Jaipur Watch Company: Coining Timeless Timepieces

When 12-year-old Gaurav Mehta’s father gifted him his first watch, an old HMT, little did Gaurav know that one day he would go on to become the Founder and Creative Head of India’s first indigenous luxury watchmaking company, the Jaipur Watch Company. “I have always been an ardent collector of coins and it is this collection combined with my love for horology that gave us the concept of coin watches,” says Gaurav. 
As a child, Gaurav was always fascinated by the stories and history of coins. Along with foreign coins, Gaurav collected different kinds of Indian coins, which eventually became a huge collection. “Under the guidance of Mr Kothari, a renowned numismatist, I started to develop a theme and sorted the coins based on their related history,” he says.  
 

History Hour

The premier watch collection of the Jaipur Watch Company is a result of working with auction houses, numismatic societies across India and the world, to acquire ancient, pre-independence and World War-era coins, to create bespoke watches. Their Imperial Wrist Wear collection includes a dial with a one rupee King George VI half silver coin, which is reminiscent of India’s history and currency revolution. “The King George coin is used as a dial for all the watches in the collection. We use both sides of the coin to create the watches. We have two variations each in gold and silver and a leather strap that embeds each side of the coin,” he shares. Made from stainless steel, scratch-proof sapphire glass and with a sapphire stone winder, these 30-meter water-resistant watches come with an authentication certificate and a two-year warranty.  

2 Pice Coin from World War II

Gaurav's biggest challenge with this homegrown brand was developing the right designs and samples. Besides that, according to him, “India does not provide quality infrastructure, for the ancillary industry to facilitate the growth of domestic watchmakers”.

The Handcraft Business

Having set up shop in 2013, it took about a year to create their first handcrafted watch. “The process was long, as it required us to handpick each and every coin from numismatic societies, auctions etc., select the perfect coins to be embedded in the watch and work with various designs. Each new piece takes about five to six months to create,” he shares.  

Gaurav conceptualizes the watch designs, which then undergo a series of revisions by experts enroute the final design. “For bespoke watches, we work with our customers to understand the concept they have in mind and the significance of the watch to them. We then create sketches that represent their ideas and suggest changes. The components are imported from the most efficient watch-parts manufacturers of the world.” 

In order to ensure authenticity of every watch, the coins are collected from numismatic societies and private collectors. During this process, Gaurav often finds different kinds of antique coins, some in mint condition and some slightly time worn. “To maintain quality, our watchmakers select, repair, clean and polish every coin before assembly. Extreme precision is required in terms of what coins we choose to put into the timepieces. The watches in the Imperial collection start from `23,000 and go up to a few lakh, depending on the bespoke features our clients wish to embed,” he points out. 

Modern vs Mechanical
A native of Jaipur, Gaurav has a personal collection of more than 70 watches. His favourite is the HMT Braille—a watch that enables the blind to read the time on their wrists, using the Braille language.  
Given the brouhaha over the launch of the Apple Watch, does he see it as a threat to traditional mechanical watches? “The smart watch is for those looking for modern technology, but it is definitely not a replacement for a traditional mechanical watch,” he feels.

King George VI one rupee coin

India's growing appetite for fine Swiss watches is a boon for the Swiss watch industry, but the increasing awareness of fine craftsmanship doesn't seem to perturb Gaurav. “The growth is certainly a positive factor. We fit in as India’s only fine watch manufacturer carving a niche for ourselves and creating timepieces that are worthy of being passed down through generations as heirlooms, collectibles or memorabilia,” he says, indicating the growth of watchmakers and the change in consumers’ attitudes towards handcrafted watches.

Time is Luxury

Working in a space where time itself is a luxury, for Gaurav, “Luxury means a sense of personalisation. It is something that represents my individualism and my personality. Ultimate extravagance is something that I can call my own and cherish forever as an heirloom”.
The company is now working on three collections and by the end of 2015, it is expected to create 900 watches. “We do get requests from outside India. Most of the requests are for coin watches, as they are primarily souvenirs of the Indian heritage and the royal history our country. It is a fascinating concept for the lovers of horology, numismatics and history,” he concludes. The company’s timepieces are available at The Big Door, Mumbai.