Hands-On. A limited release with a dial cut from real stone, and a brand that keeps refusing to play it safe.
Hands-on · DeW & Co. Golkonda · 35.5 mm · Miyota GL24 · ₹11,799
Most dials are printed, painted or stamped. The Golkonda’s is a thin slice of natural stone, which means no two are alike. We have spent time with one of these limited pieces from DeW & Co., and it is one of the most quietly confident watches we have handled this year.
A dial made by the earth
The stone is the whole point, and it delivers. Bands of rust, ochre, grey and gold run across the dial like layers in a cliff face, and they come alive in daylight, shifting as you tilt your wrist. Ours leans warm and rusty in the sun and turns smoky indoors.
There is a detail here many brands skip: the DeW & Co. and Golkonda text is printed on the stone itself, not on the underside of the crystal. It keeps the dial looking like a single finished object rather than a pretty rock under a sticker. The craftsmanship overall is clean and to the point. Nothing here feels overdone.
No seconds hand, on purpose
There are just two hands. Leaving out the seconds hand adds a little intrigue and lets the stone do the talking, and it helps the Golkonda punch above its weight. At ₹11,799, it undercuts stone-dial watches sold elsewhere at much higher prices, which are often not as well built or as thoughtfully designed.
On the wrist
On paper the case is 35.5 mm wide, 39 mm from lug to lug and 11.3 mm thick. On a 6.5-inch wrist, those numbers work really well. The fixed lugs give the case a bold, 1970s look, and the cushion shape means it sits flat and stays put rather than sliding around. It wears like it was drawn for the wrist, not just for the product shot.
The strap, and our one complaint
The 18 mm genuine leather strap has clearly been made for this case. It flows into the fixed lugs as if the two were designed together, which they were, and not added as an afterthought. Our only real negative, and we had to look for it: the strap is stiff out of the box and needs a few days of wear before it feels comfortable. A softer strap would have been amazing, but it is not a deal breaker.
Flip it over
The steel caseback carries an engraving of a Golconda Fort gate, framed with its coordinates, 17.38° N, 78.40° E. Below that: Japan Movt, the reference GLK001TFE and All SS. Inside is a Miyota GL24, a slim Japanese quartz movement with a strong reputation for reliability, so this is a watch you can wear every day without fuss. A proper workhorse in a dress watch’s clothes. Just keep it away from water: it is rated to 30 metres, which means splash-resistant, not swim-ready.
The brand behind it
DeW & Co. has had a busy year. Earlier it made the community-exclusive Doda Gadiyara, and its Azure Nox, released a day before we wrote this, sold out in minutes. We covered the Azure Nox on our Instagram and YouTube, and we will post an update when our piece arrives in a week or so.
Verdict
With a fresh design outlook and materials most brands would not dare to use, DeW & Co. has already stood out from the crowd. The Golkonda is the proof: a natural stone dial, smart restraint and a reliable movement for ₹11,799, with only a stiff strap holding it back. This is a brand to look out for, and we hope it keeps challenging the status quo.
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Technical specifications – DeW & Co. Golkonda
| Reference | GLK001TFE (our piece, from the caseback) |
| Case | 304L stainless steel, cushion shape with fixed lugs – 35.5 mm wide – 39.0 mm lug to lug – 11.3 mm thick – 18 mm lug width – engraved caseback with a Golconda Fort gate and its coordinates |
| Dial | Natural banded stone, each one unique – DeW & Co. Hindustan and Golkonda printed on the stone – hours and minutes only, no seconds hand |
| Movement | Miyota GL24, Japanese quartz, hours and minutes |
| Crystal | Mineral crystal |
| Water resistance | 30 m (splash-resistant only) |
| Strap | 18 mm brown genuine leather with a croc-style embossing, made to fit the case, pin buckle |
| Style | Dress watch – limited release |
| Price | ₹11,799 – sold directly in India by an Indian brand, so there is no import duty to add |
| Buy | deccanwatches.com (DeW & Co.) |
Sources: our own hands-on time with the watch; markings on the dial, caseback and strap; specifications, price and availability from DeW & Co. (deccanwatches.com, checked 29 October 2026; case, movement and crystal figures are those DeW & Co. lists for the Golkonda Azurite, reference GLK0001AZ, which shares the case and movement); @deccanwatches on Instagram. Images: DeW & Co. (lead image) and Horakaa.