WHEN SMALL IS BIG

While big names and legacy brands usually mark the strength of a watch box, Mumbai-based collector, chef, and sports nutritionist Himanil Khosla's collection rides on the power of micro brands

- by Somya Rauthan

Himanil Khosla is a difficult man to get hold of on a call. He is constantly on the go, juggling being a chef and a nutritionist for athletes. But ask him a question related to watches over a DM or Whatsapp, and you're bound to get an enthusiastic reply. Verbal communication or not, he's always happy to discuss watches, his fascination with timepieces a constant in his daily hustle. But it isn't the usual suspects—the popular references, the grails, the unicorns—that have his attention. “I like to experiment, and I am fascinated with case shapes, finishing, and materials, and dial textures,” says the Mumbai-based chef. “I am into funky watches and unfortunately, none of the legacy brands come up with funky designs.”

It's the independent and microbrands that Khosla turns to—he likes how they aren't limited in their design language and how purely they reflect the founder's vision. His collection includes names like the Singapore-based Zelos and RZE, the Irish MD Watches Studio, Malaysian watchmaker Revelot, the Hong Kong-based Watch Angels, the American Lesablier, Chinese brands CIGA Design and Agelocer, and the Switzerland-based Wicked Watch Co, among others. One of the biggest reasons he is drawn to these independent labels is that they don't carry the burden of history and legacy—“It holds you back,” he says.