From the beginning of the 20th century until well after World War II, Switzerland commanded over 90 per cent of the total sale of mechanical watches sold around the world.

Love and fascination for cars made it highly probable that I would also be passionate about other boys toys. Which brings me to my greater passion, horology.

F.P.Journe timepieces are celebrated and sought-after the world over, with a demand so high that they now sell for astronomically higher prices than the brand would have ever imagined. So what makes them so unique?

Some perpetual calendars are built to keep going till the end of this century, while others, rarer still, need no correction till the year 2400. Kurt Klaus set out to build a perpetual calendar watch, but with a slight difference. He wanted to build something unique.

World War II had a devastating impact on German watchmakers. Factories in Germany were seized by the Soviet Union to mass produce watches. The highly-reputed German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne was one such brand to fall prey to the terminal effects of war.

1969 for the race between three watchmaking giants to build and create the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre. Just a year later it almost all came crashing down, with the Japanese quartz assault that put the Swiss mechanical watch industry into a near terminal tailspin.

My interest and writing on watches is motivated by two factors - the story or history behind the creation of a watch, and, its intricately designed and complex movement. My fascination with the Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 2RE is an amalgamation of both.

The 'El Primero' chronograph calibre from Zenith emerged a clear favourite in watchmaking circles. From 1970 until the early '90s, the industry did not see further innovation when it came to high-end chronograph movements

Throughout school, I had a love-hate relationship with science. I disliked chemistry and was indifferent to biology, but developed a keen interest in physics. A topic that really engaged me from the beginning was 'resonance.'

I distinctly remember waking up to this headline a few months ago: 'COVID-19 has now killed more people in the USA than World War I'. Early in 2020, people around the world were asked to stay indoors for months on end. Cut to present day, and there is still no end in sight.

In 2013, Romain Gauthier released the Logical One, which in his belief was his first complicated wristwatch, with a caliber built to the highest level of attention to detail which went on to win the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie award for the best complicated men's watch of 2013.

A much smaller number, know of independent watchmakers whose work elevates them into a category of horology that only a select few are a part of. There are several differences between the industrial giants of watchmaking and independent watchmakers.

The constant force escapement is a mechanism where, irrespective of whether there is maximum power or minimum power left in the mainspring barrel, a consistent amount of force is transmitted through the gear train all the way to the heart of the watch, the escapement. Even when the watch is almost fully unwound - it still keeps correct time.

The ideas that went into creating influential watches and how they function have always inspired me. So, here's my attempt to take you through a crash course on how a simple mechanical watch works.

Record breaking performances by athletes have been measured and immortalised by high performance instruments at events such as the Olympics and every sport's respective World Championships. Today, our social media feed is bombarded with images of athletes from Cristiano Ronaldo and his rare and exorbitantly priced watches to candid, courtside photographs of Michael Jordan sporting high-end chronographs.

I was a competitive swimmer for 20 years of my life. So, ever since I was six, swimming meant getting from one point to another in the shortest time possible. An obsession with timekeeping became a by-product of my preparation as an athlete. So my interest in watchmaking is only natural.

In the 17th century, around the time Charles the 5th introduced waistcoats, men began to wear watches in pockets instead of as pendants.

If I were dreaming of a classic sports car as I often am, the name Swallow Sidecar Company just would not cut it for me. On the other hand, if it were renamed the JAGUAR and you were to add on the model designation XK 120, with the 'X' standing for experimental and 120 being a top speed of 120 mph, and I am well and truly hooked.

Photoshoots are always fun! I've enjoyed the spotlight as long as I can remember, be it in the pool or in front of the camera ! One of my favourite shoots this year was with ace photographer Subi Samuel with styling by Agnees Banerjee. Sharing some of the looks here.

Quirky, bubbly, fun ! The best way to describe my day shooting for Men's Health.

They say a sharply tailored suit does for a man what the little black dress does for a woman.

How would you define your style?
Always being extremely comfortable with the choices you make. I don't dress with an effort to please the world; if I'm confident about what I'm wearing,I know I will always carry it off.

"Carry off what you wear with confidence."

He is twenty-something blessed with good looks and a fitness freak. He is a professional swimmer as well as a golfer. He is considered as one of the hottest male athletes in India by many. Meet Arjuna awardee REHAN PONCHA.