One brand, three launches: the hours of a day, a field watch, and the nights a country remembers.
IST 1947 is the debut brand of Karan Vaidya, who spent his career in the Rose Group’s watch retail business. It is named for 1 September 1947, the day independent India adopted its own time, and it has rolled out in three steps: Arka on 30 September, Vanya on 15 October and Vijay, which is now listed on the brand’s site.
Arka (launched 30 September at GPHG Mumbai) is inspired by the Konark Sun Temple and tells a day in five dials: Cloud Nine (a powder-blue morning), White Noise (afternoon glare), Golden Hour, Rain Check (post-monsoon green) and After Hours (midnight blue). The small seconds echoes the Konark wheel, and the strap is alligator-embossed calf leather.
Vanya (launched 15 October) is a field watch: a 40 mm case, Miyota quartz, domed sapphire with AR coating and 100 m water resistance, also at ₹9,999.
Vijay goes mechanical. Five limited editions, each tied to a landmark night in Indian cricket (1983, 2007, 2011, 2024 and 2026), come with a bat-and-ball small seconds and an AM/PM indicator. Each edition is capped at 100 pieces, with no restocks promised.
Images: IST 1947 (ist1947.com)
Technical specifications – IST 1947 Arka
| Case | 38 mm stainless steel – 100 m water resistance |
| Dial | Five colours – Konark-wheel small seconds |
| Movement | Miyota 1L45 quartz |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire with AR coating |
| Strap | Alligator-embossed calf leather |
| Price | ₹9,999 |
| Launch | 30 September 2026 |
| Availability | Cloud Nine and Rain Check available on 20 October; the other three sold out |
| Buy | ist1947.com/collections/arka (brand direct) |
Technical specifications – IST 1947 Vanya
| Case | 40 mm – 100 m water resistance |
| Dial | Field watch |
| Movement | Miyota quartz |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire with AR coating |
| Price | ₹9,999 |
| Launch | 15 October 2026 |
| Buy | ist1947.com (brand direct) |
Technical specifications – IST 1947 Vijay
| Case | 43 mm PVD-coated stainless steel – 50 m water resistance |
| Dial | Five editions – bat-and-ball small seconds – AM/PM indicator – C3 lume |
| Movement | Miyota 82S7 automatic – 48 hours of power reserve |
| Crystal | Sapphire with AR coating |
| Price | ₹19,470 |
| Launch | Listed on the brand’s site (founder interview dated it 30 October) |
| Availability | Limited to 100 per edition, no restocks – all five listed with no sold-out labels on 21 October |
| Buy | ist1947.com/collections/vijay (brand direct) |
Sources: IST 1947 website (checked 20 and 21 October 2026); GMT India launch report, 1 October 2026; The Hour Markers interview with Karan Vaidya, 29 September 2026 (launch dates and Vanya specifications). Images courtesy of IST 1947.
