6 Things Lord Ganesha Has Taught Me About Collecting Watches

Over the years, I have seen watches become canvases for some extraordinary expressions of Indian culture. Ganesha, in particular, has found an intriguing place in haute horlogerie. From Roger Dubuis’ hand-painted Ganesha created for the Indian market to Blancpain’s painstakingly engraved interpretations, and Chopard’s fusion of Ganesha with Grand Feu enamel and Japanese Urushi artistry, the deity has been reimagined by some of the finest names in watchmaking. To know more about these watches click here.

I have always found this connection fascinating. On the surface, Ganesha and watches may seem worlds apart. One represents wisdom, prosperity, new beginnings and the removal of obstacles; the other is an intricate machine designed to measure something as intangible as time. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that perhaps they have rather a lot in common. After years of looking at watches, writing about them, handling them and, yes, occasionally falling hopelessly in love with them, I have come to realise that collecting is about far more than movements, complications and price tags. And this Ganesh Chaturthi, I find myself thinking about what Ganesha can teach us about being better watch collectors.

1. Listen More. Buy Less.

I have always loved the symbolism of Ganesha's large ears. To me, they are a reminder to listen before we speak and perhaps, in the world of watches, to listen before we buy. We live in an industry filled with noise. There is always a new launch, a limited edition, an auction record or a watch that suddenly becomes “the one everyone must own”. It can be exhausting. The older I get, the more I believe that the best collectors listen differently. They listen to the story behind a watch. They listen to the watchmaker explaining why a movement works the way it does. And, most importantly, they listen to themselves. Because ultimately, the watch that matters isn't necessarily the one everyone else wants. It is the one you keep reaching for. To know more about Roger Dubuis's Ganehsa watch click here. 

2. Look Closer

Ganesha's small eyes have always made me think of focus. And if there is one thing I have learnt from spending years around watches, it is that the magic is almost always in the details. A collector can look at a dial and see a beautiful watch. Look again, and you might notice the hand-finishing, the bevels, the engraving, the texture or the tiny details that took hours to execute. Blancpain's Ganesha creations are a wonderful example. Its shakudō interpretations feature solid-gold appliqués engraved individually under a microscope, with each Ganesha taking more than a month of detailed work. It reminds me that the longer I look at a great watch, the more I discover. Don't just look at a watch, experience it. 

3. Think Big

Ganesha's large head is traditionally associated with wisdom and intellect. For me, it is also a reminder not to judge a watch by the obvious. I have learnt that a bigger watch isn't necessarily a better watch. A more expensive watch isn't necessarily a more interesting one. And the brand everyone is talking about today may not be the one that stays with you tomorrow. I want to know what is inside the case. I want to understand the thinking behind the design. I want to know why the watch exists in the first place. Some of my favourite watches are the ones that don't immediately announce themselves. They make someone lean over and ask, “What are you wearing?”

4. Remove The Obstacles

Ganesha is famously known as the remover of obstacles. If only he could do the same for the modern watch collector. Because we have created plenty of obstacles for ourselves: FOMO, hype, resale value, auction prices and the endless pressure of social media. I have seen enough of the industry to know that trends come and go. What is impossible to find today may be forgotten tomorrow. So I have learnt to remove the noise. Buy a watch because I love it. Wear it because it makes me happy. Learn about it because I am curious. Collecting should bring joy, not anxiety.

5. Never Underestimate The Small Things

Then there is Ganesha's mouse. I love the contrast: this magnificent, powerful deity accompanied by one of the smallest creatures imaginable. It makes me think immediately of mechanical watchmaking. Inside a watch, some of the smallest components perform some of the most important jobs. A hairspring, a jewel, a tiny screw or a microscopic wheel can determine whether an entire movement functions as it should. After years of seeing complicated watches, I still find that extraordinary. It is a lesson I try to remember: greatness isn't always about size. Sometimes it is hiding in the smallest detail.

6. Remember Why You Started

And finally, perhaps the lesson that resonates with me the most: Ganesha represents new beginnings. Every collector has a first watch. I certainly believe that the first watch matters more than the tenth or the hundredth. It is the watch that starts the obsession. Perhaps it was a gift from a parent. Perhaps it was bought with a first salary. Perhaps it marked a wedding, a promotion, a birthday or simply a moment when you decided you wanted to own something mechanical and beautiful. As collections grow, it is very easy to become obsessed with the next watch. The next limited edition. The next independent. The next “grail”. But I have come to believe that collecting isn't really about accumulation. It is about association. The watches we remember are the ones attached to people, places and moments. They remind us where we were, who we were with and why that particular moment mattered.

What Ganesha Has Taught Me About Time

Perhaps that is why I find the presence of Ganesha in watchmaking so compelling. From Roger Dubuis and Blancpain to Chopard and other maisons that have interpreted the deity through their own crafts, these watches demonstrate that horology can be much more than mechanics. It can be a canvas for culture, memory, artistry and storytelling. And perhaps that is the real lesson I take away this Ganesh Chaturthi. Time isn't meant to be accumulated. It is meant to be experienced. So, this year, when I look at the watch on my wrist, I am going to try to look a little closer. Listen a little more. Ignore the noise. Appreciate the tiny things. Remove the FOMO. And remember why I fell in love with watches in the first place. Because after all these years, I still believe the best collection isn't necessarily the one with the most watches. It is the one with the most stories.

To know which brands have enliven their collections with the Ganesha motif click here.