Rajshree Upadhyaya
Jaipur
Business Remedies. Gaurav Mehta has carved a unique niche for himself by reviving Indian heritage through the art of watchmaking. His journey into this world didn’t begin with a business plan, but with a moment of curiosity. In 2012, while dismantling a quartz watch, he discovered a hidden British-India era coin inside. Fascinated by its historical charm, he replaced the dial with the coin and wore the watch himself. The response from friends and others was instant. This fusion of numismatics (the study of coins) and horology (the study of timekeeping) sowed the seeds for what would become Jaipur Watch Company, India’s first micro-luxury watch brand deeply rooted in heritage.
In 2013, Mehta formally launched the brand by selling his BMW and pooling Rs. 30 lakh. His aim was to tell stories through timepieces. His first collection, called the Imperial Collection, transformed pre-independence coins into watch dials, blending craftsmanship with historical symbolism. Each watch was handcrafted, uniquely numbered, and thus became a limited-edition collectible. What began as an experiment soon turned into a movement. Mehta expanded the dial designs to include Indian postage stamps from the 1930s, intricate Pichhwai paintings, peacock feathers, and miniature artworks-each watch a wearable piece of Indian history.
Recognition for the Pret and Bespoke Lines
The early years were challenging and experimental. Retailers were skeptical of a luxury Indian watch brand, and customers were hesitant to pay a premium for a homegrown product. Mehta relied on Facebook marketing and word-of-mouth, setting up shop-in-shop counters at hotels like Taj and Oberoi. The company reached break-even in 2017 after investing in a manufacturing unit in Bengaluru. By then, Jaipur Watch Company was producing around 2,000 watches annually, fulfilling thousands of bespoke and corporate orders.
A major turning point came in 2023 when the brand appeared on Shark Tank India Season 2, seeking Rs. 50 lakh for 2% equity. Although none of the Sharks invested, the brand’s Pret and Bespoke lines received praise for blending storytelling with design. More importantly, the exposure sparked a surge of interest-over 50,000 website visits and thousands of new followers overnight. The Sharks’ feedback prompted Mehta to rethink his brand segmentation, creating a clear distinction between the ready-to-wear and aspirational luxury lines.
Flagship Stores in Jaipur and Delhi
Acting swiftly, Mehta opened flagship stores in Jaipur and Delhi, even counting Shark Anupam Mittal among his customers. It is said that he gifted a bespoke JWC watch to Amitabh Bachchan on the set of Kaun Banega Crorepati. To support this growth, the company raised Rs. 1.6 crore through revenue-based financing from Klub, aiming to scale marketing, inventory, and reach. With an estimated revenue of Rs. 6 crore in FY24, JWC set its sights on doubling that figure the following year.
Despite the momentum, the brand has faced criticism. On forums like Reddit, some horology enthusiasts questioned the use of Japanese quartz Miyota movements in watches priced above Rs. 50,000, calling the designs ornamental and overpriced. However, others view JWC as a brand that values storytelling and cultural connection over traditional watchmaking prestige. For them, each timepiece is a legacy-a dialogue between the past and the present, wrapped around the wrist.
Preserving Dying Art Forms and Crafting Meaningful Symbols of Time
From using actual coins and vintage stamps to launching India’s first 3D-printed automatic watch, Mehta has continued to innovate while staying true to the brand’s core philosophy: preserving India’s dying art forms and crafting meaningful symbols of time. Today, with a clientele that includes royalty, celebrities, and international collectors, Jaipur Watch Company is more than just a product-it is a proud reminder that luxury can be both personal and inherently Indian.
What began with placing a coin inside a watch has now become a symbol of India’s evolving design narrative-where history is not just remembered, but worn.
