Bangalore Watch Company’s First Pocket Watch Looks Back to 1947

Pocket watches are a timeless classic for horological enthusiasts, but they are having a moment. The recent Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak pocket watch caused quite a stir in the watch world, bringing the traditional format back into the spotlight. Now Bangalore Watch Company is taking its own approach with the Forty-Seven, a pocket watch inspired by the formative years of modern India.

Looking back to 1947

The Bangalore Watch Company has built its collections around stories from contemporary India, drawing on subjects including aviation, cricket, space exploration and the outdoors. The Forty-Seven takes a different perspective by going back to the starting point of that narrative. The period following independence was marked by ambitious efforts to build the foundations of a modern nation. At the time, India faced very different economic and social circumstances from those of today. The brand points to a literacy rate of around 12 percent, a per-capita income of approximately $50 and a country carrying significant debt. The decades that followed would see India develop into one of the world's largest and fastest-growing economies. That transformation is the historical backdrop for the Forty-Seven. Rather than celebrating the past for its own sake, Bangalore Watch Company says the timepiece is intended as a tribute to the generation that chose to focus on building the future. “Forty-Seven is a tribute to the years that shaped modern India. A pocket watch was the natural choice, because it belonged to that time,” says Nirupesh Joshi, co-founder of Bangalore Watch Company. “With this watch, the brand goes back to where those stories first began.”

A Traditional Pocket-Watch Silhouette

The 46mm case follows the proportions and design language of pocket watches from the first half of the 20th century. It is made from 316L surgical steel and finished with rose-gold PVD, giving it a warm appearance. The off-white dial has a linen-like texture and remains deliberately restrained, with the subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock.

The distinctive Arabic numerals, cathedral-style hour hand, and minute hand are coated with Swiss Superluminova, ensuring clear legibility even in the dark. The dial is protected by a K1 hardened crystal. A push-and-pull crown bearing the Bangalore Watch Company logo sits at the top of the case, while the closed case back can be personalized with an engraving, giving owners the option to add a personal message or inscription.

Quartz Rather Than Nostalgia

Inside, Forty-Seven uses a Swiss-made Ronda 6004.D quartz movement. It provides the straightforward three-hand display expected of a pocket watch and offers a battery life of approximately 40 months. The choice of quartz is notable in a product so closely tied to traditional watchmaking. Bangalore Watch Company has previously emphasized technical experimentation across its collections, including the use of recovered aircraft and aircraft-carrier materials, meteorites and captured carbon. With the Forty-Seven, the focus is less on mechanical complexity than on the object itself and the story it represents.

Leather Lanyard and Rose-Gold Clip

The traditional pocket-watch character continues with the attachment. The Forty-Seven comes with a lanyard-style genuine leather strap described by the brand as oil-pulled leather. A matching rose-gold-colored clip completes the ensemble and allows the watch to be carried in a pocket or attached to clothing. The Bangalore Watch Company Forty-Seven is priced at $1,250. (Discover more timepieces designed to be worn beyond the wrist.)