Traditional Meenakari Bracelet Watch

You hear this one before you see it. The ghungroo bells strung along the chain make a small sound when the wrist moves, which is not something most watches do…

You hear this one before you see it. The ghungroo bells strung along the chain make a small sound when the wrist moves, which is not something most watches do and not something anyone expects from a watch at all.

The dial is a working quartz analogue, round and small, set between two meenakari discs painted in the enamel colours the craft is known for. Meenakari is enamel fired into metal, and here it puts real colour on either side of the dial so the piece reads as a bracelet first and a watch second. The chain fastens with a lobster clasp and carries an extension, so it fits a range of wrists without a jeweller.

The plating sits on an anti-tarnish base, which earns its keep on a wrist more than anywhere else. Wrists get sweat and humidity, and the edge of every washbasin, and an untreated plated strap usually shows it within one monsoon. This one holds its colour through that.

Wear it with a kurta on a working day, or with a saree when a plain watch would look out of place. The enamel is what lets it cross over.

Keep the dial away from a direct water stream. Enamel and plating both survive daily life, and neither enjoys a tap.