Chopard, Bvlgari, Franck Muller, Jacob & Co—this is just the tip of the iceberg. The fact is, luxury brands want an in to India. To be fair, this wave isn’t entirely new. There was a time when India’s elite and royal were among the largest buyers of luxury; think a one-of-a-kind 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom, custom Louis Vuitton trunks, made-to-order jewellery by Van Cleef & Arpels. The difference is that now, this luxury is not on request, it’s made for us.
With its purchasing power parity currently at the third largest in the world (right behind consumer giants like the US and China), India is having a moment and it’s no surprise that the watch world has caught on.
“They always had the money, it’s just that now they aren’t afraid to walk into a store and ask for what they want with confidence and without the fear of being typecast,” a watch and jewellery brand representative, who requested not to be named, shares. Back in the day, Indian shoppers would buy all their luxury goods, including watches, overseas so that they got the best price and selection. Today, domestic product launches are very much in sync with global ones—and are tailored to lure the buyer in.
Let’s take Michael Kors. The label has long been known to create bridge-to-luxury watches. This year, it took its partnership with brand ambassador Anushka Sharma up a notch with a special-edition 500-piece watch. The 32x27mm stainless steel case has a cabochon stone dial drenched in vibrant green, and Anushka’s signature engraved on the back.
Another example is Chopard, which has created a special edition of Happy Sport timepieces with Mumbai-based jewellery house Rose. The green guilloché dial is sprinkled with the brand’s signature dancing diamonds in a limited 20-piece variant.
Interestingly, green seems to be the choice of hue for a lot of India-special editions that have released in the last few years, including Bvlgari x Rose, Franck Muller x Kapoor Watch Company, Panerai x MS Dhoni, and the Carl F Bucherer Mumbai Edition. Maybe it’s an affirmation that they see the Indian market as a green flag? Whatever be the reason, each of these editions has sold out in less than 48 hours.
One of the most recent collaborations that created a buzz was streetwear label Almost Gods with Japanese watch giant Casio, for their classic line of G-Shock watches—a first for them with homegrown label. The collection sold out in the pre-launch sale itself. “The minute I heard about the collaboration, I registered for the pre-sale and honestly, I just got lucky,” smiles artist Gavin Kochar, a long-time customer of both Casio and Almost Gods. “I don’t plan to part with it, but rumour has it that the value has already tripled in the resale market,” he says, noting that this collaboration was “a dream come true” for him.
And it doesn’t stop there, the appetite of the Indian watch consumer is only increasing. One of the largest multi-brand retailers in the country, Ethos, opened 17 more stores in 2024 across tier two and three cities like Pune, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Guwahati among others. Now, no matter where they stay, customers have access to independent brands like Louis Moinet, H Moser & Cie, and Speake-Marin in addition to heavy weights like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, and Panerai. It’s evident that watches and India are no longer in a situationship.
