Bangalore Watch Company announced on September 30 that it has raised a $1.4 million seed round from a group of its customers, including family office principals and high-net-worth individuals from India and overseas. The company said it will use the funds to accelerate its entry into the global independent watch scene.
Founded in 2018 by Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj, Bangalore Watch Company builds high-quality mechanical watches in India and exports them to more than 30 countries. The brand draws on modern-Indian themes such as Aviation, Space, Cricket and the Outdoors, and positions its products as Swiss-quality watchmaking combined with Indian narratives.
Bangalore Watch Company growth and product highlights
The brand operates a single flagship boutique in Bangalore and sells watches priced between 150,000 INR and 300,000 INR. Bangalore Watch Company reports a 30% repeat purchase rate and uses a concierge-style service model that has enabled the sale of limited-edition pieces without a large retail footprint. Annual production capacity is about 1,500 watches, with plans to quadruple output over a three- to five-year timeline.
Bangalore Watch Company has drawn attention for several product firsts: it produced the only Indian-made watch qualified for a spaceflight, has made watches from recovered fighter-plane aluminium and aircraft carrier materials, and recently used captured atmospheric carbon for watch dials. The company also cites a proprietary Cerasteel material, a fusion of steel and ceramic. It has participated in Dubai Watch Week 2025 and Geneva Watch Days 2026, and has been listed for the GPHG Awards three years in a row. The brand has received coverage from publications such as The New York Times, Forbes and Hodinkee.
“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.
Expansion strategy
The company says it will pursue a deliberately focused international expansion rather than a broad retail rollout. Planned steps include opening two to three strategic overseas locations in key markets and potentially one additional location in India. The stated aim is to be present where there is already a strong community of collectors and genuine interest in the brand, rather than attempting to be everywhere.
“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.
About Bangalore Watch Company
Founded in 2018 by Nirupesh Joshi and Mercy Amalraj, who left tech careers overseas to build a watch brand, Bangalore Watch Company creates mechanical watches that tell stories of 21st-century India. The company reports customers in over 30 countries and highlights technical innovation and contemporary design in its collections.
