In the year 1961, HMT set up a watch manufacturing Unit at Bangalore in collaboration with M/s Citizen Watch Co., Japan. The first batch of Hand Wound Wrist Watches manufactured here was released by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The most popular mechanical hand-wound watch is HMT Janata. Janata is the first produced watch from HMT.
Set up in 1961, HMT is a state-owned manufacturer that collaborated with Japan’s Citizen Watches to produce a range of watches that Indians were proud to sport. A HMT watch was an integral part of the unofficial uniform of Indian office-goers through the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Even today collectors of HMT timepieces swear by the brand’s retro appeal, its reliability and its undeniably Indian flavour.
The following is my analysis on the design and devlopement of HMT Citizen: since the ToT came from Citizen Watch Co., Japan some of the basic designs were directly copied from the parent company, this might have been done due to the fact that it is easier to make copies rather than setting up a design division at the early stage. The Citizen watches had its Homer and Phynox series that resemble the HMT Citizens. Here are some examples:
The above Citizen Homer and Master has a three piece case which has been gold plated along with the indices. HMT might have directly used these designs for the HMT Citizen which also falls in the same category.
HMT Citizens that were only manufactured in the early 60s in the Bangalore Factory (01) came in various variants.
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| HMT Citizen Initial Release (Courtesy Ponnappa) |
These variants might have been the first HMT Citizens to be manufactured in the factory. Later some variety in indices, calligraphy and colour might have been incorporated.
Looking at the case back the GP denoted the case being gold plated, the case back being SS. 14502 depicts (1 Bangalore 45 Series 02 Case Variant) Old Janata case is 01.
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| (Courtesy Ponnappa) |
These dial variantions were modified that led to these dial variants.
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| Citizen Primary Guilloche (Courtesy Ponnappa) |
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| Citizen Phynox Indices (Courtesy Kartar) |
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| Citizen Junior Dial (Courtesy Sachin) |
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| Citizen Sona Guilloche (Courtesy Varun T) |
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| Citizen Black Dial |
There are two more variants which could not be posted due to copyright issues.
Dedicated to the great nation
Bharat. A vedic national anthem
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 ॥ |
