This week on The Business of Watches, a boutique brand and its CEO from a country that has much of the watch industry abuzz. Nirupesh Joshi is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bangalore Watch Company, based in Bengaluru (previously known as Bangalore), India.
The company was founded in 2018 and has slowly established itself as a purveyor of premium watchmaking with models that don't rely on classic tropes about the country to tell their story. Former tech industry executives Joshi and his wife, Mercy Amalraj, are building a brand that aims to express the modern spirit of India, as the country becomes an increasingly significant economic and cultural player on the world stage.
There's a rich history of watchmaking in India, marked by brands including HMT and Titan, that have produced watches at large volumes to serve India's fast-growing population of over 1 billion people. But BWC is seeking a different client, one that's more seasoned in watches, and is seeking a brand that innovates and competes with other marques from around the world to tell its own unique stories.
BWC has grown to about 15 staff members, including watchmakers repatriated from other brands, opened a boutique in its home city, and produces around 2,000 watches per year, assembled in India, using components made both in-country and from suppliers around the world. The company recently raised capital from investors, and Joshi tells us how BWC plans to bring its watches to a wider, global audience. Customers outside of India already account for about 60% of sales, and the plan is to grow that segment further with modern, high-quality watches that express the dynamism of India and its young population.
Show Notes:
1:05 Bangalore Watch Company (website)
1:47 As China Retreats And The U.S. Wobbles, Is India The Next Great Hope For The Luxury Watch Market? (Hodinkee)
3:11 As India Gets Richer Its Biggest Watchmaker Titan Crafts The Nation's Most Ambitious Watch Yet (Hodinkee)
3:39 Hindustan Machine Tools - About Us
5:12 Tata Group
6:35 BWC Apogee 'Visitor'
6:51 BWC Cover Drive 'The Outfield'
7:45 The Role of Hong Kong In The Global Watch Market (Hong Kong's Finest Watches)
15:40 India rule the cricketing world, but is their dominance good for the sport? (New York Times / The Athletic)
16:08 Why does India want to be a space power? (London School of Economics)
17:17 BWC Peninsula Carbon
18:18 Delhi AQI (Instagram)
22:00 Warby Parker
23:02 High-Net-Worth Individual (HNI) – Meaning, Types, and More (DBS Bank)
24:59 Horologer Ming Executives Ming Thein And Praneeth Rajsingh Talk Design, Manufacturing, Pricing, And More (Hodinkee)
25:02 Introducing: The Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour 'Ultimus' (Hodinkee)
26:24 Bangalore Watch Company opens flagship boutique in its hometown (Europa Star)
29:28 The Business of Watches Podcast: Czapek & Cie. CEO And Co-Founder Xavier de Roquemaurel
30:31 Furlan Marri
33:25 On Paper / On Wrist The Delhi Watch Co. DWC Terra (The Grey Nato)
36:26 BWC Forty Seven
38:50 India Single Malt Whisky: Complete Guide 2026 (The Daily Whisky)
