On March 21st, Bangalore Watch Company launched its latest collection—the Peninsula Professional—at the Conrad Bengaluru. The atmosphere was relaxed and refined, pairing a casual media lunch with an evening of cocktails, community, and conversation. Between insightful talks from speakers like Amoghavarsha JS, Sunil Nataraj, and Ripu Daman Bevli, guests also got a closer look at BWC’s boldest watch yet: a bezel-less, 200-metre rated design that draws inspiration from India’s own natural landscapes.

At first glance, the Peninsula Professional breaks many traditional rules of outdoor watch design. There’s no rotating bezel, no chunky case with exaggerated geometry—instead, BWC leans into fluidity. The case takes its cues from a river-worn pebble, with soft curves that eliminate unnecessary bulk while improving wearability. It’s a choice that reflects not just nature, but a quiet confidence—one that lets the contours speak for themselves.

Then there’s the dial, which opens up thanks to that bezel-free silhouette. It’s more spacious, more legible, and more luminous. While each model leans into a specific biome—from Himalayan whites to forest greens to coastal blues—there’s a shared visual identity here: modern, tactile, and deliberate. The indices break rank in classic BWC fashion, adding just enough eccentricity to keep things interesting. Most striking of all is the Mannar edition, a rare use of black Mother of Pearl in a gender-neutral design—a reminder that boldness and restraint can coexist on the wrist.

We caught up with co-founder Nirupesh Joshi to dig into the design story, the thinking behind each model, and how customer evolution is shaping the future of Indian watchmaking.

What first drew you to the idea of an outdoor watch?

Nirupesh Joshi: I think my watch preferences have largely influenced BWC’s product roadmap in a way—we’ve talked about this before. I’m an aviation and space buff, and you clearly see that in our lineup. As a founder, your personal preferences influence product strategy in many ways, and that’s been true for both Mercy and me. We make the kind of watches we like.

Outdoor as a category has always been interesting to me because I love the outdoors. Every opportunity I get, I run off to the hills. But I never found the idea of a boxed category watch appealing. I couldn’t see myself wearing a typical field watch or a typical dive watch. We always wondered why there wasn’t a category that could do it all—hike with it, dive with it, swim with it. They call it GADA: go anywhere, do anything. But the problem is that everyone just makes a 38mm field watch and calls it a GADA. That didn’t appeal to us.

So that’s where the conversation started: what would a watch look like if it were inspired by the Indian outdoors—but you could wear it anywhere, do anything with it? That’s where Peninsula began.

Why did you make that call—to and how did it shape the rest of the design?

Very early on, we decided there would be no bezel. When we started thinking about the watch, we said we wanted inspiration from nature—and the pebble stone was in our heads from the beginning.

We knew the case had to look like a pebble. But the minute you start adding a bezel, you begin to make compromises. You bring in geometric shapes, you have to cut for the bezel, and the silhouette gets sacrificed. Some brands manage it, but we also wanted 200 metres of water resistance. So the no-bezel, organic shape was an early design decision that really shaped the look of the watch.

Each model is tied to a specific terrain. Could you take us through them—and the names you chose?

When you look at India, what comes to mind? Oceans, the Himalayas, and the lush jungles. We saw three terrains that represent India’s geographic diversity: the Himalayas, the jungles, and the oceans.

From there, we looked at specific locations. For the jungles, it had to be Agumbe—it’s deep in the Western Ghats, a rainforest with 71 species of snakes. It’s known as the “Cherrapunji of the South”. For the Himalayas, we went with Zanskar. My wife and co-founder Mercy and I camped in Ladakh back in 2009 before the tourist boom. We still remember that trip, and the Zanskar range really stayed with us—especially the Chadar Trek, which crosses a frozen river in the winter. That became the inspiration for Zanskar, which has a flat white dial. Laccadive celebrates the oceans—remote and biodiverse. It’s our tribute to India’s coastlines.

Tell me about the Mannar special edition. I was drawn to that MOP dial—it’s quite striking.

Mother of Pearl is seen in many watches, but it’s often tied to women’s watches. You’ll see a 36mm version with a MOP dial sold as the “lady’s model.”

But our watches are gender-neutral. We think anyone can wear them. So we wanted to bring in exotic materials tied to nature, and MOP made perfect sense.

There’s a personal story too. I recently lost my father—he lived in Rameswaram, right by the Gulf of Mannar. Two thousand years ago, people would free dive for wild oysters there. These pearls were rare due to the shallow, salty waters, and the Romans came to trade for them. That story really inspired us. So Mannar has a dial made from black Mother of Pearl—each one unique, with its own natural striations.

Did the design process require more robust testing compared to your previous collections?

Yes—and no. Technically speaking, making a case like this—with an organic shape and fewer geometric angles—is actually easier. You’re not introducing potential weak points. If the watch falls, it’s less likely to crack at a corner because there aren’t any.

That organic shape has real benefits—it fits nicely on the wrist, doesn’t jut out. And it takes more dings than an overbuilt, geometric watch. It’s form and function in one.

You’ve now got enthusiasts, but also first-time buyers entering the fold. How has your customer base evolved?

Two things. One, the watch customer in India has evolved a lot in the last 5–10 years. There’s buzz like never before—tons of YouTubers, Instagram creators. When we started, we had to explain the basics—like what 316L steel even was. Today, customers walk in and ask if we’re using 316L or 304L. They know what they want.

Two, we’re now seeing buyers who aren’t traditional collectors. People who say, “I haven’t worn a watch in 10 years, but I loved the storytelling.” That’s a huge win for us. They’re drawn in by the story, and they stay for the product and the ownership experience. We now have many customers who own multiple BWC watches.

I heard about a gentleman who travelled hours just to check out your watches. Do you see retail experiences becoming a bigger part of your growth?

Absolutely. Retail and physical touchpoints are crucial—especially now that we’re in the ₹1–1.5 lakh price bracket. We’re exploring three options: increasing open houses, partnering with select retailers in key cities, or launching our own experience centres. Either way, retail is part of the roadmap over the next 12–18 months.

Finally—what’s next for BWC in 2025?

We’ve got at least two new watches coming. People have been asking for a dress watch ever since we discontinued the Renaissance Automatic, so that’s on our mind. We’ve done aviation, space, cricket, now outdoors—there may be one or two more categories to explore. We usually do about three releases a year—one brand-new design, and one or two extensions of past models. You’ll definitely see something fresh later this year.