New Watch Brand Alert: Nalla Neram Launch Debut Kaalam Minutes Timer Inspired by India

India is a vast nation so it’s actually surprising that there isn’t a bigger Indian influence on the world of Horology. Other Asian countries have a powerful influence on the watch world like Japan, China and Singapore, but not India. There are a handful of brands like Bangalore who are trying to change that and, as of now, there is another name joining their midst, Nalla Neram. Named after the Tamil word for ‘auspicious time’, Nalla Neram are promoting traditional Indian concepts through Swiss-made horology and their first watch, the Kaalam Minutes Timer.

Off the bat (probably a cricket bat as we’re talking about India), this is one of the most confident and well thought out debut watches I’ve come across in a while. It’s a beautiful blend of concept and design that perfectly balances culture and collector appeal. The risk with doing a culturally specific watch is that it will only appeal to people of that culture, but with the Kaalam Minutes Timer I think Nalla Neram have avoided that trap by creating a cool sports chronograph that anyone can enjoy.

It measures 39mm in diameter in steel, so it’s very wearable while having a bit of chunkiness to it with a thickness of 12.75mm excluding domed sapphire crystal. That chunkiness has been leant into further with square chronograph pushers flanking the crown that has a big, chunky grip. On top of that, the edge of the case is ridged, adding even more chunk. I have objectively said chunk/chunky/chunkiness too many times but it’s too late to go back and change it. The mad thing though is the watch doesn’t actually seem dramatically chunky, it’s more dressed in chunk as an aesthetic choice to create a rugged, sporty design.

Focussing in on the dial, it’s an asymmetrical tricompax chronograph display. At 3 o’clock is a 30-minute timer, at 6 o’clock is a 12-hour timer and at 9 o’clock is a tiny spinning chakra that serves as the running seconds indicator in place of a small seconds subdial. That chakra is the first overt reference to the brand’s Indian connection, but there’s actually another to be found on the dial.

Around the edge of the display is an unusual minute track that’s presented in an alternating double ring and which displays every single minute with its own Arabic numeral. It’s this scale that gives the watch its name Kaalam Minutes Timer, as it allows you to keep track of the minutes with exceptional ease. It’s connected to the idea of enjoying life minute-to-minute rather than focussing on long term issues we can’t control or stressing about the minutia second by second.

Additionally, each third minute is coloured orange, which is a reference to Indian “trunk calls” an old rule where long distance phone calls in India were limited to three minutes. It reminds us that in three minutes you can achieve so much. You can exchange family news. You can secure a business deal. You can win a race. You can fall in love. You can watch your watch tick through 180 seconds.

There are two versions of the Kaalam Minutes Timer being produced, one in black and the other in navy blue. They both have a nice grainy texture on their dials, that, similar to the case, emphasises the sporty nature of the watch. It looks kind of like the texture of an athletics track. The hands in contrast are quite refined, like little droplets with a round base.

What really captured my attention when I first read about the Nalla Neram Kaalam Timer though was not the case or the dial, but the movement. Inside is the La Joux-Perret L112. There are a lot of third party movements out there from all over the world that you could choose for your debut watch. No one would blame you for choosing a Miyota, or a Seiko, or an entry level Sellita, but no. Nalla Neram have gone right for what is probably the most prestigious of them all with LJP. It has a 60-hour power reserve provided by a tungsten rotor and an accuracy of +/- 4 seconds per day, tested in five positions. It single handedly justifies the £3,860 price.

While brands like Bangalore that I mentioned earlier are championing Indian-made watches, I think Nalla Neram’s approach is equally valid. Promoting Indian values and traditions with high quality materials and movements that collectors already know and trust. If India is going to become a key horological player, they need to change the narrative and create interest in their designs and the best way to do that is get those designs into the hands of collectors. And I think the Kaalam Minutes Timer is just the watch to do that.

More details at Nalla Neram.

​Oracle Time 

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