He calls it a "Company made with passion". Gaurav Mehta, the man behind the famed Jaipur Watch Company says that more than the business idea,it was his interest in watches since the very childhood that led him to launch the Jaipur Watch Company.
"Ever since I was 12 years old, I used to open up my watches to see how they work! I was also fond of collecting coins from a very young age." One fine day, a combination of these two changed his life.
"While opening one of my watches, I saw a coin lying beside it and thought how it would look inside the watch! I put it inside the watch and started wearing it! It gained a lot of attention! Gaurav tells us. Little did he know then that this would be the idea behind his entrepreneurial journey!Jaipur Watch Company has been synonymous with values and antiques ever since its formation. The idea of putting a coin inside the coin has caught the imagination of both, the buyers and the onlookers.
"Every coin carries with it a story that we share with the buyer in the form of a story card when the watch is delivered to him or her. Through him, this story reaches other people. This is what makes us unique. We give a conversation point to people through our products," says Gaurav.
Most of the coins used in these beautiful watches come from the British India era, with most of them being over 80 years old. Handling such antique items and placing them intricately inside the watch is no easy task.
"It takes a lot more time than a normal watch would usually take. But the difficult part is actually looking for a scratch less coin of the British era. The customer won't buy a watch with a used coin. Finding adequate coins is where most of our time and energy is consumed," accepts Gaurav.
Gaurav stresses that his company is a 'Fine' Indian watchmaker. "We import machines from Switzerland, Japan and from other finest manufactures in order to ensure a world class end product," he shares.
Jaipur, of late, has seen the rise of a number of start-ups. However, most entrepreneurs insist that the city still lacks the adequate infrastructure that the entrepreneurs need.But the city has provided the company an already made identity at the International level. Expressing his thoughts on the city, Gaurav says,
"We love the city, that's why our company is named after it. We are trying to highlight its culture through our watches by introducing a line of hand painted watches that would be prepared by the finest local artists of Jaipur. Though I won't comment on the administration in Jaipur, what I love about the city is that it is extremely well connected to all the metros and has a low cost of living, thereby ensuring lower operation costs."
With technology impacting every walk of life, obvious question that strikes the mind is would these mechanical watches withstand the competition from smartwatches? For Gaurav, this is a no brainer.
"He clientele for these two kinds of watches is totally different. While a smartwatch would become obsolete every two years, our battery-less mechanized watches are the stuff that is passed from generations to generations! You can't pass on your Apple smart watch to your next generation, can you,"
Gaurav chuckles, knowing that he has a point.As India's first ever indigenous bespoke luxury watch company, Jaipur Watch Company is well aware of the fact that it is carrying the baton on India's glorious history in their hands. Gaurav assures us that his company is well aware of the responsibility it carries. He merrily says
"When we sell a watch, we are giving our buyers a piece of history which is passed on by them to others. We make sure that all our products are of the International level, thus taking the Indian name forward. We have already been compared to some of the best watch companies in the world. In fact, with 80% of our buyers being India's top 1% richest people, we have managed to bust the myth that the top billionaires only go for International brands and snub the India products."
 
Latest Collection launched on 15 August 2016
Though the company specializes in mechanical watches, it doesn't mean that it is averse to technology. In fact, technology plays a key role in the company's working. Gaurav reveals,
"We make personalized watches as per the request of the customer. We show the customer a 3D model of the watch he requested and ask him if he wishes to make any changes. The final 3D model, once approved by the client, goes into manufacturing. The final watch would be the exact replica of this 3D model. The cost of the watch is decided as per the changes demanded by the client. It can start from 1.5 lakh and can go up to any level."
Asked to explain how he would define his company's USP and he says (without taking a second to think!),
"You are doing a fantastic job by bringing students of all age groups at one level and giving them an opportunity to explore the world of education while being at home. The students get a chance to get inspired through your interview section. This can encourage many students! I wish you the best for the future," says Gaurav as he signs off.
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