Bhatt is deeply interested in luxury, from expensive sports cars to travel to fine dining, and watches round off the gamut of experiences he enjoys. “My collection represents my lifestyle and interests today,” says Bhatt. “I’ve always been drawn to the aesthetics of a watch as well as the utility behind it. As I’m a frequent flyer, I love to wear robust steel watches that can withstand dings and scratches during my travels. I love a more elegant watch for when I’m attending meetings or events. I also have the nerdy watches for when I’m with my fellow watch enthusiasts, so we can all geek out together. Overall, I’m a firm believer of ‘collect what you love and love what you collect’,” says Bhatt, who is currently working on setting up Millwood Kane’s India arm.

Bhatt typically gets drawn to watches that have interesting aesthetics first, but equally important is the fit and feel on the wrist—he likes watches in the range of 36mm to 42mm, 39mm being ideal. “I think my taste from the outset has always been mature. I never really liked loud or overly big watches. If a watch has an enhanced movement, I would love to see it, so I prefer open casebacks or some kind of open movement, as seen on the DB28.”

He has always been drawn to chronographs, but is beginning to realise that a perpetual calendar may be his favourite complication. So, naturally, a perpetual calendar chronograph is his holy grail.

Bhatt started his journey of collecting watches loving G-Shocks. One of his earliest memories is around age 10, when he wanted a specific reference. “I was then on a holiday in Bangkok with my family and walking through the markets I found the exact replica of the watch I was after, and I purchased it with my own money. Later that evening, I went swimming only to find out the watch wasn’t waterproof. I was devastated. When departing, at the airport, my parents decided to buy me the real version of the watch. I still have that timepiece.”

This was an important life lesson in dealing with fakes, taught early. Since then, Bhatt’s tastes have evolved drastically, his journey being informed by his passions. He recalls seeing an Instagram post on WatchAnish’s feed early on in his collecting journey. “He had posted a Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed in Rose Gold—it was similar to typical designs of Audemars Piguet and Hublot at the time, but had an incredibly different look and feel. That got me thinking about what can be pushed in terms of watchmaking.”

The young collector has a penchant for Tudors and Rolexes, a result of his love for steel sports watches, which allow him “to go from the beach to the boardroom while wearing the same watch”. However, Tudor in specific has his heart; he owns seven. “Tudor is Rolex’s sister company, and they share a lot of the same DNA, especially seen in some of my vintage pieces; in some cases, they even share the same parts, cases, and hands. Such brands can provide exceptional value and are indeed getting recognition as they have started to make their own movements.”

Bhatt’s love for Tudor also developed through his affection for vintage watches. He is a fan of early Daytonas, specifically the 6263 and the Zenith Patrizzi 16520 movement, but could not afford these watches. “So, I fell into the world of vintage Tudor. They have so many similarities, and I love the vintage wrist feel. My 
Ref. 94210 has a faded patinated bezel, something I’m still in awe of.”

Of late, he has been drawn to independent watchmakers, explained by the Furlan Marri Havana, the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter, and De Bethune (DB27 Blue, DB28 Digitale, DB25 Starry Varius) watches in his collection. “People buy people, and that has definitely been the case when entering the world of independents,” he says. “It’s a different feeling when you get to meet the watchmaker and the team behind the brand. You build a personal connection.” Bhatt has visited the De Bethune Manufacture in the Swiss Jura mountains, and had a chance to experience the effort that went into producing each watch. “I was instantly sold. It was an eye-opening experience to see the level of detail that goes into producing these masterpieces.”

He is, similarly, proud of his Vianney Halter, being a fan of the watchmaker’s classic range; he also loves space exploration, represented for him in the Deep Space Tourbillon. “It had never been the right time to pull the trigger on one of those pieces. So, when I heard about his collaboration with Louis Erard, I had to get my hands on one. He brings a lot of inspiration from his personal collection and combines it elegantly into an accessible package.”

Instead of sticking to a particular category or genre or time period, Bhatt has put together a collection that focuses on variety, and where each watch has a story to tell. His all-time favourite is the Rolex Milgauss, which earlier belonged to his father (Millwood Kane founder and CEO Nish Bhatt), who wore it practically every day for about 15 years. “It has seen so much of his life. The watch is completely unpolished so it has all of his scratches and dings, and recently he started letting me share it.”

Bhatt adds that he only buys what he loves, not necessarily going ‘watch-shopping’, and instead looking at acquiring a new watch if it speaks to him. To that effect, he tries to build relationships with authorised retailers and with brands directly, a tough task in today’s market. This is another reason he is drawn towards independent watchmakers, with whom a direct connection is more plausible. He bids in auctions, too, and finds it to be an exhilarating experience. His favourite hunt story is when he tried to acquire a black dial with white subdial (reverse Panda) Tudor Big Block Chronograph Ref. 94210 from a collector in Australia. “He had the watch listed for sale on a forum. Once we agreed on a price, he informed me that he had misplaced his box and papers. At this point I was heartbroken, so he offered to sell me his white dial with black subdials Tudor Prince Big Block Vertical Panda 
Ref. 78190 as a complete set at a favourable price for the inconvenience. Two weeks later, I had that watch in my hands. Another week later, he found the box and papers for his Ref. 94210. I told him that I absolutely needed that instead! He said that he would sell me the second watch also at a price I couldn’t turn down. I still have both the panda and reverse panda Tudors.”

Today, Bhatt is in awe of Patek Philippe 5961p with rubies, the F.P. Journe LineSport Chronographe Rattrapante in rose gold (“I love the contrast of the gold and black”), and the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Honeygold ‘Lumen’. “Over a period of time, I have understood that quality is far more important than quantity, and thus I have started to offload pieces that I may have fallen out of love with or don’t get as much wrist time with as I’d hoped. I would love to have an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked in Ceramic, and the ultimate Rolex Daytona Rainbow. And a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph,” says Bhatt.