Indian watchmaker Delhi Watch Company is inviting watch enthusiasts to participate in the design of a timepiece through a community-led voting process. The initiative, which will result in a watch called Villianur, will see participants vote on different design elements and specifications across four rounds, with the results determining three final watch designs.
The initiative’s voting process is structured to give participants a say in how the watches take shape. Each of the four rounds focuses on a different element of the watch, with some rounds including multiple components or features. Unless a round specifies otherwise, the option receiving the highest number of votes will be selected. Where multiple choices are permitted, participants will be able to vote for more than one option.
The brand has maintained transparency in the costing process as well: The base price is set at Rs. 2,399, with every feature and specification listed alongside its corresponding price. Certain choices may increase the overall cost, while others will not add anything to the base price. For instance, a watch with an enamel dial, priced at an additional Rs. 500, would cost Rs. 2,899. Options that do not attract an additional charge will also be included in the voting process, giving participants the opportunity to influence the design without necessarily increasing the final price. Each voting round will remain open for 36 hours.
“We are establishing base design specs and letting the community vote on options: nine dial designs, nine hand options, crystal selections, and straps,” says Dandwani. “The final piece is designed transparently with the community, and pricing scales based on the features selected. We’re also filming the production process to show how cases are CNC-machined, dials are printed, and assembly is completed.”
Founder Anish Dandwani tells us that the project is inspired by Furlan Marri’s community project, officially known as the Community Design Lab. The interactive co-creation initiative launched in March 2025 allowed watch enthusiasts and the public to vote on and design a brand-new watch. Moving away from traditional, closed-door design processes, the independent Swiss microbrand invited its community to actively dictate every major element of the watch. The delivery of the final watch is scheduled for 2027.
At the time of writing, the first and second round has already taken place for voting on the design of the dial and hands with nine choices under three categories. The third round opens on Sunday. You can vote on vote.delhiwatchcompany.com.
By putting key design decisions to a vote, Delhi Watch Company is offering enthusiasts a more direct role in shaping the watches they may eventually own. Beyond this, the pricing structure makes the initiative more than a design exercise, allowing the community to help determine the specifications and cost of the resulting timepieces. “This approach also assists our production planning because we know the exact demand for each SKU, eliminating the risk of unsold inventory,” adds Dandwani.
The Indian watch microbrand scene is experiencing a boom that is characterised by local storytelling and daring designs. No watch encapsulates this current frenzy better than the Terra by the Delhi Watch Company, which recently became a viral phenomenon in the global horological community.
