Interview with Deepak Chhabra, Managing Director, Timex Group India On His Partnership with Aston Martin’s New Timepieces
Insights into brand evolution, premium growth, and how India’s watch buyers are shifting from utility to fashion, luxury, and experiential spending
Aston Martin has long stood as an icon of British engineering, a machine that balances raw horsepower with elegance, precision and an almost obsessive attention to material detail. Every contour is calculated, every surface is aerodynamic, and every component speaks to craftsmanship and performance. Interestingly, this world of high performance automobiles mirrors the ethos of fine watchmaking, because both rely on intricate mechanics, calibrated movement and a perfect harmony between form and function. Cars measure speed and watches measure time, yet both capture a deeper idea of lifestyle, identity and legacy. Just as an Aston Martin is not merely driven but experienced, a well crafted watch is not just worn but lived with, reflecting personality in every tick. It is at this fascinating intersection of engineering and emotion that the outlook for modern horology is evolving, blending sport, luxury and storytelling. In this spirit, Outlook Luxe sat down with Deepak Chhabra, Managing Director, Timex Group India to discuss how precision, purpose and performance are shaping the future of watches in India.
Q1. You’ve been associated with Timex during the transformative period of the brand. How would you describe your journey so far and what core milestones have defined Timex’s evolution under your leadership? I think I’m completing about 4 years in next 2 months.
Deepak Chhabra: India was seeing premiumisation while we were still trying to address the masses. But Timex is where we have really upped our game. And now we are offering all products which we offer anywhere in the world. So it’s no more a separate assortment for the country. And it was picked up really well. So now we are addressing both consumers which are value driven. And the ones which are ready to spend more money if you deliver better product, better brand. So that’s one of the major change which has happened in the last 4 years. Our Timex business has become 3 times in last 2 years. So that was one part. The second part which has worked is our licence portfolio. And the last thing which has happened is there is a third business vertical which we called ODM. ODM is like we give design to manufacturing services to other brands. Largely to Aditya Birla Brands, Louis Vuillet, Vanos, Peter England and Alan Soli. That business has also seen a huge jump. So when all the 3 business units are firing, of course it has made company turn around.
Q2. As MD, how do you balance Timex’s legacy of accessibility with the brand’s growing tail towards premium and luxury segments?
DC: I think largely as I said we have expanded the brand. So even today we have products which are Rs. 2000 but we also have products which are Rs. 25,000. And how we could achieve is by segregating the assortment. So a store where premium customer comes, we don’t have to show the lower price point. A store where value conscious, lower priced customer comes, we can’t sell the premium one. So now we have assorted our offering in Timex itself. If you go to just in time, which is a premium retailer. Or go to Kamal watches, which is a premium retailer. Versus go to a small moment pop store, which will be different. So we have expanded our reach and that has really helped us gain more consumers than ever before. So our average selling price effectively has gone up by 40% in the last 3 years. But we have not vacated the space which we were playing in the past. So it’s like stretching the brand rather than moving the brand up. So we are offering premium products but we have not left the value conscious consumers. And that’s what has given us huge growth.
Q3. How did the partnership between Timex Group and Aston Martin originate?
DC: So this is a partnership which is global. We have got the exclusive licence for watches from Aston Martin for our global operation. So we are going to sell in all the markets. For India specifically, the motorsports are really becoming big. People are following Formula 1 like never before. So in 2020, we have the data, Formula 1 viewership was only 31 million people. In 2024, in 4 years, it has doubled to 60 million. So people are actually following motorsports big time which is becoming quite a craze. And Aston Martin also has a Formula 1 team which is Aramco Aston Martin. It really fits very well. Second is, you know, premiumisation, people are spending more money. And we found in our portfolio, we had a bit of gap in bridge to luxury. In fashion, we have a lot of brands. In luxury, we have two marquee brands, you know, Versace and Ferragamo. But in bridge to luxury, we have guest collection and we have tripline only. Aston Martin actually sits there well. So there was a gap of a true motorsports or sports in general brand in our portfolio. We don’t have any other sports brand as such. So, consumer spending more, gap in our portfolio plus motorsports becoming big is actually the right time for us to launch it. And we are seeing very encouraging response from our partners.
Q4. Aston Martin is celebrated for its precision engineering and aerodynamics and understated British luxury. How do these automotive design codes translate into Timex’s watchmaking?
DC: Absolutely, if you see the collection, we have incorporated all aspects of a car, you know, whether it is, say, speedometer, whether it is dashboard, whether it is, you know, the rim and the tyre and the engine, you know, you will feel a car within the watch, in each and every watch, if you see. So, there are features of a car, not general car, Aston Martin car in all our watches. So, it’s not in isolation, it’s actually extension of Aston Martin car features in all our watches. So, that’s one. But the second is, you know, Aston Martin in its core category, which is cars, is actually known for, say, you know, it is known for performance, it is known for its exclusivity. You know, not anybody and everybody can, you know, go and buy an Aston Martin car. It’s done by invitation. In India, there are only 180 Aston Martin car owners. And the car starts from 5.5 crores and goes up to 30 crores. So, we have tried to bring that exclusivity also. So, we are not going to distribute it to everywhere. Our go-to-market strategy is very simple. We are going to sell at 100, best of the stores across the country. Sell from our exclusive store, which is JustWatches. Sell from our .com, which is JustWatches.com And sell from some premium lifestyle online portals. So, the product exactly features the car.
Q5. The showcase highlights signature details from titanium, carbon fibre and performance texture straps. What inspired this choice of materials and aesthetic direction?
DC: The one which I am wearing, you know, if you go in detail, you will find at least there are five things which are there in the car which we have replicated here. Although it generally becomes very difficult in a product like watch which is very small to incorporate but, you know, kudos to our design team. We have come out with an amazing collection which absolutely replicates Aston Martin cars. And we also have a collection, you know, which we call Aramco Formula 1. That collection actually emulates a Formula 1 car of Aston Martin. You know, so we have tried to amalgamate, you know, both the categories, watches and cars as seamlessly as possible and that has really come out very well in our products. The TRG Automatic has emerged as a standout.
Q6. What makes this model so special both in technical and design point of view?
DC: Yeah, so automatics in general are gaining huge traction. So, in all our brands, we have a pretty sizable collection in automatics. And then again, you know, it’s like, it’s more to ensure that automatics are high precision, you know, as compared to quads.
Q7. What movement are you using in the automatic watches?
DC: Sure, so these are all Japanese movements and it’s more of citizen movements which we use here which are known for their precision. The best movements other than the Swiss movements are Japanese movements and citizen is the best one. So it’s about 48 hours of power reserve.
Q8. The rising HNIs and aspirational young consumers are reshaping India’s luxury categories. What are your buyers seeking today that they haven’t been buying for the five years ago?
DC: Watches were utility say about five, seven years back. They were used to watch time which has been taken over by mobile. So, they have become fashion accessories. When it becomes fashion accessories, your brand value becomes higher. It has to have a higher front value. So, if you have good brands, people are ready to spend money. And that is leading to higher consumption of premium and luxury brands in the country. Do you see a shift towards appreciation for materials, limited edition, mechanical movements and brand storytelling? No, absolutely. When it becomes fashion, you know, all these four aspects become important.