There’s a certain charm in flipping through old photo albums. It opens the door to a different time, bringing in nostalgia and conversations around it. On a cold weekend in late January of this year, while sipping hot chai and going through my parent’s wedding album, a detail caught my eye. Under the folds of my mother’s saree and camouflaging with her red bangles was a slender brown watch peeking out from behind her veil. For days, I couldn’t stop thinking about that watch. A watch? On a wedding day? It felt like an odd addition to my mother’s wedding attire in the traditional backdrop. Intrigued by my curiosity, I revisited the photographs.
My initial inquiry was met with a matter-of-fact response “I wore a watch then, just like I do now”. Things took a turn when one day my mother opened her old steel almirah and pulled out a treasure from the corners of her not-so-hidden drawers— that same vintage couple's watch she wore on her wedding day. Time had clearly left its mark on it. The once-bright dial was dulled, yet the thin brown straps held a certain charm. Her smile spoke of a bygone era as she tried wearing it on her wrist, holding the straps together in place of the missing buckle. At that moment, I knew it wasn’t just a timepiece.
Watches in the 1990s, she reminisced, were nothing less than a cultural phenomenon. They were more than mere instruments of timekeeping. “Celebrities sported them, fashion embraced them, and working women like me and your aunt (my mum’s elder sister) saw them as a must-have accessory. It exuded confidence at workplaces and social gatherings.” Companies like Titan capitalised on this emerging trend and introduced a couple's watch, a clever marketing ploy that resonated with couples seeking a stylish way to mark their union. Often sold in pairs with complementary designs and colours, these watches were a popular wedding gift, a symbol of shared journeys and aspirations.
As a present, wedding watches were either hand-me-downs or gifts given to each other by the parents or spouses. Digging deeper into the world of vintage fashion by conversing with my friends’ parents, what struck me the most was the similar design narrative among women's watches and the distinct way they were crafted compared to men’s. His and hers watches were introduced by Quartz in the '70s and ‘80s. And the dainty construction of women’s delicate straps spoke to a sense of feminity. But more importantly, they were a practical accessory that held women in the same regard in terms of its utility, as men.
Watches evolved from being a practical necessity to a symbol of women’s self-expression. My friend Ayushi’s mother Indrani emphasises this practicality, and the acknowledgement of equality in opportunity while sharing about the watch gifted to her by her mother. “It was a functional gift,” Indrani says, “as we [Indrani and her partner] embarked on a new life together, as a married and working couple.”
My mother, too, recalls the pride she felt in choosing her watch alongside my father’s, an accessory that became an integral part of their professional identity.
Therefore, when my mother gave me her watch, I understood it wasn’t an ordinary family heirloom. It was a bridge between societal norms and a deeply personal symbol of a personal journey. Knowing it held untold stories, her watch held a central place in my cupboard for six months. It reminded me that fashion is cyclical and the past can inspire the future. After all, classics never go out of style. The watch, once a part of an emerging trend, now represented a chapter in fashion history. Perhaps this watch on my wrist, once restored, will spark conversations around it, inspire curiosity, and remind others of hidden stories in their family albums.
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