Buffy Acacia
What do watch collectors most desire these days? Affordable prices? Historical significance? Vintage design? There are plenty of brands that fit these criteria, but… Get change from a $100 billHMT is a brand that has been hovering around the fringes of the Western market for decades. People who like to browse eBay You’ve probably seen the HMT brand many times before, but why is it such an overlooked brand outside India, and is this about to change?
The origin story of a European watch company Usually begins with one watchmaker or familyBut gradually, the company expanded. HMT was actually established in 1953 by the Indian government as Hindustan Machine Tools Limited. Its initial focus was not on watchmaking, but mainly on heavy machinery and industrial tools. As India is a relatively recent independent nation, having only emerged from a century of British colonial rule in 1947, state-owned companies like HMT were crucial to the rapid development of the Indian economy, especially at a time when there were many import restrictions. When HMT decided to set up its watch division in 1961, it couldn’t do it alone. That’s where Citizen came in.
In 1959, the Japan Watch Association was approached by representatives of the Indian government for assistance in watch manufacturing. Eiichi Yamada, then president of Citizen, was the only member who wanted to go ahead with the contract and try to expand outside of Japan. It took several months to conclude the technical assistance agreement, as India set a high target of one million watches per year and held Citizen responsible for any defects. Nevertheless, the contract went ahead with a good deal of trust and involved a significant staff exchange. 400 Citizen staff went to India and 200 HMT employees went to Japan, each learning and practicing as much as they could. The success of this contract led Citizen to branch out into other international businesses, and in 1961, HMT’s watch division was opened.
Featured HMT models
The classy yet casual HMT Janata was the brand’s bestseller throughout the ’60s, but the military-themed Pilot and Jawan were also popular. In fact, just about every HMT watch was popular. Indian shoppers may not have had much choice, but the brand was beloved for its versatility and reliability. Unfortunately, it couldn’t escape the effects of the quartz crisis. Having grown as a manufacturer of mechanical watches in the ’60s, HMT didn’t have the resources or the desire to switch to quartz movements until the late ’70s, and was overtaken by competitors such as Titan, part of the multi-billion-dollar Tata Group. A devastating disaster for many Swiss companiesBut HMT has certainly taken a hit.
By the 1980s, India had allowed imports to a large extent, so HMT had to compete with Japanese and Chinese digital watches, as well as Swiss luxury watches. Still, HMT continued to make mechanical watches, both old and new designs. Eventually, it became unsustainable as a watchmaking business. Between 2014 and 2016, HMT’s watchmaking division was closed and converted to other industrial manufacturing. But it wasn’t the end of the HMT brand. The website was down for a while, but has resumed selling new watches. Manufacturing is outsourced to third parties, and movements are still made. Now sourced directly from Miyota/CitizenBut many of the designs are inspired by originals from the ’60s and ’70s that remain popular as vintage collector’s items – perhaps too desirable.
Despite being incredibly affordable to begin with, HMT watches are counterfeited at a ridiculous rate. Whether they are assembled from random vintage pieces or completely counterfeited, buying a second-hand HMT can be a danger zone. Because of this, the brand’s international reputation has been tarnished, which is a big minus for potential customers who only want to be assured that they are getting a genuine product. The official HMT website only ships within India, so you’ll need to use a postal forwarding service or make friends with locals who will buy for you. Online groups can help you find people who will buy for you, but they may charge a premium, and it can be hard to justify triple the price for a watch that costs just $50. However, building a network with fellow HMT collectors can help you find which online sellers on platforms like eBay are legitimate, and can also help protect you from scams.
If you are willing to do your due diligence and research, HMT’s latest watches are well worth seeking out. They are certainly not luxury items, but they are durable for the price and have great designs. Over the past few years, a group of collectors and enthusiasts have flocked to HMT, and for good reason; it is very hard to find watches with such good value for money anywhere else. As a government-owned brand, their international reach is certainly limited, but if they do their due diligence, they may become a more global player in the future.
