For over four decades, Titan has helped shape India’s watchmaking landscape, steadily advancing its expertise in design, engineering, and horological innovation. With Vetra, its new in-house mechanical movement brand, the country’s most trusted watchmaker marks a significant milestone in its pursuit of fine watchmaking. At the heart of the new Titan Automatics collection, the Vetra 7A series features a versatile mechanical architecture, enabling complications ranging from an extended 72-hour power reserve to GMT functionality and a dual-disc big-date display. These functions are showcased in four new iterations: Infinium, Dualis, Midnite, and Atrium—all crafted in 316L stainless steel.
Manifest travelled to Titan’s factory in Hosur, Karnataka, for an immersive tour of the facility, gaining first-hand insight into the brand’s fascinating watchmaking processes, while also getting a sneak peek at the Vetra movement coming to life. We spoke to Mahendra Chauhan, Head of Design at Titan, about the engineering behind Vetra, the challenges of developing this in-house calibre, and the company’s ambitions for Indian fine watchmaking.
Manifest: The new Vetra movement offers a 72-hour power reserve, which is a significant achievement. How did you accomplish this?
Mahendra Chauhan: Vetra is a platform for Indian engineering, mechanisms, and design. The 72-hour power reserve is one of the capabilities found in one of the new launches from the four timepieces that we have created. To achieve 72 hours, we had to rework the entire barrel architecture. The barrel houses the mainspring, which stores the energy that powers a mechanical watch. We rethought its dimensions and improved the spring’s winding efficiency. We also worked on the movement’s frequency, as movements operate at different frequencies, typically 3 Hz or 4 Hz. Finding the right balance was crucial to extending the power reserve without compromising accuracy or performance.
Our earlier movements typically offered a 48-hour power reserve, so this represents a substantial improvement. Considerable research and development went into making it possible.
M: How long did the project take, from conception to completion?
MC: Around 16 months, or roughly a year and a half.
M: Will Vetra eventually power all watches in Titan’s premium segment?
MC: Vetra is a platform for movements and mechanisms designed and engineered in-house. Most of the movements we develop ourselves will carry the Vetra name. Titan will continue to offer watches powered by movements sourced from Switzerland, Japan, and other Asian markets, as well as movements designed in India that do not fall under this platform.
The idea behind Vetra is to celebrate Indian engineering and design. The four watches that we have launched are the first expressions of that vision.
M: Beyond the extended power reserve, what were the biggest challenges in developing the new movement?
MC: Each complication presents its own challenges. The four watches showcase different capabilities, including the 72-hour power reserve in Infinium, the GMT function in Dualis and the big-date complication in Midnite.
Most big-date watches use a single disc with a cut-out to display the date. In Midnite, we use two discs that rotate at midnight to change the date. Their movement creates a more theatrical display, making the transition an integral part of the watch’s appeal.
M: Big-date displays are not a feature every watchmaker develops in-house. Is this one of the aspects that sets Vetra apart?
MC: We are not claiming to be the first, or among the very few, to develop these complications. Many established brands have been producing them for years. What distinguishes us is our ability to design the watch as well as its movement.
Several brands offer big-date complications but source the underlying mechanism from third parties. Our strength lies in having an in-house design and engineering platform, supported by vertical integration. We design our movements and cases, and sell our watches through our own retail network. This gives us greater control over the entire process.
M: How important has the vertical integration at your Hosur facility been to the development of Vetra?
MC: It has been a tremendous enabler. When designers know that engineering can adapt to their ideas, and engineers understand that design can evolve in response to technical requirements, the two disciplines can work together more effectively.
I often compare the process to a game of table tennis. One team puts forward an idea, the other responds with modifications, and the exchange continues until both sides arrive at the best possible solution. Having our design, engineering and R&D teams work closely together made this possible. That collaboration has helped us create some remarkable watches.
M: Titan also conducts extensive in-house testing for accuracy. Are you considering developing your own accuracy certification?
MC: It is something we are exploring. We are confident in our quality and are looking at ways to establish our own benchmarks for movement performance.
External certification can involve lengthy assessment processes, and certain certifications have eligibility criteria that may limit their availability to watches made outside Switzerland or Europe. We are working towards establishing our own standards and may eventually develop our own certification framework.
M: How does Vetra compare with established movements in the same price segment?
MC: In terms of accuracy, precision, and power reserve, our movements are broadly comparable with others in a similar price bracket. We benchmark them across several parameters, including finishing, accuracy and precision.
At the same time, we recognise that we are entering a field with a long history. Switzerland has led mechanical watchmaking for generations, while Titan has been building its capabilities in this area over the past decade. We understand the global watch industry and have an ambitious vision for what we can achieve. The focus now is on continuing to improve and push those boundaries further.
M: What is the long-term ambition for Vetra, and where do you see Indian watchmaking in the global landscape?
MC: Titan’s leadership has spoken at several forums about the ambition to make India a third force in watchmaking, alongside Switzerland and Japan. Through Titan, we want India to establish a stronger presence in the global watch industry.
Our ambition is to excel in mechanical craftsmanship, complications, and accuracy. We are working towards that goal, and Vetra is an important step in that direction.
M: Swiss watchmaking has traditionally placed a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and exclusivity, while Titan and Japanese watchmakers also operate at scale. How will Titan balance volume production with the pursuit of fine mechanical watchmaking?
MC: Over four decades, Titan has built several brands, each catering to a distinct consumer segment and price point. We intend to follow a similar approach with our movement portfolio.
A complication such as a tourbillon, for instance, would not be mass-produced. We are exploring more complex mechanisms that would be made in limited numbers and require a high degree of craftsmanship. At the same time, complications such as GMT and big date can be produced at scale.
Our movement strategy will span different price points and market segments. Some movements will be designed for larger volumes, while others will be specialised, bespoke creations that showcase our artisanal capabilities. We want to pursue both—building scale where it makes sense while continuing to push the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking.