Desi Dials & Modern Marvels: More Indian Watch Brands You’re Sleeping On

Remember that time we went down the rabbit hole exploring underrated Indian watchmakers? In the previous article, we took a nostalgic trip through some homegrown brands that were quietly making waves and guess what? The story doesn't end there. India's watchmaking scene has evolved way beyond the old-school titans we grew up with. We have brands now that are putting us on the global horology map with crazy specifications, mechanical movements, and stories that stay connected to our deep desi roots. So go ahead grab another cup of chai, because for Part 2, we are looking at seven more incredible watchmakers you absolutely need to know about. To read about the previous Indian Watch brands I covered, click here. 

Jaipur Watch Company

Think of the regal heritage of Rajasthan, and then imagine wearing a piece of that history on your wrist. Jaipur Watch Company was built on the mission of weaving India's rich, royal past into high-end, bespoke watchmaking. While their Gates of India collection is a stunner, they are known for their Coin and Stamp watches. They repurpose antique British India coins, such as the King George VI era coins and vintage postage stamps right into the dials. As watchmakers, they experiment with rare "Jump Hour" complications, skeletonized automatic movements, and even dials featuring hand-painted Pichwai art. However in my overall opinion these are the kind of watches that one needs to develop a palette for.

Bangalore Watch Company

If Jaipur is about our ancient heritage, Bangalore Watch Company is the pulse of modern India. Founded in 2018, their mission is to tell the stories of 21st-century India through world-class, luxury wristwatches designed right in Bengaluru. Every watch tells a very specific Indian story, from the MACH 1 celebrating Indian aviation to the Cover Drive paying an elegant tribute to Indian cricket. These are world-class spec monsters featuring Swiss automatic movements, surgical-grade 316L stainless steel, and scratch-proof sapphire crystals. The absolute showstopper is their Apogee space-inspired collection, which features a dial made from a 4.5 billion-year-old Muonionalusta meteorite. But even with how stunning these pieces are, I couldn’t help but wonder if the premium price tag is truly justified for a budding collector.

Maxima Watches

Maxima is a watch that you would have noticed on the hands of the common man. Who doesn't remember Maxima? Their roots trace all the way back to 1966 when they started making spares for mechanical watches using Swiss lathes, eventually giving India its first-ever guaranteed waterproof watches in 1996. They’ve been part of the Indian middle-class fabric for decades but haven't stopped evolving. Alongside the rugged waterproof series we remember, they’ve introduced the elegant Apex Luxe, the Urbane, and stunning new Automatic lines. Yet, Maxima’s most significant challenge remains its storied past. Having established itself so firmly in our collective memory as the go-to, affordable choice for durable school-timepieces, pivotally transitioning away from that utilitarian, mass-market reputation presents a formidable task for the brand.

Cypher Watches

Dubbed "The New Indian Horology," Cypher is a passion project born out of a frustration with brands that just slap their logos on cheap parts. Their mission is raw and confident: they don't trade time, they engineer it. Their inaugural release, the Paddock '74, is a vintage racing chronograph inspired by the 1974 McLaren M23 that is so coveted its batches literally sell out weeks before the official launch date. Under the hood, they use a premium Japanese Meca-Quartz movement, giving watch nerds the reliability of a quartz brain but the crisp, satisfying mechanical snap-back of a traditional chronograph. The real struggle with Cypher is the sheer fatigue of "drop culture" that’s taken over. While their strategy of dropping ultra-limited, numbered batches that vanish weeks before the launch creates massive hype, it definitely leaves the casual enthusiast out in the cold. For someone who simply wants to snag a gorgeous motorsport chronograph and start wearing it right away, having to battle a frantic countdown timer and then endure a ten-week wait for shipping feels a bit off-putting.

Sylvi

Sylvi is for the modern Indian hustler, bringing bold, dynamic, and rugged aesthetics to your daily wear without emptying your bank account. They have a massive, versatile lineup that ranges from the heavy-duty Rig One O One and Dominator to sleek analog designs like the Blade Crystal and Specter collections. For the mechanical purists, they even offer the Gravitas and Pulse Skeleton lines. Sylvi plays beautifully with complex Analog-Digital hybrid movements and automatic self-winding functions. Although it can be said that while their bold, rugged aesthetics draw a strong following, for traditional watch purists looking for entirely original, understated design DNA, their loud, bulky, and hybrid aesthetic can feel a bit too chaotic. 

Tresod

Tresod operates on a whole different playing field, bringing high-tech adventure to the wrist with timepieces built to be as durable as they are beautiful  with a 300-meter water resistance rating, a scratch-proof sapphire crystal, and a ceramic bezel. The absolute crown jewel of their lineup is the Ocean Master collection, a seriously aggressive and gorgeous line of men's dive watches coming in multiple variations like black DLC and silver-tone orange. Tresod doesn't mess around with their internals, powering the Ocean Master with the legendary SW200 Swiss Automatic movement. Yet, their aesthetic identity lacks a distinct voice. For an emerging label, watch enthusiasts typically search for a distinct artistic signature instead of merely a well-crafted, conventional dive watch which has not yet been reflected in their pieces.

Skylona

Straight out of Surat, Gujarat, Skylona is built on the confident promise of delivering affordable luxury directly from India’s diamond and textile hub to your wrist. The Meridian Timepiece is their standout headliner, featuring rich, deep tones like Tobacco Dusk, Midnight Black, and Forest Green, while their Apex and Classic collections cater to those wanting a sharp, everyday office look. Skylona focuses heavily on precise chronograph complications and elegant analog setups with built-in date functions.Although their aesthetics appear refined and offer remarkable visual value, the reliance on budget quartz movements leaves them without authentic horological heritage which may cause dedicated watch purists to question whether these timepieces possess enduring quality and heirloom appeal.

Ultimately for so many of us, an Indian watch isn't just a tool to tell time, it was the ultimate coming-of-age gift. It was what you got when you cleared your board exams, graduated college, or landed your first paycheck. Those classic timepieces were quiet witnesses to our families' histories. What makes me so incredibly happy about this new wave of Indian horology is that they aren't just trying to copy the West. They are taking our culture, our grit, and our modern ambitions, and wrapping them around our wrists. They are proving that the soul of Indian watchmaking didn't fade away: it just grew up, got a little bolder, and is ready to take on the world. We are finally getting watches that we can proudly pass down to the next generation, complete with our own Indian stories.