A handmade watch with an image of Hanuman on the dial took the artisans engaged by the Jaipur Watch Company eight months to make. The Jaipur-based artisans are not traditional watchmakers; their forte is to engrave on swords and weapons. Another custom-made watch with a dial of mother of pearl used a 200-year-old coin and an image of Shiva, with the hands of the dial designed like a trishul. Divinity-themed watches are one of the highlights of the Jaipur Watch Company’s bespoke timepieces. Rare coins, postage stamps, motifs, insignia and images that range from personal photographs to architecture are incorporated in the bespoke watches made with precious and semi-precious metals.
“When we rolled out our first collection in 2013, I learnt that there was no other Indian watchmaker specialising in the luxury bespoke segment. Watch retailers would hesitate to display Indian-made watches alongside a Swiss collection, since they felt the quality and aesthetics would not match up. To an extent, we have managed to break that barrier,” says Gaurav Mehta, founder-designer, Jaipur Watch Company.
