This workshop was the first of its kind that WatchTime India held; Titan told us it was a first for them as well. Interacting with collectors en masse and talking to them about what they would like to see in watches in the future is not something many brands do in India, so to be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if the format of the workshop would work—participants would have to come in early on a Saturday, and stay for the entire three-hour duration. But Team WatchTime India is always up for a challenge. We reached out to watch enthusiasts via our Instagram and got responses in droves that we spent days sifting through! Each and every one of the attendees of our Bengaluru event told us how refreshing it was to attend an immersive workshop such as this one.

Inspite of having a ringside seat to seeing watch culture develop in the country, the responses, and eventually the workshop, proved that I have, to an extent, underestimated how pervasive the love for watches is. Especially the energy and enthusiasm that younger enthusiasts approach watches with. They came to the interaction armed with knowledge, their own watches, and quite clearly explained what they thought an ideal dress watch should be, and the features that a sports watch should have. 

It’s that energy that WatchTime India is going into 2025 with. We are dedicating this year to building watch culture in a big way in the country, so you will see a lot more events, meet-ups, and workshops from us. Every big brand I met in the past year is looking at India, and we want to ensure that enthusiasts have access to experiencing everything that is world of watches is about. 

In keeping with that, this issue also showcases stories and people who are constantly approaching watchmaking with zeal. Somya Rauthan has interviewed Vianney Halter, watchmaker extraordinaire, in ‘Running His Own Race’ (P. 68), while I spoke with Praneeth Rajsingh, CEO, Horologer Ming, on what it takes to build an independent brand that is trying to bring high quality watchmaking at accessible price points to customers (‘For the Love of the Game, P. 92). Chitra Lohani Saharan sheds a spotlight on Nordic watch design, in ‘Watches from the Norden’, P. 48, while another story explores the extent of watch customisation being done by independent workshops and people (It’s Personal, P. 36). And with Universal Genève set for a revival in 2026, we’ve also done a feature on its iconic Polerouters, and what one can expect from the brand in the lead-up to the grand resuscitation. 

I hope you enjoy the stories. And may your watch box stay full this new year.