In an increasingly crowded watch landscape, Rotoris, a brand born in India in 2026, has set a focused approach for itself—five distinct collections, each rooted in individual ideas and design languages. The brand is assembled in India, with parts sourced from specialised manufacturing hubs across Italy, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Switzerland and more, depending on the component and the expertise required.

Drawing inspiration from the design of superyachts, the Auriqua line features a partially skeletonised dial offering a glimpse into its automatic movement (ST2502K). With a 42 mm stainless case finished with rose gold PVD, there are three iterations available: Noir Rose, Racing Green, and Ocean Blue. The Monarch collection leans into classical watchmaking, guided by themes of celestial and poetic complications. Its defining feature is a moonphase display, accompanied by a multi-layered dial that includes a power reserve indicator. Available in a 40 mm case size, Monarch watches are powered by the RSGB02(ST2153) automatic calibre, developed in collaboration with Sea-Gull. Paired with ostrich leather straps, this collection features two models in Silver Black and Rose Gold. 

Inspired by motorbike racing, the Astonia lines chronograph models have bold pushers and tachymeter scales. Housed in 42 mm cases, they are powered by Q-matic Calibre TMI VK63 movement. Designed for everyday wear, Astonia watches are available with a steel bracelet and a FKM rubber strap, across four models: Stealth Silver, Dusk Gold, Dusk Rose, and Trophy Gold. Arvion takes a different path, embracing minimalism through a single-hand display that measures time in ten-minute intervals. Inspired by vintage sports car dashboards, it reimagines timekeeping as a slower, more deliberate experience. With a compact 39.5 mm case—the smallest in the Rotoris lineup—the collection is powered by a Seiko TMI VJ34 quartz movement. It is paired with suede leather straps, and comes in three models: Navy Silver, Espresso Silver, and Burgundy Gold. Lastly, the Manifesta collection explores materiality as a form of luxury. Featuring dials crafted from Blue Aventurine, Mother-of-Pearl, and Black Onyx, these watches focus on visual richness and tactile appeal. Encased in 40 mm cases and powered by the automatic movement, it comes dressed in a Teju lizard leather strap. 

Named after the ‘rotor’ or oscillating weight, Rotoris watches are produced in controlled amounts and allocated gradually rather than flooding the market. And so in keeping with this, the brand will do limited drops a few times a year, typically four to five collections or iterations annually. Currently, there are only watches for men, but plans to expand into women’s watches are on the anvil.

We spoke to co-founders Aakash Anand and Harman Wadhwa to get more insights of the brand. Here are edited excerpts. 

WatchTime India: How did the idea of Rotoris come about?

Aakash Anand: Rotoris was built for the man still in motion. The one who knows where he is going, who carries ambition quietly, and who measures himself by growth rather than arrival. I spent years watching the watch industry speak to two kinds of people. Those who had already made it, and those who led with the label. There was almost nothing for the man in between. 

That gap felt personal to me. I wanted a watch that matched the energy of building, of striving, of choosing character over status. Something worthy of that chapter, not a reward waiting at the end of it. Rotoris is the answer to that gap. It is built for those who become more. 

WTI: Watches is a crowded market, both in India and abroad. What drew you to it?

AA: It’s true that watches are a crowded market, but the interesting thing about crowded markets is that they exist because the category is culturally important. Watches are one of the few objects people wear every single day for years. They carry memory, identity, and aspiration. However, very few speak to the phase of becoming—the period where someone is building their life, career, and identity. Luxury watches often celebrate arrival, while entry-level watches are largely transactional. Rotoris was created to live in that space in between.

WTI: What is your vision for the Indian market?

AA: India is entering a very interesting phase where aspiration is rising rapidly, but consumers are also becoming far more discerning. People today don’t just want a product—they want a story, a philosophy, and a brand that reflects who they are becoming. Our vision for the Indian market is to build Rotoris into a brand that represents this new generation of ambition.

WTI: Where are the watches designed, and where are they manufactured/assembled?

Harman Wadhwa: Rotoris watches are designed in India, with our design and product development work led from here. India today has a growing ecosystem of designers and engineers, and we wanted Rotoris to reflect that creative confidence. When it comes to manufacturing, watchmaking today is inherently global. The components that make up a Rotoris watch are sourced from specialised manufacturing hubs across several countries, including Malaysia, China, Vietnam, India, and Switzerland, depending on the component and the expertise required.

All of these components are then brought together at our assembly unit in New Delhi, where the watches are assembled, inspected, and quality-checked before being delivered to customers. This model allows us to combine global manufacturing expertise with Indian design leadership and final assembly control, which we believe is the most practical way to build a modern watch brand at scale. Each movement is checked, regulated, and tested to ensure it meets our performance standards before the watch is approved for delivery.

Even when movements are sourced from respected manufacturers, this final stage of in-house regulation allows us to maintain greater control over accuracy and quality, ensuring that every Rotoris watch leaving our facility meets the standards we set for the brand.

WTI: The automatic movement is Chinese, and the quartz movement is sourced from Seiko. Is the brand aiming for in-house manufacturing in the future?

HW: For our automatic pieces in the first drop, we work with Sea-Gull, which is one of the world’s largest movement manufacturers and a publicly listed company. The movements we use are produced to our specifications and then inspected and regulated in-house before final assembly. For quartz models, we source movements from Japanese manufacturers such as Seiko, which are widely respected for their precision and reliability.

Over time, our ambition is to deepen our watchmaking capabilities. One of the long-term goals for Rotoris is to acquire or partner with a Swiss watchmaking workshop, creating what we believe could become one of the first meaningful Indo-Swiss watchmaking collaborations, combining Swiss horological expertise with Indian brand building and design leadership.

WTI: Your marketing strategy is different from most brand launches. Could you provide some insight into how and why it was developed that way?

AA: Our initial focus was on building a waitlist of people who were genuinely interested in the philosophy of the brand. Access to purchase was then released in controlled waves on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring that the earliest pieces went to individuals who truly resonated with the idea of Rotoris.

Another deliberate choice was not displaying prices publicly at first. We wanted people to engage with the design, the story, and the watch they felt connected to before thinking about cost. Only once a customer chooses the watch they resonate with does the price appear. In many cases, that moment becomes a pleasant surprise. In essence, the strategy was built to protect the emotional discovery process and to ensure that the first Rotoris owners are people who genuinely connect with the brand’s philosophy.

WTI: All your watches are limited editions across all five collections. How are you positioning the brand in the market?

AA: Each drop introduces either a fresh design or an evolution of pieces that customers have particularly loved. Because every watch is individually numbered and produced in limited quantities, it creates a sense of ownership and narrative around each piece.

This approach allows us to maintain strong design experimentation while keeping production disciplined. It also ensures that Rotoris remains a brand people actively anticipate rather than one that is constantly available on shelves.