Wrist watches and the wrists

Often this question pops into our mind - Why are watches worn on the left wrists?

Well...majority of the people in this world are right handed and thus it makes sense not to wear a watch on the right wrist for practical reasons. However, in my opinion there is more to it than the dominant right hand theory. Below is my opinion and I am sure of many others as well:

1.       Right hand being the more dominant hand is more active and is involved in actions like waving, writing, eating which require a lot of hand/wrist movement. The watch hinders its movements and is also susceptible to damage due to quick movements. Left hand being the non dominant hand requires less movement and thus the watch is more protected on the left wrist as compared to the right. Also, makes it easier for the wearer to read time even while the right hand is busy with its chores.

2.       Earlier and I am sure even today (especially for all the HMT and other mechanical watch fans) mechanical watches were in prevalence and the crown of the watch was mostly (almost 90% of the cases) on the right side of the watch (3/4 o’clock position). Since it was regularly operated by the wearer, it was easier for one to reach out to the crown while the watch was on the left wrist.

3.       For a right handed person it’s easier to buckle up the watch on the left wrist as compared to the right.

4.       The earlier society was more conservative and discreet when it came to men’s accessory so while the right arm would be extended to a hand shake the wristwatch would be hidden from the attention of the gathering on left wrist under the shirt’s cuff. Perhaps that could be the reason why a lot of people these days wear their watches on the right hand wrists to get the attention they want to their watches which are more of an accessory now than a time keeping device.

5.        People followed the earlier convention and thus continued to wear their watches on left hands even when the world saw the invasion of electric cell powered watches making the usage of crown redundant. Since a lot of people in the current generation have not experienced the joy of wearing a mechanical winding watch they often experiment by switching the watches from left to right wrists. Also the thought of “look different from the lot” has won a lot of fans and thus switching wrists when it comes to watches is also a way to look different.

In the end as long as you keep up with the pace of time right is right and left is right too.

Caveat emptor - Let the (HMT watch) buyer beware

Friends,

With more and more franken watches reaching the wrists of innocent watch enthusiasts with professionally made after market dials the difference between original and fake watches is reducing to a thin line.

What I have learnt and observed is that the watches with printed dials are the most faked ones and one must be very careful while buying watches with printed dials. Examples – Janata (art deco), Saathi, Chinar etc. Old discarded dials are repainted assembled with original cases old HMT movements and sold as new-old-stock. 

Though there is no full-proof way of identifying the fake dials from the originals there are still a few giveaways. HMT watches come with pie pan shaped dials and most of the fake dials do not have printing closer to the dial edges and ends at the curve of the dial. They have a separate print for the edges (movement details, made in India) and it stands apart from the printing on the rest of the dial. Another point is the quality of printing it won't be as neat and sharp as the original dials. One more factor is the lack of lacquer finish on the fake dials. Original HMT dials have a lacquer finish which is done post the printing of dial making it more resistant to damage due to heat and moisture. This gives a shine to the dial of the watch and thus fake dials look dull due to absence of lacquer finish. The hands on these watches are often taken from older watches and since hands are too thin to be buffed they often look older as compared to the condition of the watch or if they are brand new you might find them slightly different from the original hands (length of the hands, shape etc).

Another important factor is that not everybody is a purist who wants the dial, case, hands, crown to be as it came off from the assembly line and the watch dealers cater to such customers too therefore do your due diligence for dealers sell to masses and not classes before buying a watch.

So how should we tackle this problem two probable solutions – 

1. Do your homework before you buy a watch. Only your knowledge can save you from buying cheap imitation dial watches. Compare the watch you intend to buy by closely comparing it with the photographs of original watches. If you feel it’s not right, don't take a decision walk away from the deal it’s not the last watch on the planet there are plenty more waiting to be unearthed.

2. Don't just concentrate on the Janata, Pilot, Sona etc there are lots of other variants that are equally gorgeous and less in demand chances of you finding an original Deepak or a Kohinoor or a Vijay, Sartaj is much higher than the big three. Also, you might find them reasonably priced as compared to the much in demand watches.

