Time comes to a stop

With HMT likely to call time on watch production, you could grab some of its most iconic products

It is a Monday afternoon but Dhananjay HS has taken time off from his job in a software company to hunt down a few models of HMT watches while he still can. Reports say the public sector unit will be shut down. He has picked up seven so far, and is buying an eighth from the company's retail outlet, but the model he really wants continues to elude him. "I've been trying to get my hands on a Pilot for three months but it's not available," he says. He's out of luck that day as well.

HMT Watches, a subsidiary of Hindustan Machine Tools, was established in 1961, and its products quickly grew in popularity. At its peak in 1991-92, it was selling almost 400 watches manufactured at Bangalore, Tumkur and Ranibagh. It suffered a setback in 1986, when around 350 of its best engineers left to join a watch company that the Tatas had established. Soon, sales began to slip and HMT lost its iconic status. Last year, sales were a mere Rs 7.5 crore and the net loss was Rs 233 crore.

With closure hanging over the company, there is renewed interest in the remaining HMT watches. "I used to sell 10 watches a day earlier and this has now jumped to 20," says Sathyanarayana G, proprietor of Sri Lakshmi Times in Bangalore, which mainly sells HMT watches. The most popular HMT models, according to retail executives and collectors, are Janata, the first model launched by the company and so named by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Pilot, the dial of which glows in the dark and is popular among defence personnel, and Sona, a slim model with an attractive design.

At Sathyanarayana's shop, retired postmaster Sultan Hamiduddin is trying to convince him to give him a discount on a Kohinoor that costs Rs 1,200 but he refuses to budge, citing increasing demand. "I bought a Sona on January 1, 1979, from Doshi & Doshi in Chennai and it still runs perfectly," Hamiduddin reminisces. He recalls that in "those days" one had to wait a long time for an HMT watch -the first preference was for those in the armed forces. Another customer, Somnath from Pune, enquires about a Pilot, which he says he has been searching for since November but has to leave disappointed.

Dhananjay believes HMT watches are superior to even Swiss brands. His tip for those who want to buy a collector's item: "Pick up anything in the 21-jewel series. Or the few skeleton models (so called because one can see its workings). It will cost you around Rs 10,000 but a similar model in another brand would cost you lakhs."

HMT JANATA

The first HMT model and named so because it was meant for the people, the Janata was prized for its affordability and comes in several variants, though they are currently hard to get hold of.
Price: Rs 1,050

HMT SKELETON

One of the more expensive models, HMT's Skeleton watches would still be significantly cheaper than a similar model in other brands. So named because the design allows you to see the mechanics
Price:Rs 9,000

 

HMT PILOT

Possibly one of the most coveted HMT models if inquiries at outlets are anything to go by, this is one of the earliest models manufactured by the company. The numbers on the dial glow in the dark because of radium, and it was popular among the armed forces.
Price: Rs 1,200

HMT SONA

The Sona comes with a gold case and is slimmer than its predecessors. Though the official price is  Rs 800, models are selling online for over Rs  2,000 (or are out of stock).
Price: Rs 800