India’s watchmaking scene is growing rapidly, and homegrown brands are putting the country on the global stage through their design, craftsmanship, and storytelling. From GPHG nominations to appearances at international watch events, Indian watch brands are gaining a sort of visibility not seen before. Giving this momentum a shot in the arm is Bangalore Watch Company, which has raised US $1.4M in seed funding, backed by its own customers, marking a significant step in its journey.
Standing out with its range of mechanical watches that highlight modern Indian stories, Bangalore Watch Company has been focusing on strengthening its product portfolio over the last few years. Its Apogee Karman Line, launched in 2024, became the country’s first watch to be tested for the extreme conditions of outer space. A year earlier, the brand introduced the MACH 1 Admiral, made using metal recovered from INS Vikrant (R11), along with the MACH 1 Silk Scarf, which honoured Indian women in aviation. Its young Peninsula collection, which launched last year, is inspired by the country’s various landscapes. Apart from this, the brand’s current product portfolio includes the aviation-inspired MACH 1 collection, the space-focussed Apogee, the cricket-oriented Cover Drive line.
In its young journey, the brand has also developed proprietary material Cerasteel™, fusion of steel and ceramic, and integrated meteorites and forged carbon in watch dials. With an annual production of around 1,500 watches, Bangalore Watch Company plans to quadruple this figure over the next three to five years. With an average selling price of ₹1.8 lakh, the brand also says that 30 per cent of its customers are repeat buyers.
“The independent watch industry has shown that great watch brands can come from anywhere. Brands like MING and Christopher Ward have built global communities by having a clear point of view. We believe India can be part of that global independent watch story, with a distinctly modern Indian perspective,” says Nirupesh Joshi, Co-Founder of Bangalore Watch Company.
The brand has eschewed raising funds from venture capitalists in a bid to ensure that the essence behind its watchmaking doesn’t get compromised. Raising capital from existing customers means that the brand’s ethos is already understood and appreciated by its investors.
Founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife duo Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj, Bangalore Watch Company was born from their shared interest in fine watchmaking and a desire to build a world-class watch brand from India. The couple, who had previously worked in the technology sector in Hong Kong, returned to India and set out to create watches that tell stories of modern India. The brand is based in Bengaluru and designs, engineers, and assembles its watches in the city, while working with suppliers in India and abroad.
“India is at an exciting point in its journey, with the world paying greater attention to what is being built here. We want to be part of that story, while also taking an Indian brand to a global audience. We have always believed that a world-class watch brand can be built from Bangalore, and the opportunity now is to take that belief, and the watches we have built around modern India, to collectors around the world,” says Mercy Amalraj, Co-founder
Most recently, the brand has also created its first pocket watch, Forty Seven, inspired by the first half of the 20th century, ahead of India’s 80th Independence Day (read all about it here). With the new seed funding, expectations are high as to how the brand will take its independent watchmaking to the next level.
Images: Courtesy brand
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