Happy hours

Well, who’s joking about Indian Standard Time now? Certainly not luxury Swiss watch maker Frederique Constant (FC). The family-owned, Geneva-based company is set to take its made-for-India strategy to the next level. About a year ago, it developed the world’s first watch in the Devanagiri script and is now taking it global. “Even Indian watch makers can’t boast of this one-of-a-kind model,” says Arun D’Silva, FC’s India representative. The day and date are in Hindi as well. He adds that the demand is more overseas—in the U.S., the UAE, France, and Canada—than India. The Hindi dial was a unique way for FC to expand in India, after being dormant for over a decade. The script’s font is designed in-house at its factory in Geneva. The two automatic models—in 0.8 karat gold and silver-plated casings with brown and black alligator straps—cost Rs 70,000 a piece. FC has sold more than 200 pieces since it launched. “We plan to sell about 600 in the country this year, in addition to global sales,” says D’Silva.