BWC's new watch collection pays tribute to MiG 21 Type 77

Bangalore Watch Company (BWC) has come up with a new watch collection that pays tribute to the first supersonic fighter jet of the Indian Air Force, the MiG 21 Type 77.

Inspired by the Indian Air Force, BWC announced the launch of MACH 1, which is a pilot-style watch collection, the company said in a statement.

"As part of the launch of the MACH 1 collection, Bangalore Watch Company also announces a special edition of 21 pieces named MACH 1X, which contain cockpit-inspired dials made of materials recovered from the skin of decommissioned Indian Air Force MiG 21 aircraft," the company said.

There are five models in the MACH 1 collection, with prices ranging from Rs 48,000 to Rs 53,000, the company said, adding that the price of the MACH 1X special-edition is available on request.

"We wanted to pay tribute to the Indian Air Force with an aviation-style watch collection.

HAL is headquartered in Bengaluru, the city has played a critical role in the history of the Indian Air Force and were proud to bring stories from the city and India through our watches, said Co-Founder Mercy Amalraj.

About the MIG 21, the company said it was produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under license from the Soviet Union and was inducted into the Indian Air Force in the early 1960s.

The plane had played a critical role during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation Campaign.

Originally meant to be a 'spot interceptor', the plane went on to provide an air-superiority umbrella so strong that enemy planes were grounded in fear of being downed by the MiG 21, the statement said.

"We wanted to pay tribute to the Indian Air Force with an aviation-style watch collection.

HAL is headquartered in Bengaluru. The city has played a critical role in the history of the Indian Air Force and were proud to bring stories from the city and India through our watches," Co-founder Mercy Amalraj was quoted as saying.

We want to make watches in India that tell stories from India.

When people think of high-end watches, its usually Swiss brands that come to mind but India has such a rich history", she added.

The watches will be available for pre-order on the brands websitebangalorewatchco.in starting September 10 and the brand will be shipped worldwide beginning November 2019, the company said.