Juan-Carlos Torres, 50-year-old CEO, owns a Porsche 911 Carrera S, an MGA and two classic Austin Healeys. He regularly takes part in the Porsche Cup, loves good food, Mozart and spending time with his two sons.

Excerpts from the conversation....
The essence of Vacheron Constantin: "Clean, smooth, classic. Like the Patrimony Extra-Plate (1955), which houses the thinnest movement in the world (1.64 mm). The Patrimony featured in design anthology Phaidon Design Classics as one of the most iconic design objects of the 20th century along with the likes of the Apple iPod (2001), Le Corbusier's LC4 chaise longue (1928) and the 1963 Aston Martin DB5."

The Vacheron man: "The Vacheron man has a different sensibility. He appreciates technique and aesthetics but he is not a snob. He knows that each Vacheron watch takes time to conceive and design and appreciates the techniques in the process."

The Indian connection: "The royals - including the Maharaja of Patiala - were big customers. After our first boutique in Delhi, we plan to hit Mumbai as well. We have an exclusive service centre in Delhi with two watchmakers trained in Switzerland. Indian men, I think, prefer classical designs, while the women are more open to innovations."

On the art of watchmaking: "There are no written texts on watchmaking; it is still an oral tradition. Watchmakers actually have a wonderful time. Imagine going all over the world, to the great cities, in search of modern influences…and then combining them with tradition."

His choice: "The Vacheron range starts from approximately Rs 5 lakh and goes upto a couple of millions. I especially love the Cabinotiers Skeleton Minute Repeater in Platinum. It's assembled from over 330 parts, its movement is barely 330 mm thick, making it the slimmest in the world and each watch takes at least 320 hours to make. The Cabinotiers illustrates the art of time at its most complicated."