Dillon Bhatt’s journey from G-shock to Cartier

“With watches, it’s all about the emotion,” says Dillon Bhatt, the London-based watch collector and entrepreneur. “After all, watches are not needed. [Watch collecting] is all about the people you meet along the way. I have met some of my best friends this way,” says the 30-year-old who, in 2021, was called a bright young thing in the watch world by Vanity Fair.

As the CEO and founder of LuxForte, a luxury brand consultancy, Bhatt has a ear to the ground when it comes to covet-worthy pieces. Like every collector, he has acquired pieces from enviable brands, and like every collector, he has a story to tell about each piece he has bought.

He started young. At 13.

“My dad wasn’t into watches. But he had a subscription to [British luxury magazine] Salon QP, which was published 15 or 17 years ago. I began looking at them and noting these really interesting objects,” says Bhatt.

Back then, he really wanted a G-Shock watch, the Casio-produced lineup of rough-and-tough watches that became collectibles. “My parents told me I would have to buy the watch myself,” he says with a sheepish smile over our Zoom call. Instead of waiting, Bhatt bought a fake version on a holiday in Thailand that quickly got ruined. “That’s when I learnt that if you want something, you have to work for it,” he says. Bhatt, who was born in London but spent his childhood in Cyprus, still shuttles between the countries—besides many more.

Fast-forward to years later, and at a different airport. He picked up another timepiece he had wanted for some time. “This OP,” says Bhatt, flashing the green-dial Oyster Perpetual from Rolex on his wrist, “was acquired at Heathrow airport. There is a long waitlist, and it’s difficult to get your hands on it. But I travel through Heathrow several times a month, and I developed a relationship with the team at the store. About six months after I expressed interest in the watch, I got a call from the store. The executive told me he followed me on Instagram and liked my content…and offered me the watch. Funnily enough, that was the one time I had no travel plans. So, I booked a ticket to be able to enter the airport and bought the watch,” he says.

The episode reinforced a long-held belief. “That’s what I mean—it’s all about the relationship. I always advise friends and clients to be persistent, enthusiastic, and most of all, kind,” he says.

Making connections

The first grail watch Bhatt ever bought was the DB27 from independent watchmaker De Bethune in 2023. Known for its high-quality craftsmanship and cutting-edge design, the brand has a huge fan base that extends to Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr, with base-model watches selling for upwards of $55,000 (approx ₹47 lakh).

“The DB27 is a true masterpiece—an avant-garde interpretation of time, elegantly housed within a classically inspired design. It holds a special place in my collection because it seamlessly blends sporty and refined elements, making it incredibly versatile,” Bhatt says of his watch.

Bhatt first encountered the brand at Baselworld (the precursor to today’s biggest watch fair, Watches & Wonders) in 2013. “At 18, I had a deep desire to go to Baselworld. I didn’t know anyone or anything. I couldn't even meet anyone, because you need to be invited. I couldn't even get in,” he says.

Instead, Bhatt ended up spending time in a huge hall at the back of the pavilion, where the independent brands had set up stalls. “I ended up meeting people there. I saw what brands like De Bethune, Hautlence, Romain Jerome and MCT (Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps) were doing. Some of these brands have disappeared now. But that’s where my passion grew. What could have been a very negative experience turned into something positive. I made so many personal connections,” he says.

That’s how he got access to De Bethune’s limited supply of timepieces. That’s also how he built LuxForte, launched in 2020, to connect luxury consumers with brands. “De Bethune was one of the first brands to put their faith in me. Now we host events in London, Dubai, Geneva, Monaco…,” he says.

His experience at Baselworld all those years ago is probably why Bhatt is a fan of indie watch brands. “They are all doing incredible stuff. The biggest of them is FP Journe. They produce about 1,000 watches a year. And can I tell you they have the most incredible production space—almost everything is by hand and made in a space that is a thousand metres square. François-Paul’s vision for the brand is incredible,” he says.

Then there’s cult brand Akrivia. They make 50 watches a year, but they sell for over $1 million in auction. “Founder Rexhep Rexhepi is younger than 40 and he is doing something that’s so young and fresh,” says Bhatt.

Another watchmaker Bhatt can’t get enough of is 26-year-old Remy Cools. “He’s come up in the last four years. We met through the network, at a collector’s trip in Bali. He makes just 36 pieces in a year, which are all sold out,” explains Bhatt. He doesn’t have his own watch from the brand yet. “Hopefully, I’ll get one from the next batch,” he says shyly.