English
English
English
This watch, once owned by N. Bhaumik, traveled through the clandestine channels of the vintage watch market, eventually reaching a small watch shop in Byculla from Thrissur in 2011, where Varun Jashnani purchased it. Jashnani was 24 years old at the time.
Representational Image
New Delhi: For 13 years, Varun Jashnani searched for a man he only knew by the name "N. Bhaumik." This name was engraved on the steel caseback of a Favre-Leuba Sea-Chief watch made before 1930.
This watch, once owned by N. Bhaumik, traveled through the clandestine channels of the vintage watch market, eventually reaching a small watch shop in Byculla from Thrissur in 2011, where Varun Jashnani purchased it. Jashnani was 24 years old at the time.
Attracted by Mechanical Watches
Varun Jashnani said that when he bought his first-generation HMT Kohinoor watch in 2011, he was captivated by the look and feel of this mechanical timepiece.
It was completely different from the quartz watches available in the market. It was a watch you could connect with. At that time, the watch cost only ₹2,000.
This fascination led him to research and collect mechanical wristwatches. Today, a large part of his collection of 110 watches consists of mechanical timepieces, 105 of which are vintage.
Mechanical watches, which became rare after the quartz crisis, are now not only witnesses to history but also symbols of style, craftsmanship, and heritage.
Jude D'Souza, founder of The Revolver Club (TRC), says, "These watches remind us of a time when companies took risks and individuality was valued."
TRC Started Business Three Years Ago
TRC started its watch business three years ago. Initially, the focus was only on HMT watches, where 40-50 watches priced at ₹1,500-2,000 would sell out in two days.
Today's catalogs include everything from HMT, Citizen, and Seiko to Omega, Rolex, and even Soviet-era Raketa-Zaria watches.
Is the old era making a comeback?
The craze for vintage watches has resurfaced in India. Today, vintage watch enthusiasts scour the market in search of these models.
According to Jude D'Souza, founder of 'The Revolver Club', these watches evoke a time when timepieces were made not for profit, but for unparalleled craftsmanship and daring designs.
While the 'quartz crisis' of the 1970s may have shut down many Swiss companies, the mechanical watches that survived have become rare and precious gems today.
According to Varun Jashnani, a watch's condition, design, and rarity are what typically attract buyers.
Young people under 25 are spending up to ₹10,000 on vintage watches, while those over 35 are spending ₹1-2 lakh. This is because vintage watches are often considered an entry point into the world of luxury timepieces.
