KOCHI: Horology aficionados have always had a soft spot for HMT watches. However, it was after the government’s decision to shut down the loss-making public sector watchmaking unit in 2016 that the ‘timekeeper to the nation’ received due appreciation.
Absence, they say, makes the heart grow fonder. It’s been 60 years since HMT Watches, incorporated in 1961, unveiled its first manual-winding masterpiece, the Janata. Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru launched the first batch, which was produced with technical assistance from Japan’s Citizen.
Mention HMT and a colleague here gushes about his vintage collection, especially his grandfather’s ‘Janata Deluxe’. “It is several decades old, but still works perfectly. All one needs to do is wind it. Winding the watch, listening to it tick... the feeling is inexplicable. It’s like wearing a piece of historical art on one’s wrist,” he says.
Notably, the Janata series has a huge fan base even today. Subsequent models such as Jawan and Pilot, too, have a huge following. Not just in India, but also among watch collectors across the world.
What makes these watches special is the much-cherished nostalgia around them, similar to Ambassador cars and Bajaj scooters of yore. They were icons of a rising nation.
Old-timers recall there used to be booking and ‘waiting period’ for HMT watches. Interestingly, some models like ‘Kanchan’ were part of dowry for bridegrooms. Over the years, however, HMT struggled to catch up with competition and started accumulating losses. Eventually, the Centre pulled the plug.
Though there is a huge demand for reviving the watch unit — including online petitions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi — only assembling of pending stock to be cleared takes place at HMT’s Auxiliary Business Division in Bengaluru, says an HMT official.
“I still remember rushing to the HMT retail store (now closed) in Kochi on hearing the news of the company closing down,” says businessman Martin M Joseph. “I picked as many models as I could. My uncles, who are settled in the US, whisked some pieces from my collection. They still ask whether I have more to offer, as they know the real value of classic, hand-wound watches. If you look at the top models of brands such as Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre or Audemars Piguet, they are all mechanical wonders.”
‘Matter of pride’
Former journalist Ramesh Mathew, based in Kochi, says his love for HMT started in the late 70s when he bought his first watch — Jayanth. “I have been collecting HMT watches for 25 years, and have 15 mechanical pieces. After the company wound up, I bought some models via eBay,” he says.
“Noting my interest in HMT watches, even my doctor once gifted me an old HMT Rajat watch. Other top picks include Sainik, Jawan, Pilot, Kohinoor, Sona and Janata, including one with Devnagari numerals and another one featuring Mahatma Gandhi. I also got watch with Modi on the dial, probably brought out when he became PM.”
Ramesh, who worked abroad for several years, says it was a “matter of pride” to show the “prestigious watches of India” to foreigners. “Once while working in Qatar, an Egyptian friend asked me for an Indian watch. I gifted him an HMT.”
‘Foreigners set the trend’
K K Pillai and Sons, a watch repair shop at Vellayambalam in Thiruvananthapuram, is always crowded. Be it the latest watches or old mechanical watches, K K Ramesh, son of the late K K Pillai, has a magical fix for each kind. HMT has a special place in his heart, he says. “I would have repaired over 5,000 HMT watches. They were affordable; many models were underpriced,” he says.
“Those days, many people used to hand their watches to the next generation. It was like a tradition. However, earlier, not many Indians realised the value of these classic watches. It was foreigners who first started collecting them.”
‘Mech models for ladies, too’
Brinda Suresh, of the famed Krishnan Nair and Sons shop at Padmavilasam Road in the capital city, recalls a time when it was a struggle to get HMT watches that were made in Bengaluru. “We used to buy the watches directly from the HMT office in Kochi,” she says. “Due to the high demand, we had to wait in long queues.”
When compared with Quartz and Titan models, HMT watches had fewer complaints, she notes. “A lot of HMT mechanical models for ladies, too, were available, such as Asha, Rajini and Suchitra,” adds Brinda, who runs the business with daughters Sunanda and Suman. “Automatic watches introduced by HMT, too, were a rage at one point in time. Seeing the high demand, the company started a branch in the capital city.”
‘Arabs, Europeans marvel’
Kozhikode-based entrepreneur Shehab Ahmad, who travels around the world for business purposes, says he wears an HMT watch at least once a week. “My father had a collection of watch brands such as Raymond Weil and Rado. So, I developed a liking for watches,” he says. “I was drawn to HMT after getting to know about its historical relevance.” Shehab adds that his Arab and European friends have marvelled at his Janata watch with Devnagari numerals. “My other favourites are Jawan and Pilot.”
‘Watch used by Nehru’
Sam David, 74, a retired mechanic who worked with HMT (watch division) for 30 years, is now the proud owner of Aswathy Time House at HMT Junction in Kochi. “After completing my degree, I saw an ad in the Express about a vacancy in HMT. I went for an interview in Bangalore. After a year of training, I started working in the watch division in Ernakulam,” he recalls.
When the company wound up, Sam collected many watches from their balance stocks. “Even now the balance stock is being cleared,” he adds. “My favourite is the Janata. Recently, a 17-year-old boy from Fort Kochi came to me, asking about the watch used by Nehru (Janata).”
Sam says people from different parts of the state, and sometimes from outside, come in search of him to get their HMT models repaired or to buy a new one. “There was a time when Janata was priced at Rs 99. Now, I sell it for Rs 2,800,” he adds.
“The watches were made in Karnataka, UP and Kashmir. There was no watchmaking unit in Kerala because of the humidity here. If relaunched, HMT would be a hit, and bring in profits.”
‘Part of uniform’
Retired Navy officer M N Gopinathan Pillai, 70, says his first watch was an HMT Jawan. “I bought it with my first salary.” he adds. Currently GM of security services at Rajagiri Hospital, Gopinathan still vividly remembers buying the watch from the defence canteen in 1978. “Jawan was manufactured specially for the military,” he says. “It was common among officers, like a part of the uniform.”