New Watch Collection Inspired By First Supersonic Fighter Jet

In the spirit of producing world-class mechanical watches that tell stories from India, Bangalore Watch Company announces their new watch collection inspired by the Indian Air Force, the MACH 1 Collection. MACH 1 is a Pilot-style Watch Collection that pays tribute to the First Supersonic Fighter Jet of the Indian Air Force, the MiG 21 Type 77.

"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 we're proud to bring stories from the city and India through our watches," said Co-Founder Mercy Amalraj. "We want to make watches in India that tell stories from India. When people think of high-end watches, it's usually Swiss brands that come to mind – but India has such a rich history" she added.

MiG 21 FL Type 77 (NATO Codenamed FISHBED) was the first supersonic fighter jet of the Indian Air Force. Produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under license from the Soviet Union, and inducted into the Indian Air Force in the early 1960s, the plane played a critical role during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation Campaign. It is this plane that Bangalore Watch Company™ pays tribute to, through the MACH 1 Collection.

"The MACH 1 collection was designed and assembled in Bengaluru with components imported from some of the best manufacturers from Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Japan," said Nirupesh Joshi, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Bangalore Watch Company, "The watches run Swiss Made automatic movements, made with surgical-grade stainless-steel, anti-scratch sapphire crystals, built for 100 Meters of water resistance, carry fighter-plane cockpit inspired dials, and a deep laser etched MiG 21 design motif on the case back."

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.

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.