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 ॥