He has a vision for his company – ‘to have a pan-India presence within India and to become the sole name for buying watches.’ His tagline ‘Time & Timelessness’ epitomises the essence of the brand. Soon after Raymond Weil inaugurated its first exclusive boutique (one of the largest in the world), in association with them, Anil Madan, director, Johnson Watch Co Pvt Ltd, has a chat with Verve about his passion for watches and dreams for the future.

What is your take on luxury retail in India?
India has always been a market for luxury on the world map. The maharajas were known to provide patronage to high-end and luxury products, which in their time were more customised. Today, many brands are making their products custom-tailored for the Indian clientele. We are still not there on volume, but the growth in the luxury segment has been consistently on an upward trend. Brands are making an earnest effort to market their products through different channels to be more visible to the end client. So the overall market potential is enhancing.

How did your interest in time-keeping begin?
We have been in the watch business for 60 years; I used to learn a lot from my elders in the family who were actively involved in the line. Gathering knowledge about different brands, watches and movements has been a passion for me ever since I was in college.

Personally, how would you pick a watch to wear?
If I were to wear a watch the most important factors I would consider for a purchase would be the level of expertise and craftsmanship associated with the brand. The history and heritage of the brand within the industry are also criteria that make a difference.

What brands adorn your showroom?
We have four multi-brand outlets and eight mono-brand boutiques across Delhi and NCR which cover a wide span of brands from various groups such as the Swatch Group: Breguet, Omega, Longines and Rado among others, the LVMH group such as Tag Heuer, Zenith, Dior and the Richemont group such as Cartier, Mont Blanc, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger Le Coultre, IWC, Panerai and many independent ones also like Rolex, Corum, Ulysse Nardin and Chopard.

Watches, pens, mobiles, jewellery…accessories and showpieces… Does Johnson Watches create the complete luxe shopping zone?
We offer a wide portfolio of products to our customers within a set of price ranges and try to deliver our best to the customer not only in terms of providing quality education about brands to new customers but also offering them quality service through our authorised service centre for all the brands we carry. And we make our best efforts to create a luxe shopping environment for the customer who ends up not only buying the piece from us but also enjoys the experience of buying.

Would you agree that the purchasing of a watch – especially a high-end one – is an experience in itself?
Purchasing a high-end watch is like owning a piece of art. It is synonymous with the fulfillment of an aspiration or achievement of a goal. Everyone in the world longs for that feeling. So yes, I would affirm that buying a high-end watch is an experience in itself.

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