A watch as an identity of a community and brotherhood, for me Olam watch is that. I became a part of Timegrapher, a group of watch enthusiasts from Kerala in 2023.
I stumbled on an article about the Nazhika watch. It was the first one by Timegraphers or TGs. This led me to finally joining the community. After that it was a very interesting journey. Met a lot of watch-crazy people, attended a bunch of events and made some good friends.
I missed Nazhika but the news of another watch discussed in the group was exciting. And the waiting was finally over in September 2024, received the 076/400 engraved watch just before Onam festival.
The name Olam rhymes with Onam, which is a festival in Kerala. Olam means ripples in Malayalam. Sometimes we use “olam” as a slang to talk about swag. Both the meanings seems apt for this watch.
An elegant timepiece without much sophistication. There are lot of design elements that took inspiration from Kerala and its culture. It was a learning experience for me to understand how to bring a theme and put it into a timepiece.
Holding it, you can feel the shape and size of the watch neatly. It measures 40 mm in diameter. The case is 904L stainless steel with adorable finishing lines. What grabs your attention in the first glance is how the light is reflected through the domed sapphire crystal glass. The green patch inside the dial symbolizes the rivers of Kerala. It shines brilliantly as you move the watch around your hand. Rest of the dial, it is mostly off-white with little golden threads. If you know about Kerala, you don’t have to think too much to figure out where it came from. It is the traditional Kerala handloom.
When it’s Onam, boat race is an integral part in many parts of Kerala. The watch has a chronograph feature, to time the races. The oar shaped hands and the specific font of numerals are some extra design elements incorporated on this theme. On the dial you see the Malayalam numerals and a tachymeter whose scale is arranged brilliantly for better readability. There is a date window at 6’o clock as well.
We received the watch in a beautiful and well thought wooden box.
The Olam watch is definitely a conversation starter. Powered by Seiko VK64 meca-quartz movement.The watch fits nicely in my 6.5 inch wrist. The strap adjustments and clasp quality are top notch.
So a fully Kerala heritage inspired watch, that’s what I can call Olam. Mostly Keralites can relate a to it, as a timepiece which connects them to their roots.
Olam watch design was conceptualized by the members of Timegrapher community. The assembly and technical support is provided by the Delhi watch company.
They are limited to 400. The first 200 were exclusive for the community members and rest for the public. All were sold out. Hearing about the watch later in the social media, the group received many queries. It was a limited release. As a collector, letting go of this watch will be the last thing anybody will do.
Definitely Olam will stay with me forever.
