HMT Times: October 2014

Monday 27 October 2014

HMT Pilot

HMT Times (Quest for Pilot)

After the purchase of HMT Janata the quest for Pilot started almost immediately. Some of my friends and colleague saw my HMT Janata at workplace and asked me to get him one. I promised him that will get him one for sure and got back to the same shopkeeper from whom I had purchased the Janata. Since my source was limited and I did not know how to go about it. He now said Janata was out of stock and also showed me a HMT Pilot. I immediately bought it for 650/- and was very happy. Later informed my friend that Janata is out of stock and showed him the Pilot he also wanted the same, this time around the shopkeeper said he will call me once he gets it. I got a call after a week or so and I picked up two Pilots (one for my friend and one for myself just in case). I thought it was game over for my HMT collection and decided to stop at this point but for a meet with Prashant Pandey and friends changed my opinion on my HMT collection.

In the process to acquire Pilot I got to know more about HMT watches through watchuseek website and also came across renowned collector Prashant Pandey. He had created a thread in watchuseek which spoke about all HMT models that he had amassed over years which I enjoy browsing even today. Mr. Pandey had once organised a meeting for the second or third time (not sure) at HMT watch showroom followed by a visit to HMT watch factory. I always intended to go to such meetings of HMT group but never made it due to my hectic and unscheduled research work (for which I still repent). I was sure I am going to miss some of the best moments by missing such meets. As days passed by one fine day Prashant Pandey and his friends created a facebook group called HMT watch collectors where I got in touch with various collectors around the world. In the meantime Prateek a medical student had started the white dial Pilot project which did not attract me at first but later wanted it (because of I was on a look out for white dial Pilot with gold case which I did not get). I also understood that this white dial Pilot project was a limited edition series of 500 only. I got my hands on this white dial Pilot when HMT themselves released a (~non limited) series white dial Pilot but this time I paid a mark-up price of 1500/- for the white dial Pilot. Finally I thought my thirst for HMT Pilot has been quenched.

Many weeks passed by one fine day I got to meet the people whom I wanted to meet from a long time. It was a Sunday morning at Bal Bhavan where a meeting was arranged by Mr. Pandey at 11.00 am. My inquisitiveness and my bad habit of reaching before time made me reach the place at 10:30 am itself. I did not know anyone from the group nor seen them before but knew their names I also made a point to look into facebook pictures just in case. My never ending wait started at the main entrance of Bal Bhavan and at 11.15 Prashant arrived with his friend Omkar whom I had seen in pictures. He parked his vehicle and just passed by me and I asked him timidly whether he was Prashant he nodded his head and I introduced myself and exchanged pleasantries. Then others made it later among them Ponnappa and Pathy are worth a mention for this story (Others sorry guys next time). My quest for Pilot which I thought ended took a new dimension here. Till now I had seen only a HMT Pilot white and black dials but Ponnappa and Pathy had something new for me a HMT Pilot with applied indices and HMT Pilot will all numerals. This stared my quest for Pilot series of watches which is still on.

My First Pilot (Ranibhag Production Watch)

Photos: Courtesy Prashant Pandey, Ponnappa and Pathy

Ponnappa's Pilot with Applied Indices which Inspired Me

One of Prashant's Pilot with Applied Indices (HAL Edition)

Prashant's Pilot with All Numerals in Lume

HMT Pilot White Dial (from HMT showroom)

HMT Pilot All Lume Numerals along with HMT Pilot (from a vendor who shipped it just a day after the closure was announced) I was inspired to look for this model after saw it with Pathy.

HMT Pilot Applied Indices (Picked it up after seeing the variant with Prashant and Ponnappa)

Other Pilot Variants (L-R Chinar, Ranibhag and Ranibhag with Red Second Hands)

Something for this great nation Bharat.

उत्तरं यत्समुद्रस्य हिमाद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम् ।

वर्षं तद् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र संततिः ।।

"The country (varṣam) that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bhāratam; there dwell the descendants of Bharata."

आ ब्रह्मन् ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मवर्चसी जायतामा राष्ट्रे राजन्यः
शूर इषवयोऽअतिव्याधी महारथो जायतां दोग्ध्री धेनुर्वाढानड्वानाशुः
सप्तिः पुरन्धिर्योषा जिष्णू रथेष्ठाः सभेयो युवास्य यजमानस्य वीरो जायतां निकामे निकामे नः
पर्जन्यो वर्षतु फलवत्यो न आषधयः पच्यन्तां योगक्षेमो नः कल्पताम् ॥

Saturday 25 October 2014

HMT Janata

HMT Times (Story of HMT Janata)

For many in Bharat HMT watches has been status symbol. For many HMT watch was a present from a proud father to his son or daughter on graduating from school or college. Even I had a wish that my parents would present me a HMT watch and still remains one :( .

My first tryst with HMT started when I was 7-8 years old when I asked my father for a watch which he promptly refused but my grandmother handed over a HMT (do not remember the name) to me. I still feel it was a mistake as I broke the watch beyond repair. Later I got at least two digital and two analog watch (citizen with fantasy dial) which I used to adore till I completed my LS (Lower Secondary or 7^th Standard).

My first analog watch a fantasy dial Citizen

I graduated to high school at that time my father wanted to give away his Allwyn (Kirloskar Electric Commemorative Watch) to someone which I opposed and after much deliberation I picked up that watch and still have it.

Father's Allwyn Quartz (Kirloskar Electric Commemorative Watch for 100cr turn over in 1986)

In the mean time I also had an eye on HMT watches my grandfather and my aunt had. It was a 1972 white dial Sona and 1974 gold dial Sona (later came to know there were three a 1981 white dial Sona my uncle’s). I did not get any of these watches until recently had the courage to ask my uncle to give the third one to me. One of my uncle used to work at HMT machine tools had a HMT Janata which was a WFT (Watch Factory Tumkur Edition) given to him for 10 years of service. I was fascinated by the simple dial of the Janata and made up my mind to get one. After graduation and post-graduation I was still adoring my Allwyn given to me by my father but back of mind it was always Janata and Pilot along with the this evergreen Allwyn. After joining a research institute buying a watch from the first pay was a special dream and I wanted a Janata for sure. I always knew HMT watches were alive and kicking so the first thing I did after receiving my first salary was to search for a Janata quickly went to a showroom and asked for HMT Janata he started laughing and said “HMT ಸಿಗೋಲ್ಲ Titan / Sonata ಕೊಡಲೇ” (HMT is not available shall I give you a Titan or Sonata) since I knew the shopkeeper for almost 20+ years I asked him to find me a Janata. I was expecting a call from him and waited for almost a month or two but the call never came. In the mean time I even asked my uncle whether he can source one for me but he could not as there was no stock at HMT Bhavan at that time. One day I went to the known watch showroom to get a dry cell and my eyes fell on a HMT Janata. I asked him whether it’s for sale he said yes and asked him why he did not inform me he blabbered something but I was not keen on his answer too as I wanted the Janata, I asked him the price he said it was 450/- immediately asked him to reserve the watch for me and dashed home for money which I had kept reserve (first salary) for this and bought the Janata. Thus accomplishing my dream to buy a HMT from my first salary.