A Moment In Time With Janhvi Kapoor

Janhvi Kapoor recognises a good watch when she sees one. Taste. Character. Respecting time. If you wear a great timepiece, Kapoor knows you carry all of the above. It tells a lot about how the person looks at life, she tells Esquire India on the sidelines of Watches and Wonders 2026 in Geneva.

The actor was recently announced as a friend of the Swiss maison Baume & Mercier, with focus around the Joia de Baume & Mercier collection. The novelties reflect a broader philosophy that has long guided the brand: creating timepieces that celebrate individuality and accompany women in every facet of their lives.

On the sidelines of Watches and Wonders, Kapoor gave us an insight into her definition of legacy and what it takes to impress her with your watch game.

Tell us about your collaboration with Baume & Mercier and being at Watches and Wonders.

I am so excited. It's the first time I am here at Watches and Wonders. I am so happy with how warm everyone here at the Baume & Mercier family has been. I have had a chance to look around. I have been a huge admirer of the brand, for everything that it stands for. So, it's genuinely a privilege to be here with the brand.

You have quite an impressive watch collection. What draws you to a timepiece when you are choosing one?

It's a lot of things. For a woman, a watch extends itself from being something functional into something that should ideally feel like an extension of her personality, something that's durable, functional but also embodies luxury, versatility and timelessness. I like it when a watch piece also feels like a piece of jewellery.

Watches are often passed down generations. Do you have one in your collection that is close to you, that has a story?

I have all my mom's watches and she had quite a nice collection too.

What does wearing a watch give you that maybe a phone doesn't?

It’s always made me feel very grown up and elegant, if that makes sense. Like I said, it's as good as wearing a piece of jewellery. I automatically feel like when I'm wearing a watch and entering a room, maybe it’s in my head, I feel people take me a little more seriously.

Especially when it’s a heritage piece from a brand like Baume & Mercier that has a lineage of 200 years, you don't just wear a piece from a collection. You wear everything that the brand stands for.

You are known to be very disciplined in your work. Are you someone who lives by the clock, or do you move by instinct?

I can't afford to move by instinct because of the way my schedule is most of the time but I'm sort of reconditioning myself to be as fluid as possible.

Baume & Mercier has a long legacy. What does legacy mean to you at this stage of your career?

It's always meant a great deal of responsibility for me. But I think out of respect for legacy, one needs to be conscious about evolution as well.

What, according to you, does a great watch say about a man?

It says a lot about his character and a lot about how he looks at life, how he values his own time as well as other people's time. And if he's got taste, obviously.

What should a guy keep in mind when choosing a watch?

I think being understated is very important for me, aesthetically. I like the quietness in some of the luxury pieces a lot. I appreciate that. If you keep these two things in mind, I'll probably appreciate your watch game.

Beyond watches and style, when you think about time itself, is there a moment in your life that you wish you could freeze and just revisit?

There have been so many. A lot of moments in our Chennai house with my entire family. Going to Cannes with Homebound was such a special professional moment for me.

Of late I've been feeling a lot of gratitude for everything I've been experiencing. Every moment with my dogs: I want to freeze in time. But there have been so many moments on set, so many things that feel like artistic triumphs that I wish I could freeze in time.