandfather founded Watch Market Review, India’s oldest trade journal for the watch business. Her time at Le Rosey in Switzerland confirmed her love of Swiss watchmaking and she spent a month and a half touring the major watch cities, including Le Locle, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Bienne and Geneva, meeting numerous independents. “I was brought up with watchmaking but this trip revealed how much this independent craftsmanship really meant to me,” she recalls.

When in 2004 her father invited her to help organise an Indian watch fair, she jumped at the chance. Asked whether she has a recollection of her first watch, she remembers it was a Swatch, before quickly adding “My first real memory is the Baume & Mercier Classima I gifted my mother.”

Her role as a watch advocate has evolved and expanded greatly since then. Today, she runs three different print magazines: Hours and Minutes, Hands on Time and Watch Market Review. And that’s not all: she is the co-founder, with Punit Mehta, of The Hour Markers, India’s premier digital watch platform. “We provide extensive YouTube watch reviews of big brands and independents, CEO interviews and all relevant news to our large community of watch lovers and collectors. We have been reaching out to a much larger audience.” First India Watch Weekend

In all her years in the watch world, Karishma Karer has seen the Indian market evolve immensely, although ultimately she feels “the trends in India are closely following global trends: cases are getting smaller — 36-40mm is the sweet spot here as well — the pre-owned market is growing substantially as it offers immediate availability of vintage designs, and we’re seeing the auction market thriving as well.” Since starting out, she has observed a change in consumers’ mindset, too: “Whereas before it was all about big names and brands, we’re starting to see a shift towards micro brands and independents, as people are looking for passion and authenticity. At the same time, we’re seeing big names, the likes of Breguet, Bvlgari, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai and Blancpain, develop limited editions for India to address growing demand. The market is really thriving”.

Her latest achievement is to have launched the very first India Watch Weekend with The Hour Markers this year. “We had a fabulous response. More than 450 collectors showed up. Everyone was very excited and it showed the enthusiasm the watch industry generates. We have decided to create a full-fledged event next year and big brands are joining in.”

The Hour Markers is the exclusive partner of the FHH in India, so visitors can look forward to a full programme of hands-on workshops. Mark your calendar for 17-18 January, 2026 in Mumbai, when Karishma Karer will join watch enthusiasts at India’s biggest and newest horology event.

About the GPHG Academy

Created in 2020, the Academy of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) now has more than 1,000 members, accomplished men and women who believe in the shared destiny of the watchmaking community. As experienced and significant players in the main sectors linked to the watch industry, Academy members take part in the various stages of the GPHG by nominating candidates and then selecting the winners alongside the Jury.