Caseback is where Story Continues

The caseback is often the most overlooked part of a watch. It sits against the wrist, is rarely seen, and is usually thought of as just a protective cover. But in watchmaking, the caseback carries more than function. It carries the story forward. 

Across different watches, casebacks take many forms. Some carry engraved logos. Others use sapphire windows to reveal the movement inside. Beyond protecting the mechanism, this surface becomes a quiet space for expression. It is one of the few parts of a watch where design can speak without being front and centre. 

Working on steel at this scale requires precision. The artwork you see on a caseback is not incidental. It takes careful machining and finishing to bring small details to life on a curved surface. The result is a story etched into something that is meant to last. 

In 1936, Sarla Thukral stepped into a Gypsy Moth aircraft wearing a saree. She primed the engine, started the magnetos, and took off to become India’s first woman to fly solo. Soon after, she earned her commercial pilot’s license, at a time when very few women were encouraged to imagine a place for themselves in the cockpit. 

What began with one flight slowly grew into many. Over time, women moved from early roles in the medical corps to the cockpit and into combat roles. In 1992, the armed forces opened combat roles to women, marking an important shift in Indian aviation. 

Today, women make up nearly 15 percent of India’s aviation sector, three times the global average. From commercial pilots to helicopter crews and combat aviators, women are now part of everyday aviation across both civil and defence skies. The courage to take flight has remained the same. What has changed is how many more women now take that step. 

When we speak about our aviation watch, the MACH 1 collection, we can’t separate it from this chapter of women in flight. In 2023, we introduced the Silk Scarf edition to mark this story. The light-pink Aerobloom dial stands out within the collection and is powered by a Swiss automatic movement. At 9 o’clock, the Indian Fin Flash sits as a clear aviation reference, while the oversized crown draws from the form of an aircraft’s afterburner nozzle. It is an unusual colour for a pilot’s watch, but one that finds its place once worn. 

The caseback of the Silk Scarf edition carries the image of the silk scarf once worn by aviators as part of their uniform. In early aviation, the scarf served a practical purpose. Over time, it became a visual marker of flight culture and identity. On the MACH 1 caseback, this element becomes a moment frozen in steel, a way of acknowledging the women who have been part of aviation’s history and present. 

This use of the caseback as a storytelling surface runs across our collections. The MACH 1 pilot watch collection also carries a MiG-21 etched onto its caseback. Admiral features an anchor chain. Avalanche carries the image of a Chetak helicopter flying above the mountains. Each engraving connects the watch back to the world that inspired it. 

Beyond aviation, the same approach continues. Cover Drive carries the story of cricket. Apogee references India’s first satellite. Peninsula reflects outdoor landscapes and exploration. In each case, the caseback becomes a quiet continuation of the story told on the dial. 

Whether worn on the wrist or placed on a desk, the caseback remains part of how the watch speaks. It may not always be seen, but it carries the artwork and the idea that each Indian watch is meant to hold more than just time.