The First Dress Watch

India’s watchmaking story has strong roots in Bangalore. This is where the country’s first large-scale watchmaking efforts took shape. For many families, the first watch they ever saw or owned was an HMT, often worn by parents, gifted at weddings, or given as a mark of achievement. Many of these watches, built with Japanese movements, are still running today. In 2018, Bangalore Watch Company introduced its first dress watch. We called it Renaissance. Limited to 500 pieces, it was a tribute to India’s watchmaking history and the city that shaped it.

The Renaissance Automatic was designed to be simple and versatile. It appealed to both watch enthusiasts and to those looking for a well-made watch they could wear regularly. Produced in small numbers and not widely available in retail stores, it carried a sense of exclusivity without being out of reach.

The watch came in rose gold and silver cases, paired with an anthracite dial, applied indices, and matching hands. Unlike our later watches, theRenaissance featured an exhibition caseback, allowing the movement to be seen. Owners could choose between deep black or deep brown leather straps.

The Renaissance was also about the experience. Each watch came with carefully designed packaging, including step cards, a certificate of authenticity with the serial number, and a black lacquered coffin-style box. The unboxing was deliberate and personal, made to mark the beginning of ownership.

It became the first Bangalore Watch Company watch to be written about by watch publications. As our first release, it was well received and remains a watch that is still talked about today.

Following the success of the Renaissance Automatic, we introduced Renaissance Stree, a dress watch designed for women. Elegant and slim, it featured 72 Swarovski crystals on the outer bezel, along with applied indices.

The watch was offered in rose gold and silver cases, with opaline and anthracite dial options. Along with classic brown and black straps, it also included a deep green strap option. The Renaissance Stree carried the same attention to detail and unboxing experience as the original Renaissance, offering a refined dress watch for women in 2018.

Renaissance marked the beginning for Bangalore Watch Company. From a classic dress watch inspired by Bangalores watchmaking heritage, we went on to create watches inspired by aviation, cricket, space exploration, and the outdoors. These watches carried deeper stories, reflecting modern India while speaking to a global audience.

Our journey shows how we grew from a simple, classic dress watch to purpose-driven watches with strong narratives. With careful design choices, materials selected for function, and stories grounded in the present, Bangalore Watch Company continues to build Indian luxury watches that reflect where we come from and where we are headed.

Renaissance was the beginning. The stories continue to evolve.