Latest News

  • Home
  • National
  • HMT watch was all about sturdy functionality, and then India changed
HMT watch was all about sturdy functionality, and then India changed
Thursday, August 1, 2019 IST
HMT watch was all about sturdy functionality, and then India changed

HMT’s catchy advertising campaign centred on the ‘unity in diversity’ theme.

 
 

Which Indian Prime Minister released the first set of hand-wound watches?
 
Jawaharlal Nehru. And, the watch brand was HMT.
 
How many of you remember the iconic HMT watch touted as the desh ki dhadkan (the heartbeat of the nation), and its vibrant and aggressive advertising campaign in the print and electronic media?
 

For India’s young, the brand has little or no connect but for all those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, an HMT watch was a must-have. The brand HMT was associated with achievement, national pride and functionality. It was, after all, a time when the wristwatch was an inalienable accessory – unlike the waning popularity of wrist watches today when cell phones have become alter-watches.
 
 
One of the earliest, black-and-white documentary films on HMT watches was called “Time is HMT Time”.
 

Over the years, the HMT brand got propelled into the national consciousness by an extremely well-thought-out and catchy advertising campaign, which subtly reflected India’s social and regional diversity.
 
The television ad captured the socialist nation-building decades with a melodious rendition underlining India’s ‘unity in diversity’ template – yeh aaj apna, yeh kal apna, har pal apna, yeh log apne, yeh desh apna, dhadkan apna. The ad was not only a riotous celebration of colours, but deftly crafted the Indian demography and diversity, both urban and rural.
 
Harish Bijoor, a Bengaluru-based brand consultant, says that the watch was a time-keeping “machine” during the 1970s and 80s, meant for all Indians who were seeking functionality along with cost.
 
The HMT watches, with affordable prices, dominated the Indian market till the end of 1990s. Hindustan Machine Tools, the makers of the HMT watch, was incorporated as a public sector company in 1953. It began as a machine tool manufacturing company but diversified into various other products, including watches, tractors and even printing machines. The watch manufacturing division was set up in 1961 in collaboration with M/s Citizen Watch Co. of Japan. By 1985, it started making solar clocks and even tower clocks.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Related Topics

 
 
 

Trending News & Articles

 Article
Here is the full list of 827 porn websites banned by the DoT

While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content. ...

Recently posted . 62K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Class XII Boys Raped 16-Year-old in Dehradun School After Watching Porn on Phone: Police

The four boys as well as five school officials, including the director and principal, were arrested after the incident. The minors were presented before the Juvenil...

Recently posted . 8K views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Sept 27,2001 Rahul Gandhi and his girl friend Veronique,was arrested in Logan airport in Boston

Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million. Rahul and his girl friend was th...

Recently posted . 8K views . 7 min read
 

 Article
TOP 10 GYM EQUIPMENT BRANDS IN INDIA 2017

True – Tr...

Recently posted . 7K views . 83 min read
 

 
 

More in National

 Article
Armaan Kohli arrested for assaulting girlfriend

Armaan Kohli was on June 3 booked for allegedly physically assaulting his girlfriend Neeru Randhawa inside their Santacruz home. After Neeru's complaint, a ca...

Recently posted. 771 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Priyanka Chopra marches to a different tune in this cold-shoulder gingham dress

Priyanka Chopra stole the spotlight at the dinner gala for cancer research in Los Angeles. The actor picked a yellow-and-blue dress from Preen By Thornton Bregazz...

Recently posted. 874 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Tej Pratap Yadav's First Hindi Film to Hit Silver Screen Soon

The 29-year-old ex-minister, who is the elder son of former Bihar CM and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, today shared the poster of the film on Twitter.

Recently posted. 585 views . 1 min read
 

 Reviews
Top Schools in Delhi-NCR



Recently posted . 2K views . 126 min read
 

 Reviews
Top CBSE schools in Noida



Recently posted . 2K views . 88 min read
 

 Article
'My staff were called 'Indian dogs' in Kuwait,' tweets Adnan Sami, Sushma Swaraj replies

NEW DELHI: Singer Adnan Sami said yesterday his staff were mistreated and called "Indian dogs" by officials in Kuwait airport.

Recently posted. 714 views . 1 min read
 

 Article
Welcome To New York trailer: Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Karan Johar’s confused event of the year

Welcome to New York trailer has the cast meeting Boman Irani, Sushant Singh Rajput and Rana Daggubati. Expect lame situational jokes on MS Dhoni and Baahubali. ...

Recently posted. 639 views . 1 min read
 

 
 
 

   Prashnavali

  Thought of the Day

“Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can’t be done.”
Bo Bennett

Be the first one to comment on this story

Close
Post Comment
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST
Shibu Chandran
2 hours ago

Serving political interests in another person's illness is the lowest form of human value. A 70+ y old lady has cancer.

November 28, 2016 05:00 IST


ads
Back To Top