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A look at the Titan Edge Mechanical, the brand's most expensive watch to date

Homegrown watchmaker Titan presented its slimmest mechanical watch, the Titan Edge Mechanical, boasting a thickness of 5.85mm, in 2021, and this past September, updated that with new variants, priced at over Rs 2 lakhs. So, what does it take to create the most expensive Titan watch to date? Sirish Chandrashekar, Marketing Head, Titan Watches, Titan Company Limited, told us what went behind the creation of these timepieces.
The Edge line by Titan has been synonymous with slim watches since 2002, but in 2021, the brand took that idea several notches higher. Launching the Titan Edge Mechanical Ref. 1810 and Ref. 1811, of 100 pieces each, the brand had created its thinnest mechanical watch yet, also the slimmest by an Indian watchmaker. It was priced at Rs 1,95,000, higher than many premium Swiss watches.

Here were 41mm manual-winding watches that were 5.85mm thick in the steel and rose-gold case, and 6mm in the surgical grade stainless-steel version. The watches had a window giving a peek into the movement towards the middle of the dial, and featured a combination of blue bar and Arabic hour markers with blue hour and minute hand in the steel iteration, and rose gold bar hour markers in the second version. The dial featured a valley construction at the rim, along with sculpted lugs for the straps. Both watches had a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The stainless-steel variant came with integrated lugs in stainless steel with linings similar to the strap. Turning the watch revealed the transparent caseback with engravings of ‘Limited Edition’ and the individual watch number out of 100. The steel watch came with a rubber strap, while the rose gold, a brown leather strap. The watches were water resistant to 30 metres. 

 

The movement was the highlight of the watch. Powering the watches was the iconic Edge 903 movement, which sits at just 2.2mm thickness, and has a power reserve of 42 hours. Under development for a decade, almost the entire movement of 106 parts is made In India, with nearly every component used also manufactured here—only those that could not be manufactured here were sourced from Switzerland.

In September 2022, the watchmaker introduced the second generation of the Edge Mechanical with two new models spanning three references. Ref. 1810NP01 is a black-on-black stainless-steel model with a high-grade FMK rubber strap, while Ref. 1811WL01 is cased in rose gold with a black dial and brown straps, and Ref. 1811SL01 is in steel with a silver dial and black leather straps. The all-black watch is set at 42mm, while the rose-gold and stainless-steel models are at 42.7mm. The watches are powered by the Edge 903. Ref. 1810NP01 is priced at Rs 2,19,500, Ref. 1811WL01 at Rs 2,12,500, and Ref. 1811SL01 at Rs 2,08,500. All models come with a five-year warranty on the movement and a two-year warranty on the watch from the date of purchase.

WatchTime India spoke to Sirish Chandrashekar, Marketing Head, Titan Watches, Titan Company Limited, to understand what went behind the creation of these timepieces.

Titan Egde Mechanical Ref. 1810NP01

WatchTime India: Could you shed some light on the creation of these watches? What was the inspiration behind them?
Sirish Chandrashekar: The fundamental building block was premiumisation and that can only be done by having a premium product. The most important question was. ‘Why can’t a Titan watch command a higher price point in the six-figure range?’ That pushed our teams to think hard and that was the starting point. We took inspiration from different lines and circles, and it was all brought together in the series to take the journey ahead. Everything was made in our plant in Coimbatore and there the genesis of the case came up. Here we have used 316L stainless steel instead of the common 304 stainless steel. Our strap is made from FKM rubber, which has very high heat resistance and gives a very premium look and feel to the watch. It is also very comfortable on the wrist. The inspiration behind this collection has come from architecture. Our key designer, Michael Foley was the man behind these creations.


WTI: What has been the key difference in the design and innovation between the first and second-generation Titan Mechanical Edge collection?
SC: The second-generation watches use more colour base, but the core remains the same. We understood the colour palettes that people love, and the most important question that we were asked is why we don’t have rose-gold watches; the next question was why we don’t have fully black-plated watches. Plating colours was something we came up with. Secondly, these are not limited-edition watches. They will continue to be known as ‘Special Edition’. The constraint with limited edition is that if one doesn’t get a particular number like No. 5, then that watch is not purchased. Also, we are looking at other colours on the dial, like green, and many people also wanted to know about the introduction of metal bracelets.

Titan Edge Mechanical Ref. 1811SL01

WTI: What was the idea behind introducing the line?
SC: Let me put a few points in place. First, this is the most expensive Titan ever. It is a mega shift from other watches we have that bear the Titan branding. Next, in Edge, this is the next step in innovation and it (the line) has always been known for this. Another thing we take pride in is that we make our own calibres. The Edge Calibre 903 is not used in any of the portfolios except the Edge series, and that is one of the reasons it (the movement) has taken us 10 years, as it is a complex procedure.

WTI: How long did it take to complete the 1st generation Titan Mechanical Edge, and why was it a limited-edition version?
SC: It took us close to 1.5 years just for the watch and not the movement. From the design to the prototype. It would have been much faster if it was our standard product, but this took a lot of testing to ensure everything was perfect. The whole motivation was to serve as many consumers as we could. We are also trying make our watches slimmer using different materials.


Titan Edge Mechanical Ref. 1811WL01

WTI: What was the biggest challenge in bringing out the collection?
SC: To break the preconceived notion that Titan does not make premium watches, and to explain to the consumers why these watches are worth the price tag. Hence, we invested a lot in explaining about the calibre.

WTI: What has the response been like?
SC: The first generation was launched in February 2021, and by mid-August we had sold all 200 pieces. The pandemic did affect us, but it (Edge Mechanical) was never about selling watches—it’s about the fact that are you able to command the price point from a consumer, and whether a consumer willing to pay Rs 2 lakh for a Titan watch. Our horology had to be strong enough on the design and movement. What was the proposition for people to buy it? We have indeed made a dent in the minds of the consumer that Titan can also make watches worth Rs 2 lakh.

Images: Courtesy Titan

This story first appeared in the Oct-Dec 2022 issue of WatchTime India. To subscribe to the magazine, click here
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Launched in 2012, WatchTime India is the result of a collaboration between America's most-read watch magazine, WatchTime and, India's leading media house, Malayala Manorama. With an aim to popularise and celebrate the evolving watch culture of the country, the publication is your one-stop destination for everything related to fine luxury watches. From the latest tests to reviews, to exclusive features on the history and horological heritage of some of the most spectacular watch brands of the world, the WatchTime India portal has a lot to offer. Stay tuned for an exciting journey, through the fascinating world of watches!

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