NewsVoir

Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], September 30: Bangalore Watch Company, an Indian luxury watch brand has announced the raise of a 1.4M USD seed round from a group of its own customers, comprising of family office principals and HNIs from India and overseas. The brand plans to use these funds to expand into the burgeoning independent watch scene globally.

Founded in 2018 by tech-executives turned entrepreneurs Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj, BWC has been building high-quality mechanical watches in India, exporting them to over 30 countries. With a focus on modern-Indian themes like Aviation, Space, Cricket, and the Outdoors the brand emphasizes on Swiss-quality watchmaking, with Indian narratives that can be presented to a global audience without the stereotype of the usual grammar of watch designs from India.

Recently, the brand has been in the spotlight for making the only Indian-made watch to be qualified in a spaceflight, making watches using fighter-plane aluminum, and most recently, capturing carbon from the atmosphere for its watch dials. The brand has received global acclaim by participating in Dubai Watch Week 2025, Geneva Watch Days 2026, and have been listed for the GPHG Awards (Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genve) three times in a row.

"The independent watch industry has shown that great watch brands can come from anywhere. Brands like MING and Christopher Ward have built global communities by having a clear point of view. We believe India can be part of that global independent watch story, with a distinctly modern Indian perspective," says Nirupesh Joshi, Co-Founder of Bangalore Watch Company.

Operating with a single flagship boutique in Bangalore, the brand sells watches priced between 150,000 INR and 300,000 INR. The business boasts a 30% repeat purchase rate, and a concierge style service model that has allowed them to sell limited-edition watches without the usual retail footprint. With an annual production capacity of 1500 watches, the brand intends to quadruple this in the next three-five-year timeline.

"India is at an exciting point in its journey, with the world paying greater attention to what is being built here. We want to be part of that story, while also taking an Indian brand to a global audience. We have always believed that a world-class watch brand can be built from Bangalore, and the opportunity now is to take that belief, and the watches we have built around modern India, to collectors around the world," added Mercy Amalraj, Co-Founder of the brand.

The timing of this fundraise is interesting as India becomes one of the fastest growing importers of Swiss luxury watches, with the average selling price of watches in India steadily growing into the premium category as disposable incomes rise.

As the brand looks to build its presence internationally, the approach will remain deliberately focused. The brand currently operates from a single flagship boutique in Bengaluru and does not plan to build a large retail network across India. Instead, it wants to take the same considered approach to its global expansion, with two to three strategic overseas locations in key markets and, potentially, one more location in India. The aim is not to be everywhere, but to be present in the markets where there is already a strong community of collectors and a genuine interest in the brand.

About Bangalore Watch Company

Founded in 2018, Bangalore Watch Company creates high-quality mechanical watches that tell stories of a 21st-century India. Drawing inspiration from Aviation, Cricket, Space, and the Great Outdoors, each collection captures modern Indian narratives that go far beyond stereotypes.

With several firsts to its name including watches made from recovered fighter planes and aircraft carrier materials, India's first watch qualified for Spaceflight, and a proprietary Cerasteel material that is a fusion of Steel and Ceramic, the brand blends storytelling with technical innovation and contemporary design. Recognised by leading global publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, and Hodinkee for its originality and craftsmanship, Bangalore Watch Company stands at the forefront of modern Indian watchmaking.

Founded by husband-and-wife team Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj who left their tech careers overseas to pursue a passion for modern Indian storytelling, the brand has built a quiet but enthusiastic following with customers in over 30 countries.

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