“The story of India is not merely centuries old, but hundreds of millions of years old. The Indian peninsula formed when a landmass separated from an ancient continent called Gondwana, about 180 million years ago.” – Nirupesh Joshi, Co-Founder
Bangalore Watch Company (BWC) launches the Peninsula Professional, a new collection that celebrates India’s “natural landscapes, and geographic diversity,” such as its rainforests, coastlines, high peaks, and deep waters.
Founded in 2018, BWC has carved a unique identity for itself by creating watches that tell Indian stories. Their collections have included watches that pay homage to HMT, the Indian Air Force (IAF), cricket, and the Indian space program (ISRO). Last year we wrote about the Apogee Karman Line, India’s first space qualified watch.
The Peninsula Professional collection consists of four dial versions.
Agumbe
Its green dial celebrates “the lush rainforests of India.”
Laccadive 
Its blue dial is “a tribute to the 7500 Kms of Indian coastlines.”
Zanskar
Its white dial “tells our love for the Himalayas and the high-peaks,” such as the Western and Eastern Ghats.
Mannar
Its rare black mother-of-pearl dial is a tribute to India’s deep waters. “For 2000 years, freedivers risked deep waters to find rare wild pearls in the Gulf of Mannar region between India and Sri Lanka. These pearls were highly valued and became symbols of power. Mannar contains a dial made entirely from a rare black mother-of-pearl. It has unique patterns that tell the story of the region’s past. Each watch is unique owing to the natural striations in the mother of pearl.” Mannar is a limited edition of 50 pieces.
Key Features
“The design of the watch is inspired by the single most ubiquitous element in nature – the Pebble stone. Built entirely using a surgical-grade steel body, with a scratch-resistant super dome Sapphire crystal, and powered by a Swiss Automatic movement, the watches are built for a variety of activities like water sports and hiking.”
Functions are hours, minutes, seconds and date.
Hour and minute hands and 12 hour-markers are diamond cut, rhodium plated and coated with BGW9 Grade-A Super-LumiNova. Date window is at 6 o’clock. An hour and minute scale encircles the outer dial.
Powered by Sellita SW200-1, a Swiss Made automatic movement which drives the hours, minutes, seconds, and date. Power reserve: 41 hours. According to online sources, this movement has 26 Jewels, beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph or 4 Hz, and features hacking seconds and a quickset date.
Pebble shaped case is made from 316L stainless steel. Diameter: 44 mm. Thickness: 13.75 mm. Lug-to-lug distance: 31 mm. Lug width: 20 mm. Dial side features a super-domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. Closed caseback is screwed to the main case and features an engraving and text. The screw down crown at 3 o’clock features the brand’s logo. Water resistant up to 20 ATM or 200 metres.
Strap is made from FKM, short for Fluoro-Elastomer high-density rubber. It is fitted to a tang buckle made from 316L stainless steel, with brand’s signed logo.
“Watch brands from around the world have always focused on nature and outdoors. Specific lines of watches have been created for recreational purposes like diving or hiking. Our Peninsula collection is an all-purpose outdoor watch – it can be used 200 meters underwater in the Indian Ocean, as well as 8000 meters above sea level on a Himalayan peak.” – Mercy Amalraj, Co-Founder and Head of Ownership Experience
Our Thoughts
While BWC’s earlier collections paid tribute to stories inspired by 21st century India, the Peninsula Professional celebrates India’s natural beauty, going back millions of years. All four dial versions are attractive and well executed. For a collector who wants a versatile watch in a sought-after dial colour, powered by a dependable and easily serviceable movement, relatively affordable, and which comes with a fascinating story (four, one for each dial version), the Peninsula Professional is a compelling addition for their collection.
Additional Details
Name: Peninsula Professional – Agumbe, Laccadive, Zanskar, and Mannar
Price of Agumbe, Laccadive, and Zanskar: Indian Rupees (INR) 1,10,000 / United States Dollar (USD): 1300 (approximately).
Price of Mannar: Indian Rupees (INR) 1,86,000 / United States Dollar (USD): 2198 (approximately). Mannar is a limited edition of 50 pieces.
Please visit the brand’s website and Instagram page for more information. The Peninsula Professional can be ordered via the brand’s website.
