Exclusive New BWC Watches Pass Rigorous Space Test with Flying Colors | Lifestyle Fashion

Bangalore Watch Company Makes History with First Indian Watch Tested in Space

In a world where watches are no longer just used for telling time, Bangalore Watch Company is making waves with their luxurious and thematic timepieces that tell stories from modern India. The company recently made history by successfully testing an Apogee wristwatch in space, marking a significant milestone for the brand.

The Apogee collection, launched in 2021 as a tribute to the Indian space program, has been dubbed ‘the Indian space watch’ by enthusiasts. Co-Founder Mercy Amalraj expressed the brand’s ambition to not just create watches inspired by space, but to actually build timepieces that are qualified and tested for space.

The successful test of the Apogee watch involved a stratospheric flight that took the prototype watch to a height of 114,000 feet (35 kilometers) into the Earth’s atmosphere. Despite the harsh conditions of outer space, including extreme temperatures and pressure variations, the watch returned to Earth in full working condition.

Co-Founder and Creative Director Nirupesh Joshi highlighted the importance of testing the watches on the ground to ensure their durability in space. The company collaborated with a UK-based space-engineering firm to plan and execute the stratospheric flight, which involved an ultra-light carbon-fiber spacecraft carried by a high-altitude balloon.

The Karman Line Project, as it was called, took two years of planning and execution. The watch withstood temperatures as low as -65°C and high shock forces upon re-entry, proving its functionality and endurance in space. The entire journey was documented by multiple 4K cameras, capturing the watch’s journey back to Earth.

To commemorate this historic achievement, Bangalore Watch Company has produced 50 limited-edition Apogee Karman Line watches. Each watch features a special piece of blue-colored Muonionalusta meteorite dial, known to have fallen from space and recovered in Sweden. These unique watches, numbered individually, are priced at INR 2,40,000 (USD 2,850 approximately) and are available for order on the brand’s website.

Nirupesh Joshi emphasized the significance of this moment for the brand, stating, “We’ve proven that our watches aren’t just inspired by space – they’re qualified and tested for space.” With patrons in over 30 countries, Bangalore Watch Company has garnered a global following for its luxury timepieces that showcase stories from the Indian Air Force, Indian space program, and other facets of modern India.

The Apogee Karman Line watch represents a groundbreaking achievement for the brand, solidifying its position as a leader in luxury watchmaking in India. As the first Indian watch to be tested in space and maintain its functionality, Bangalore Watch Company continues to push boundaries and redefine the narrative of luxury watches in the modern era.