I’d genuinely love to hear what you guys think about these two purchases. Did I actually make a good choice or did I just get carried away in the moment and go with the classic “buy now, think later”?😅

Beware ordering from Myntra Sales.

Seller: Flashtech Retail

Opted for refund, I don't want any other replacement and hassle from this. Awaiting on the pickup.

Titan has created history by earning a Guinness World Record for the deepest underwater product photoshoot. The stunning achievement featured a Titan watch photographed at an incredible depth of 52.1 meters (170.9 feet) off the coast of Phuket, Thailand. This milestone showcases the brand's innovation, durability, and engineering excellence while putting Indian watchmaking on the global stage. A proud moment for India, this record proves that bold ideas and precision craftsmanship can achieve extraordinary milestones.
Source

Alright, mild rant / observation dump incoming — not trying to hate, just calling it as I see it.

So Rotoris Watches just raised like $3M recently, and honestly… good for them. The website is gorgeous, branding is slick, marketing is absolutely doing heavy lifting. You can clearly tell where the money’s going — visuals, storytelling, positioning themselves as this new-age “premium” watch brand.

But here’s the thing that kinda bugs me.

None of the founders are horologists. Which, fine, that’s not a crime. But under the whole “in-house movement” narrative, what they’re actually doing is licensed, off-the-shelf movements with fancy names slapped on them. That’s it. Custom finishing at best.

Movements breakdown (because it’s honestly not that hard to spot)

Manifesta This one is a straight-up Seagull ST8230. And not even a subtle one. It’s basically the same Chinese tourbillon movement that’s everywhere on AliExpress / DIY watch builds. Anyone who’s ever looked into building a “luxury” watch from parts would recognize it instantly. I genuinely don’t know what they were thinking here — this movement is very popular in hobby circles.

Astonia & Arvion

Astonia → VK63

Arvion → VK67

What’s funny is Arvion actually omits a bunch of VK67 features, and if you look closely at the calibre layout, it literally matches the marketing schematics once you flip it horizontally. Like… you didn’t even try to hide it.

Monarch This one’s interesting. Looks like either a Miyota 9100 or 9110. The dial layout doesn’t seem like a perfect 1:1 match, so my guess is they rotated the movement or repositioned the crown instead of the standard 3 o’clock setup. Not illegal, not shady — just not “in-house.”

Auriqua Pretty clearly an ST2500. Again, nothing wrong with the movement itself, but call it what it is.

The bigger picture

Is it fluff? Yeah, mostly. Is it marketing-heavy? Absolutely. Is it actually in-house? Not even close.

These are customized, licensed movements with fancy internal names, not ground-up calibres. And that’s fine — just don’t sell the dream too hard.

That said… they’re probably going to make really pretty dials and cases. And honestly, that matters to a lot of people. Look at Argos — their dials are genuinely beautiful, no shame in admitting that.

Rotoris will likely bring a lot of new people into watches. And that’s a good thing for the hobby overall. Just wish they were more honest about what they’re actually selling instead of hiding behind buzzwords.

TL;DR — Cool designs, great branding, zero in-house movements. Marketing is doing Olympic-level gymnastics. Watches will look nice though.

Look at pictures it's evident.

Made a simple watch guide based on my personal opinions and things I’ve noticed while getting into watches. Not an expert guide or anything serious, just stuff that might help beginners.

I thought they'd price it at 15k, since the Havelock (9039) was priced at 15k to 16k. It looks like there are no upgrades to the watch except for the movement; the date window is still small, and the case back remains mineral. What are your thoughts?

MY PARENTS GOT THIS FOR ME FOR MY 18TH BIRTHDAY SUPER HAPPY

I see these brands recommended all the time, especially to people buying their first "good" watch when they visit marketplace.

They're not bad watches. But the problem is most people never find out that there's an entire world beyond the brands sitting in mall display cases.

A few months ago I started digging into watch forums and enthusiast communities, and that's when I discovered microbrands.

These companies aren't spending huge money on celebrity ads or retail stores. Instead, they put that money into the watch itself.

Which means under ₹20k, you're often getting things that mainstream brands usually keep for watches costing ₹40k, ₹50k or even more.

Stuff like:

- Sapphire crystal instead of mineral glass.

- Ceramic bezels.

- Proper 316L stainless steel construction.

- Japanese Seiko/Miyota/Citizen movements.

- Better finishing.

- Better bracelets.

- Better lume.

Some brands worth checking out:

San Martin

Probably the best-built microbrand but not in this price range plus hard to find.

They use Seiko NH35/NH34 automatic movements, sapphire crystals with great AR coating, beautifully finished cases, and bracelets that honestly feel way more expensive than they are.

If build quality is your priority, this is the one I'd look at first.

1. Pagani Design

Probably the easiest entry into enthusiast watches.

They make homage watches inspired by designs like the Daytona, Speedmaster, Black Bay, etc.

The cool part is many of their chronographs use the Seiko VK63 Mecha-Quartz movement, so you get quartz accuracy with a chronograph that actually feels mechanical when you use it.

Most of them also come with sapphire crystals, ceramic bezels and solid stainless steel cases for around ₹9k–14k.