What I have just mentioned here is what i have learnt from other experienced collectors, HMT staff and through my own good and bad experiences.  I am not an expert therefore my observation should be used with personal discretion.   

Before starting your HMT watch collection

Before you start collecting watches, understand your primary motive behind creating a collection. Based on my interactions with different HMT watch collectors, I have tried to document below the various factors which leads them to choose the watches they add to their collection. I am quite sure that this list is inclusive and not exhaustive and a person may have more than one factor behind choosing which watch one wants to add to his/her collection. It may also happen that over a period of time the motive behind a person’s choice evolves from one to another.

I invest in watches:

This is one of the most debatable reasons when it comes to HMT watches. According to a certain section of watch admirers, HMT watches have an antique value and there monetary value has risen/will rise over a period of time. Before we explore this factor further we need to understand a few important things when it comes to articles that are an antique and have an investment potential. An antique is an item which is scarcely available and is desirable to a large number of individuals. The value of an item goes up in direct proportion to its availability vis-à-vis the number of people who want to acquire it. HMT watches were manufactured in large numbers and are still being produced by the company. They were a household name at least one or two watches in each family. Therefore to say that these watches are scarcely available would not be true as they are still available in India across cities. If one searches earnestly these watches are available with watch dealers and in HMT showrooms as New-Old-Stock. Another important thing is the demand for these watches, which would increase the competition amongst buyers prompting the sellers to increase its cost. The demand for HMT mechanical watches has increased over a period of time but whether it would catch the fancy of watch collectors in large numbers is something to be observed in future. However, there are quite a few models from HMT that are scarcely available as they were not released in large numbers and are hardly available now e.g. excel, leo, roman automatic, Jawahar, kaushal, bahadur etc. Premium prices are charged for these watches and a lot of fake/Franken watches also get sold to those HMT watch lovers who are unable to make out the difference.

I love mechanical movements: There are quite a few mechanical watch lovers and they the love simple yet intricate mechanical watch movements where gears in the gear-train work in tandem to help the user read accurate time. They prefer mechanical watch movements over the more accurate quartz movement.

I collect retro stuff: To some the nostalgia of the bygone era holds a lot of attraction. To such people HMT watches have a great retro appeal as HMT still continues to use the designs from the 60s. They love to pick-up the watches with a retro appeal. E.g. some love the blue color sunray dial of an Avinash watch which was typical of the 80s and the disco era, others love the white dial Janata watches with the typical 19^th century look.

I collect what I like: There people collect only what they like irrespective of the brand of they watch. It’s the vibe as they say that they get from the watch that really matters. To them it’s the entire package and the appeal of the watch that makes them choose a particular watch. To them the movement of the watch or the company of the watch does not matter.

I collect a watch for its unique dial/movement: These are the people who collect watches which have a unique dial or a different complication in the movement. They look for specific watches like a kaushal or Bahadur or a chirag watch for its unique dial. Such people often look for a pocket watch from HMT or a Taurus watch for its banner date calendar movement.

I collect watches and would like to add selected iconic watches from different brands: People in this category are watch lovers that love collecting watches from different brands and would add the watches from a brands that are quite famous. Such people mostly collect selected watches from HMT like Janata, sona, pilot and Jawan. To them the watches that are synonymous with a brands name are a must have.

I wear all my watches and collect watches for different occasions, moods etc: Watch lovers that look for a specific type of watch or dial colour fall under this category. They would pick up a Janata because they need a white dial watch or would need a simple and elegant looking watch. They might pick up a Pilot for its retro and evergreen looks. They would buy a sona watch as they might be looking for a beautiful yet economical dress watch. These are the guys next door whose watch collection is limited to a few watches and these watches would cover all the occasions in their life. They would buy a track watch for its sporty looks or a chirag watch for its Friday evening social get- together look.

I buy watches to gift it to others: I have often come across people who are on a constant lookout for unique gifts to impress their friends and business associates. To them HMT watch is as a unique gift option. In their opinion it’s a long lasting gift that reminds the receiver of the giver without burning a hole in the pocket of the giver as affordable price range is synonymous with the HMT brand. To such people model and make of the model does not matter much. They try and find a watch which bears the name of the receiver or the one that goes best with the taste of the receiver of the gift. They are usually not a watch collector themselves.

