The Titan Timepiece That Took Years To Paint
Nebula by Titan’s Jalsa Tourbillon pays homage to 225 years of architectural splendour
TIME AND HISTORY DON’T JUST GO hand in hand—sometimes, they sit wrist to wrist.
Nebula by Titan recently unveiled the Jalsa Tourbillon, a timepiece that captures the grandeur of Rajasthan in miniature. A marvel both structurally and visually, the limited-edition timepiece (only 10 pieces!) commemorates 225 years of the Hawa Mahal.
Like the famed palace, the design is where the watch sparkles. The hand-painted marble dial features a miniature artwork that depicts a royal procession set against the palace’s iconic façade. Painted by renowned artist Shakir Ali, the process involved natural gemstone pigments and centuries-old techniques, including delicate stroke work using a single-haired squirrel brush. To give you an idea of just how fine the craftsmanship is—completing just 10 dials took years.
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“The watch reveals itself the more you look at it,” said CK Venkataraman, Managing Director, Titan Company, at the Jaipur launch attended by Esquire India. Encased in 18K rose gold and set with luminous red agate—a nod to Jaipur’s landscape and palette—the watch features an in-house flying tourbillon at six o’clock, crafted from 144 precision parts and 14 jewels. Architectural bridges inlaid with red agate and a sapphire magnifier counterpoise on the minute hand, adding to its drama. Finished with a genuine alligator leather strap, the watch measures 14.5mm thick, with a 37.5mm dial and a total weight of 70g.
Mahendra Chauhan, Head of Design, Watches, Wearables & Accessories at Titan, adds that what sets the Jalsa apart is the presence of elements not typically associated with watchmaking, be it the marble dial or the agate. “We wanted to do something which is rooted in India,” he says, adding that their first tourbillon featured a dial with Swiss Guilloché patterns. “Here, the artwork is the centrepiece — everything else is built to celebrate it. The unique position of the tourbillon also makes this one of the most complicated timepieces we’ve ever worked on.”
This extraordinary watch, priced at Rs. 40.5 lakh, is also Titan’s official entry to the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève
(GPHG) 2025, the world’s most prestigious watchmaking forum.
To read more stories from Esquire India's August 2025 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.