Mahendra Chauhan is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of watch design at Titan. As the Design Head, Watches, Wearable and Accessories Division, Titan Company Limited, he's been steering the ship through an exciting year full of milestones. One of the biggest highlights? Titan's India-based entry into the prestigious Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), which marks a significant moment for the brand. It’s not every day that an Indian brand gets to share the stage at one of the most esteemed watchmaking awards globally, and it's a testament to the vision and dedication of Chauhan and his team.

This was just one of the many facets of the architecture student-turned-product design maverick that ran through my mind as we crossed paths last week, at the launch of his latest unveil, the Titan Stellar 2.0 collection. Inspired by the cosmos, the second-gen Stellars are more than just watches—they are poetic tributes to the vastness of space, featuring textures and materials that evoke celestial bodies. Think swirling galaxies and planetary influences, captured in a wrist-bound canvas that feels both imaginative and wearable. The collection isn’t just about aesthetics either; it's about bringing a sense of wonder back to analogue timepieces at a time when India and the world as a whole is increasingly dominated by digital devices.

Under Chauhan's guidance, Titan has been focusing on premiumisation, a deliberate move to elevate the brand's offerings while staying true to what makes them inherently ‘Titan.’ It’s about reimagining what luxury can look like—without losing sight of the values that make these watches accessible and desirable to a diverse audience. As we dive into the details of the new Stellar 2.0 collection, it’s clear that Titan is on a path that feels both bold and refreshingly unique. In a quick chat before the unveil, we explored Chauhan’s principles, his roadmap for India’s biggest watchmaker, the challenges of this unique 13-piece launch, and his personal takes on inspiration and watch design. Excerpts:

It's been a very big year for Titan and for you. A lot of big highlights, a lot of big achievements, and this has been one of the bigger launches across the year. How are you feeling right now, with all the work behind you?

Frankly speaking, we were definitely anticipating a bigger success rate because this is one of those collections that's setting up a new trend in watchmaking.

Titan is generally known as a company that makes elegant and beautiful watches. Elegance is the core attribute of whatever we do. So, most of the brand’s design principles are centred on the concept of the lover’s archetype—love and care. Stellar 1 was the first experiment we made towards moving from this lover’s archetype to the explorer archetype. This reflects a slightly more adventurous direction for Titan and Stellar 2.0 is the perfect example of that.

It's a massive collection of 13 pieces. It's setting a new trend in terms of watchmaking because it’s not just another watch. It’s a watch that combines the beauty of the cosmos with the fine art of watchmaking. It’s an amalgamation of fine craftsmanship and cosmic wonder, setting up a new trend, a new design direction for a new set of watches that will probably define the future of Titan.

Could you take me back to the initial discussions you had with the team when forming the concept? How did you realise the concepts you just described?

We noticed that about two years ago, a micro-trend erupted where people started gazing at the skies more often—there was a clear, keen interest in what’s happening in the outer world. This was also when Jeff Bezos, ISRO, and others invested heavily into space; space travel had become a major phenomenon. We also noticed this in popular media, mostly on Netflix and other platforms—many series were covering space activities and science fiction. 

We realised there was an emerging trend in space, something beyond Earth. People wanted to know more about what was out there, something they could only see but wanted to feel connected to. From that trend, we created the storytelling behind Stellar. The watch collection has its genesis in this trend of looking beyond Earth, beyond the possibilities of our own world, and creating stunning products inspired by that.

Could you tell me a bit about the challenges your team faced when incorporating unique and rare materials like meteorite?

We used a lot of interesting materials, and meteorite is one of them. Meteorite is a very hard material—it's a very hard rock. Slicing it to a thickness of 0.4 mm was super challenging. You need a different kind of machining setup because of the smaller particles involved. As you slice it, you get unique patterns called Widmanstätten patterns. We wanted to accentuate those patterns and glorify the watch around that. So, we cut the meteorite at various angles to get the best visuals possible.

Beyond meteorite, we used other unique materials like blue aventurine, which shimmers like the night sky even in the daytime. We combined this with a large moon disc that glows in the dark. We’ve also used titanium Grade 5, which is lightweight but provides an impeccable finish and is very sturdy—essential for a high-end watch.

Can you compare Stellar 1 and Stellar 2.0? What evolution have you seen between them?

Stellar 1 was inspired by elements of space—like black holes and meteorites. Stellar 2.0, on the other hand, is about space viewed from Earth. That’s why you see sun and moon discs, leaning towards astronomy. The core idea remains the same, but the viewpoint has evolved in Stellar 2.0.

Stellar 2.0 features three limited editions. Could you quickly walk me through them?

Sure. One is the Meteorite edition, which uses a 120,000-year-old Swedish meteorite sliced at 0.4 mm and paired with an automatic movement. Another edition features Kabba Jasper, a bluish-green stone paired with a large moon disc. The third edition is made with Titanium Grade 5 as the case material, with our in-house automatic movement. Lastly, we also have a Tiger Eye edition, using brown Tiger Eye stone in another limited piece.

Stone dials seem to be making a comeback, especially among Swiss brands. What do you see in this trend, and where do you think it's heading?

People are looking for something more natural in their products—there’s a trend toward going back to one’s roots, and to nature. The feeling of adopting something from the Earth is growing in watchmaking. Hand-finished dials and cases, where a human touch is involved, suddenly increase the sense of luxury. Stone dials have a strong connection with the elements, and because each one is unique, it makes the watch even more special. I think this trend will continue for years as people seek something timeless and connected to nature.

What do you do to stay focused and creative in a high-precision industry like watchmaking?

The working culture at Titan is so diverse and beautiful that you never feel like you’re working, especially with a creative mindset. The work becomes your passion, and the line between work and stress disappears. That's the beauty of Titan's atmosphere and its value system. We also follow a very rigid, scientific process—from validation to viability, feasibility, and desirability. Everything is defined well, and there’s a system in place for designers to perform, which is why we keep coming out with interesting things year after year.

Also, I run marathons. I’m an avid runner. Running keeps me grounded; I enjoy the pace, and it refreshes my thoughts.

With the GPHG just weeks away, this must be a proud moment for Titan, who was behind a historic first entry for India. How do you feel about being featured among the world’s most exclusive watches?

The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is one of the greatest bodies of watchmakers and enthusiasts that define and reward the best watches in the world. I'm a proud academy member of GPHG as well.

What we realised is that, although we do some of the best watches in India, we never showcased them at an international level. Titan is well-known in India and Southeast Asia, but we’ve never really ventured out to showcase our watches to the world. GPHG is the platform for that. The Edge, which is one of the slimmest watches in our collection, was the best product to represent Titan at GPHG. In fact, we presented two watches—one of them was the Ultra Slim crafted in Grade 5 Titanium, at just 3.3 mm thickness, breaking our own record—our previous Edge watch was 3.6 mm. We also have a ceramic watch that’s entirely in black matte. Both watches set new precedents for fine watchmaking at Titan. Now, we want to demonstrate to the world that we're ready to compete on the global stage.

Can you shed a bit of light on what’s next for Titan and your team?

For us, Stellar is not just a line, it’s a platform. We believe that astronomy-inspired watches are a highlight—this subset of automatic watches is unexplored in India. Stellar can really fill that gap. So, you’ll see more Stellar collections in the future. This is just the beginning.