Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) began its first watch-making unit in Bengaluru in 1961 when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided that India required a watch of its own. Experts from Japan’s well-known Citizen Watch were chartered to provide the technical knowhow to engineers of this newly established Indian brand intent on creating a functional, affordable and most importantly ‘Indian’ mechanical (hand-wound) wrist watch.
An important part of this knowledge-sharing exercise was teaching the engineers the ‘020’ or ‘0201’ movement — a mechanism that helps dictate the intricate movement of cogs and wheels inside these watches. The HMT staff, now experts after training, created an in-house movement of their own, calling it the ‘0231’.
On Sunday, watch collector and co-founder of Madras Watch Collectors Group, N Guru Prasad held up a HMT Jawahar — a sleek black dial with black straps and the word ‘Jawahar’ scrawled below the company logo. It was HMT’s way of honouring the then Prime Minister’s attempt to make the country more time conscious. Whether the leader passed or failed is up for contention, but one fact remains.
“For 71 years, this ‘0231’ movement has remained consistent in all HMT watches. It is pretty remarkable to look at when the watch is disassembled. Even a beginner can understand the several parts and it is easy to access,” Guru said.
Fifteen watch enthusiasts from all over Chennai, clad in white lab coats, wearing eye loupes, worked on the caliber of the watch to understand this very movement. S Vijay Anand, a lawyer practising at the Madras High Court, said, “It is easy to comment on the look and feel of a watch from outside but it feels like an entirely new experience from the inside,” he remarked. “Dinesh (Sachdeva), who is conducting the workshop, has experienced hands that move deftly. I can’t say the same for myself but this is quite an enjoyable experience,” he said, laughing.
Working on the movement of an HMT watch at the watch-making workshop by Madras Watch Collectors Group | Photo Credit: Jayakumar
The watch-making workshop was part of the sixth meetup of the Madras Watch Collectors Group. Over the course of these events, friendships have been forged, timepieces swapped, and several phone numbers of qualified watch technicians exchanged. The community now has 119 people as part of a WhatsApp group that discusses the release of latest watches and restoration of heirloom pieces. It has made it a practice to share a ‘Watch of the day’ alert where everyone shows off their accessory.
Time in your pocket
Sunday’s meeting at The Museum of Possibilities Cafe, saw 45 people bent over a long table learning about new watches and collections. The first meeting in April 2023 however, had only four people and was a consequence of a Facebook group that actively discusses watches.
“Rajesh E and I met on this Facebook group and realised that we were from the same city. We met a couple of times and developed a sense of camaraderie. During one of the several conversations discussing watches, we wondered if we could find others too. In the process, we scheduled a meeting with four people and displayed our spread over tea at a small shop,” says Guru.
The reason why the community has been able to grow is because the requirement is simple: come with five watches of any kind but be enthusiastic to learn and share knowledge about watches. “This is a great space for budding collectors as experienced people can often teach them about fake parts and investing carefully,” he says.
Arvind Ravikumar has an enviable collection of G-Shock square dial watches | Photo Credit: Jayakumar
He adds that Chennai is also home to expert horologists and watch technicians, aiding the growth of a community that tends to pick up and restore interesting vintage pieces. “Some of these technicians have been able to restore ‘unsalvageable’ pieces belonging to close family. Those kinds of moments give us joy,” he says.
Watch collecting is not a cheap hobby. The ones on display on Sunday ranged from ₹1,500 to over ₹5 lakh. Aravind Subramanian, another collector, has about 500 watches of all kinds, many unopened too. He holds up a four-hand Ataba watch that showcases the hours, minutes, seconds, date, month and the phases of the sun and the moon. It is one of his priced possessions. What motivates people to pursue this hobby that requires sizable resources?
Arvind Ravikumar who has an enviable collection of G-Shock square dial watches including some vintage pieces that are often deemed indestructible, says aspiration is key. “When I was in school, many people in my class often wore G-Shock watches. I wore a ripoff back then. Over the years though, the hobby developed. I learnt some basic mechanics and even began repairing and customising some of my watches. Through these meetings, I’ve not just met and discussed watches but also made several friends. The community is a nice part of the hobby,” he says.
To join the community, contact @madraswatchcollectorsgrp on Instagram.
