u/BandSmart5730

It started off a few years ago when I heard that HMT is winding down its business. Couldn't bear to think that such a rich heritage would be lost. Ever since, it's been getting ripped off by resellers, learning bargaining, scouring the HMT website for those elusive watches, and in time, learning to know what makes for a good collection (and sometimes just picking one up because it looks so good :D)

This isn't a flex as the flair may seem to suggest, it's just taking pride in something that has a bit of nostalgia, madness, and a deep appreciation for the simpler 'times'

Will be happy to know more about these watches and any trivia about HMT.

What do you think I should add to this? What's your favorite of the lot?

Meet the family

1. Jawahar black dial
2. Jawahar silver dial
3. Sona
4. Rohit
5. Vijay
6. Ashok
7. Janata Deluxe
8. Anoop
9. Pilot mechanical
10. Janata (devnagri)
11. Janata
12. Kohinoor mechanical black dial
13. Kohinoor mechanical gold and black dial
14. Kohinoor Quartz Maroon
15. Kohinoor Quartz Pink
16. Kohinoor Quartz Light Blue
17. Kohinoor Quartz Silver
18. Himalaya Blue
19. Himalaya Green
20. Himalaya Silver
21. Sangam Yellow
22. Tareeq Tiffany Blue
23. Plus Silver
24. Plus Dark Grey
25. Plus Big Dial Silver
26. Pilot Automatic
27. Stellar DASL07
28. Kailash automatic

I will admit that I was well aware that these are white label watches being shipped out by Coromandel (White Label) Watch Co. I also knew that it's quite a premium they are charging you for it. Being an editor and a writer, I was sold on the storytelling and the connection to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. (I wonder what the story is behind the paper box!)

The watch itself is not too shabby. The bit about the colors of the mountains in the seconds dial was a stretch but we'll go with it. The hour dial and the colors corresponding to that of the train is closer to buyable. The movement is decent. The finish is good. The etched back plate is a good touch. The strap is good too.

All of the above has been discussed at length by others.

What really feels like rubbing it in (to go with the drop shipping allegations) is the thin card paper box they shipped the watch in!! Talk about going the extra mile to pocket a profit! I don't think the first lot was shipped this way. What on earth is this? Pathetic. How does a microbrand that is only just starting off try to pull off such crap?

Anyone else who feels the same about this?

Again, in all fairness, the watch isn't terrible. But if you're paying 2x the markup price of the product before the branding, the least you expect is a decent case to go with the watch. They simply seem to have shipped it out with the original rebranded Chinese box 😐

P.S. - The premium leather case costs under 500 bucks. Surely that's something that they could afford to send with the "imported" watch.

It's been such a topsey turvey ride with Kalā Watches.

The Good:

Their dials are undeniably the most beautifully crafted of any Indian microbrands, if not anywhere. The choice of colours, the attention to detail in the dial, all of it is top notch. The mineral glass done does a fine job of showcasing the star of the watch, the aforementioned dial. The indices are crisp and the markers are very well done too. The case and the case back too are very well put together. The strap is far from perfect though and looks much like the cheap generic straps available in the market.

The Sloppy:

Just when I thought all was perfect and they'd finally managed to take care of all the QC issues reported by users, your eye meets what's staring at you right in the face. The chronograph hand is off by a bit, but it's the trailing end that is more of an eye sore for me (look at the first image). The pointed end at the back is slightly bent and it's hard to miss once you spot it.

I understand that each piece is hand put together, but when you make your customer wait in line to get one, and then wait some more (no thanks to the joke of a delivery partner that Delhivery is!) and then also get an email about how they are overbooked and will only be able to ship the rest of the order 3 weeks late (despite being done with the order within the first 30 seconds of the lines opening!) the least you expect is for basic QC to be done. Unlike the complaints about edges not being polished and scratches reported near the lugs by users, which can be hidden, this is simply not acceptable. You can and definitely ought to do better.

Yes, it's a new and upcoming microbrand and is a small team, but that's all the more reason to ensure that the basics are done well. It's hard not to compare it with DWC which has had its own issues but surely has learnt its lessons.

None of that though takes always from such a brilliantly simple, yet unmissably beautiful watch unlike any other. As much as I would like to have this fixed, I don't trust their delivery partner and simply can't bear to part with this little piece of art.

P.S. - I think the reverse panda is an absolute understated beauty that is overshadowed by its more popular siblings.

Kalā, please don't be so sloppy?!