I need a watch in my name: This is one of the biggest reasons why people want to buy an HMT watch thesedays. HMT released various models in most of the common Indian names and I am yet to come across a person who would not be curious once he comes to know that there is a watch that has his name on its dial. Such people just buy that one watch in their name and conclude their quest for HMT watches. However, there are quite a few people who end up buying more watches as the HMT watch fever catches on them with their first watch. The model name on the dial of the watch is the sole reason behind the purchase of a watch for these people.  

I want to learn horology and am looking for watches to study: To a student of horology an HMT watch movements provides an excellent opportunity to hone his skills. These folks would buy used HMT watches, then open up the watches and study its parts to assemble them back. Since a second hand watch is quite inexpensive it provides the students of horology a cost effective opportunity to conduct horological experiments. Such people mostly buy used winding and auto-winding HMT watches.

If you think that there are other motivation factors behind a person’s collection of HMT watches; do share the same with us by commenting on this blog.

Why HMT Watches ?

In this post i will attempt at sharing the reasons behind people's attraction of these watches. This attraction further leads to the craze of collecting them. These differ from person to person.

Below are a few that I know of:

Nostalgia: Most of the people growing up in the 80s and earlier in India know these watches.They have seen them on the wrists of the elders of their family. People relive those good old days with these watches on their wrists.

Mechanical watch lovers: HMT becomes an obvious choice for mechanical watch lovers along with Allwyn, Titoni, favre leuba, henry Sandoz etc. These watches have a good movement and are quite economical as far as their prices are concerned.

Guinea pig of Green Horn Horologists: People who are new to horology and want to try their hand at watch maintenance and repair often purchase old HMT watches to hone their skills.

Unique yet economical gifts: These watches act as an excellent gift during the festive season as they are unique yet economical. They create a lasting impression and last long with the receiver of gift and to top it all the prices are well within the budget.

Retro Look: Retro is the new cool..from old cars to scooters and bikes everything is making a comeback. Fashion from the good old days is in vogue from thin ties to big sunglasses. The retro designs of HMT mechanical and automatic watches are a major attraction.

Antique Value: Though highly debatable, some people believe that the old HMT watch models which are out of production line for long have an antique value. They speculate that considering the current state of HMT watches, the company might stop producing mechanical watches all together in few years and most of the old models that are out of production for long might fetch them a good return against their current investment.

Poor man’s Rado: Many of the older watches from HMT have a striking similarity with the Rado’s and the omegas etc. These watches thus became the next best thing for those who could not purchase the luxury pocket burner watches.

Suitable design and style for Indian population: Most of the HMT watches have 35-36 mm dial which is ideal for an average Indian wristsize. Though with time the focus is now on the 40+ mm dials. From simple designs of Janata, Sona and Pilot watch to the blingy Kanchan, Kedar, Sourabh watches there is a watch for every occasion and taste.

Wear your name on your wrist: Dale Carnegie aptly said that a person’s name is the sweetest sound to his ears. The most attractive thing about these watches are the names of these watches. These watches were named after the most common Indian names e.g. Vijay, Akash, Kedar, Veena, Prabhat, Usha etc. A person would love to wear a watch bearing his/her name on his/her wrist.

Low maintenance and hassle free: The good thing about these watches is that they are hassle free. Once you buy them there is almost zero maintenance apart from a broken crystal or a strap and that too after a long time. I know people who have been wearing their watches for decades without any maintenance. The maintenance charges are quite cheap and the parts are easily replaceable.

Swadeshi – Be Indian buy Indian: A lot of Indian citizens love to use only “Made by an Indian company” products. These watches are fully made in India and gives sense of pride to Indians.  

In addition to this there might be a number of other reasons and you can share the same in your comments.Also, would love to hear from you any suggestions on particular areas that you want me to cover in this series.

Till such time keep ticking.