Timeless time machines: A connoisseur’s selection of top four watch microbrands

My favourite watch is the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony self-winding (in white gold, Caliber 2450 Q6). In a way that is unfortunate because I’m certain that by the time I manage to save up the hefty sum the timepiece commands, I’ll be too old to care about the time of day or even be able to tell it. So, I look for echoes of its elegance, if not its horological excellence, in brands that cost much, much less. I like Junkers, Longines, Nomos, and microbrands such as Weiss and Martenero. The last couple of years have seen a boom in watch microbrands across the world. Most of them sell their wares exclusively via the internet, have small production runs, and use off-the-shelf movements. In many cases, the watches are designed by the owners themselves.

In 2018, an Indian microbrand — the first ever — sparked my curiosity. Bangalore Watch Company (BWC) was started by Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj. The husband-wife duo — the former was into content services, the latter a software professional — spent most of their careers abroad, mostly in Hong Kong, before returning to Bangalore to take a break from their rewarding but hectic careers. Joshi says he always had an eye for good watches and his interest blossomed in Hong Kong, leading eventually to BWC. “In India you either have expensive watches or mass-market ones. Our idea was to tap the bridge-to-luxury segment,” says Joshi.

BWC’s first offering, the Renaissance Automatic collection, was designed by Joshi, and is powered by Citizen’s Miyota 9015 movement. The Renaissance is a good-looking watch: simple, subtle but extremely well-made. Think 40mm, sapphire crystal, stainless steel case. It recalls watches from the mid-20th century, says Joshi, and is also a tribute to watches made by the now defunct HMT, in particular the Janata. “Every collection of ours is/will be inspired by Bangalore. We have spent several years of our life here,” says Joshi.