India’s Swiss Watch Challengers

India’s new-age watch startups are building premium mechanical timepieces with Indian storytelling, investor backing, and global ambitions, hoping to become the first serious luxury watch before buyers eventually graduate to Rolex and Swiss luxury

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On April 10, the Prime Minister was spotted wearing a wristwatch adorned with a tiger motif that immediately drew the attention of watch enthusiasts in India — not for its price tag or a global luxury label, but for its origin. The timepiece came from Jaipur Watch Company, an Indian horology brand known for crafting mechanical watches inspired by the country’s heritage.

For generations, aspirational watch enthusiasts in India chased Swiss names such as Longines, Tudor, Hublot, Rolex, Omega, and Tag Heuer for wrist status. At the same time, legacy domestic makers like Titan served the mass market. That left a glaring middle: style-conscious buyers who wanted premium design, mechanical craftsmanship, and storytelling, but without the hefty price tags or the “imported is better” baggage.

Now a new wave of homegrown D2C watchmakers is snapping that gap shut, and the ecosystem comprising investors, unicorn founders, celebrities, corporates, and global brands is taking notice.

In December 2025, Rotoris — founded by Bella Vita Luxury’s Aakash Anand — raised $3 Mn (₹27 Cr) from Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath, Venture Catalysts and 100Unicorns. More than 30 founders, including Mamaearth’s Varun Alagh and Noise’s Gaurav Khatri, also backed the endeavour to build premium mechanical watches with ‘Swiss-level’ standards.........

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