India is not a new market for the fine watch industry. Brands like Cartier, Patek Philippe and Harry Winston have had their roots in designing special pieces for Indian Maharajas. 
Recent year records indicate that the Mobile showrooms have more fan following than the ones selling watches. Is it because we have lost interest in keep up the time or wearing the watch itself. In fact mobile phones are now viewed as an add-on investment by the average customers and the watch is an “expense”!!! The watch seems to have taken the second priority when it is considered for keeping track of time. Why has the trend changed ??
I remember wearing a watch 2000 bucks when I was in 8th standard. This was a gift from my dad for getting good marks in exams. I used to wear it to school only on special occasions. I stole a few glances from both students as well as teachers.. Wearing a watch worth 2000 bucks was a huge “status” symbol those days but now apparently every watch costs about 2000 bucks.. Array!! you get mobile phones for 2000 bucks.. why waste that money on a dumb watch.
Slowly the habit of wearing a watch has declined among the younger generation and many IT professionals. They have quit wearing a watch. Reason: time consciousness is a part of life and is moving into approximation like “TENISH” or “ Give me a call to confirm.” Unlike the concept of “Sharp Ten” of yester years and primarily the PDAs , mobiles and laptops display time as well as have more than needed features of the good old watch, such as FM, Reminders, Notes, Calculator, Directory and Games. In the recent times, many feel the watch as an inconvenience or a burden. Why duplicate facilities when the mobile phones(the habitual companion) can do the same job? Wearing a watch was necessity before the advent of mobile phones, now the watch segment has become a gift ” not used” or a gift “for the heck of it” if not based on esteem needs. Well now it looks like the mobile phones are satisfying all needs of Maslow!!!
PS: why did I write about watches?? because I saw about 50% of my class mates where not wearing a watch today even to exams and was irritating the invigilator as well as the other students writing the exam by asking for time, since Mobile phones are not allowed inside the exam hall..
