This is SUPERLATIVE: A podcast about watches, the people behind them, and the worlds that inspire them. This week, our host and aBlogtoWatch Founder Ariel Adams is joined by Nirupesh Joshi (NJ), the Founder of Bangalore Watch Company. To start the show, Ariel asks NJ about his brand and why it was important for him to produce watches in India, before diving into a conversation about what the country can do to cultivate an endemic interest in watches, along with the intersection of running a business and doing something that is both intellectually engaging and emotionally satisfying. From there, the discussion turns to some of the biggest obstacles of starting a watch brand in India, the process of turning a design into a reality, and the nuances of specifically choosing to work with third parties versus simply doing things yourself.

Given that Bangalore Watch Company is dedicated to representing modern Indian culture in its timepieces, Ariel then asks NJ about how he would like to see local character incorporated into his brand’s designs, and the importance of consumer feedback when it comes to creating products for the end-user. After discussing the process of growing an independent watch brand and the resurgence of boutique manufacturing in India, Ariel and NJ then discuss how it feels to be the only ones operating within a space, and whether new companies entering the market should be seen as competition or simply a sign that the market segment is growing. To wrap up the conversation, Ariel and NJ talk about collaborations and how to choose the right ones for your company, before ending the discussion by briefly covering NJ’s aspirations for Bangalore Watch Company and the type of models that he wants to make in the future, both in terms of the kind of watches and the price point that he would like to see his brand occupy.

Stay up-to-date with NJ and Bangalore Watch Company:

• Instagram — @bangalorewatchco
• Website — www.bangalorewatchco.in

Show Notes:

• 00:56 — About Bangalore Watch Company and producing watches in India.
• 06:39 — The intersection of having a business and doing something that is emotionally satisfying.
• 09:25 — What can India do to cultivate a domestic interest in watches?
• 10:54 — The biggest obstacles of starting a watch brand.
• 13:19 — Working with suppliers and manufacturers, the process of turning a design into a reality, and when it’s better to do things in-house versus work with third parties.
• 20:51 — How to incorporate local character into modern watch design.
• 29:29 — Consumer feedback and its importance in the overall creative process.
• 32:43 — Balancing spending time on the product versus spending time on the brand and how to grow an independent watch company.
• 45:04 — Is there a resurgence in small-scale boutique manufacturing in India given the industrialization present within the country?
• 47:30 — Being the only brand operating within a specific space and the concept of competition versus a growing market.
• 49:47 — Collaborations within the industry and how to choose the right ones for your company.
• 52:46 — NJ’s aspirations for Bangalore Watch Company and the type of models he wants to make in the future.
• 57:36 — Is there a particular price point that NJ would like to see Bangalore Watch Company occupying in the future?