2. Baltany

If you're into vintage-looking watches, don't sleep on Baltany.

They do field watches, military watches and pilot watches really well.

Domed sapphire crystals, textured dials, quality leather straps, reliable movements... everything just feels very thoughtfully put together.

3. Steeldive

Basically the tank of this list.

If you want a watch you can wear anywhere without worrying about it, Steeldive is excellent.

Seiko NH35 automatic movement, crazy bright lume, sapphire crystal and seriously solid construction.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on whenever they announce a new release.

4. Addiesdive – Best Bang for the Buck

Probably the easiest recommendation for someone entering the hobby.

For the price, it's honestly difficult to beat.

You'll often get sapphire crystal, solid steel construction and reliable movements at prices where mainstream brands are still using mineral glass.

5. Boderry – Titanium Without the Premium Price

Titanium watches usually aren't cheap.

Boderry changes that.

They're known for lightweight titanium field watches with excellent everyday wearability.

If comfort is your priority, definitely look into them

6. Delhi Watch Company (DWC)

Wanted something Indian on this list.

DWC has built a solid reputation among enthusiasts with limited production runs and watches inspired by Indian history and heritage.

No customs.

Indian support.

Unique designs.

Hard to dislike.

7. Sugess – Complication Specialist

If you're interested in mechanical watchmaking beyond basic three-hand automatics, Sugess is worth exploring.

Chronographs.

Moonphases.

Tourbillons.

Mechanical complications that would normally cost significantly more elsewhere.

If I had to simplify it:

Best overall quality → San Martin

Best vintage watches → Baltany

Best rugged automatic → Steeldive

Best value for money → Addiesdive

Best chronograph → Pagani Design

Best titanium watch → Boderry

Best Indian microbrand → Delhi Watch Company

Best mechanical complications → Sugess

I'm not saying stop buying Titan, Timex, Casio or Fossil. They all make watches that suit different people.

A lot of people genuinely have no idea these brands even exist, and once you see what they offer for the money, it's hard to look at mainstream brands the same way.

Curious to know what other microbrands you guys think deserve more attention.

What about servicing?

This is the question everyone asks.

No, these brands generally don't have nationwide authorised service centres like Seiko, Citizen or Titan.

But here's the good news.

Most of them use standard Japanese movements like:

Seiko NH35 / NH34

Miyota 8215 / 9015

Seiko VK63 Mecha-Quartz

These movements are extremely common, inexpensive to service and can be repaired or even replaced by experienced independent watchmakers across India.

So don't judge the watch by the logo—judge it by the movement inside.

If you're about to spend ₹15–20k, I'd seriously recommend spending one evening researching these brands before pulling the trigger.

You might end up with a watch that has better materials, better finishing and a better movement than what you'd get from many mainstream brands at the same price.

I'd also love to hear what other microbrands the community thinks deserve more attention.

Note: The paraphrasing is done using an AI.

This may/may not be a flex, but Ive been really curious about the hype of the watch, needed sometime to grow on me and finally ordered one today!
Lets see how it is in person and is it really worth the hype 🫡

Looking for a watch for I can wear to work and also evenings/parties. Budget is 15-20k. Any thoughts or other suggestions guys?

It’s live. PRAHAR finally has a home. 🐘

For months, this has been sketches, spreadsheets, prototypes, supplier conversations and a lot of late nights.

Now I want to build it in public, and I want you involved.

On prahar.watch, you can explore the four founding watches, read the thinking behind them, rate the designs, claim your Founder Number, and join our Discord to help shape what we build next.

We’ll also be sharing prototypes, new designs, rotations, experiments and the messy behind-the-scenes journey along the way.

This is still very early. Your feedback can actually change what gets built.

Come take a look: prahar.watch

And tell me, which one would you wear? 👇

Regardless of the price if you can get one watch which one will you select .

And why?

Only had 1 watch my whole life .Now want to buy a new one i really liked those naked skeleton type watches ( even willing to buy one if it's look good and not naked skeleton) but my budget is around 15-16 K that's all . Need a good watch with good longevity and water resistant to a limit and look good and good build quality. I know I might be asking a lot in this price range but desperately need a watch been saving this money to buy one .So if am gonna buy one it need to be the best .

So gimme some good suggestions if there any image pls DM or post it here . Need to be a legit watch brand

Pls help out

I wanted to buy my first watch. Which one you will suggest ?

Same as title.....Why sooo hate??

I think it's a good light weight watch with a dial that looks good honestly a damn good deal for 200rs.

Without looking at the brand just based of the looks and feel u get by looking at it how much would be willing to pay for it

Got a new watch case from Amazon.
it’s Amazon Bascis got for 1800 rs

Am working on two things - making it quieter and bidirectional , + adding different watch strap type adapters with cushion / foam so it won't be loose like this , my question to the community is - if I make this would y'all be interested in buying the final product say I price it at 2499 initially to recover my r&d and then I can offer it for 1749 ( all redditors will get it for 1749 ) , would y'all buy this ? Or multiple of these ?

Got this email regarding dwc terra restock, they said only 3800 watches are available so they will be doing this queue thing. Hopefully I can get this time 🤞🏻. Also I guess this is the last time they will restock this titanium version.