Titan sharpens premium watch strategy with chess prodigy Gukesh-led ‘Titan of the Year’ push
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India’s largest watchmaker is doubling down on premiumisation—and doing it through long-term brand building rather than volume-led launches.
Titan Company Limited has named Gukesh Dommaraju as Titan of the Year 2026, unveiling a limited-edition automatic watch priced at ₹69,995 and capped at 500 pieces. While the announcement celebrates the youngest world chess champion, it also signals Titan’s intent to institutionalise “Titan of the Year” as a recurring brand platform—one designed to support its shift up the value curve in Indian horology.
The initiative, now in its second edition after last year’s tribute to Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, marks a departure from one-off commemorative watches. Instead, Titan is positioning the platform as an annual franchise that links Indian global achievers with high-end, design-led mechanical timepieces.
Premiumisation over volumes
For Titan, the business logic is clear. The premium segment—defined internally as watches priced above ₹25,000—has been growing at over 20% CAGR, outpacing the mass market. Over the past year, the contribution of this segment to Titan’s watch business has doubled.
Company data indicates that watches priced above ₹10,000 now account for about 44% of Titan’s watch division revenue, translating to roughly ₹1,174 crore in the current financial year. This share is expected to rise to 48% next year and cross 60% by FY29–30, underscoring how central premium watches have become to Titan’s growth strategy.
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Limited editions, executives say, are less about scale and more about brand signalling. “Scarcity creates collectability and aspiration,” says Rahul Shukla, vice-president and chief sales and marketing officer, watches division. “They elevate the brand even if the volumes are small.”
Why Gukesh fits the strategy
At 18, Gukesh represents a new generation of Indian achievers operating—and winning—on global stages traditionally dominated by Europe and the US. For Titan, that profile aligns with its attempt to reposition “Made in India” watchmaking as globally competitive rather than purely functional.
The selection criteria, according to the company, focus on four factors: global impact, domain excellence, intellectual curiosity, and alignment with Titan’s core values of integrity and humility. Gukesh’s rise in elite chess, a highly competitive and niche sport that has recently entered the mainstream, made him a natural fit.
Equally important is demographic reach. Associating with a young world champion allows Titan to engage Gen Z consumers who increasingly view watches as expressions of personal identity rather than utility.
Gukesh said the recognition reflected India’s growing stature in global chess, adding that discipline, patience and precision—qualities central to his game—were thoughtfully captured in the watch. He said he hoped the honour would inspire young Indians to believe in what sustained commitment can achieve.
Product-led storytelling
The Gukesh edition reflects Titan’s broader push towards product-led storytelling. The watch features a marquetry dial crafted from tiger eye and black agate, with design elements inspired by chess—custom indices representing different pieces, and a rotor engraved with a Grandmaster Knight motif and the inscription ‘Youngest World Chess Champion at 18’.
It is powered by Titan’s in-house automatic movement and housed in a rose-gold finished stainless steel case, paired with an Italian leather strap. Each piece is individually numbered.
Executives argue that such detailing is critical to changing perceptions of Indian watchmaking in the premium and luxury segments, long dominated by Swiss brands. “The product has to lead the story,” says Shukla. “Aesthetics and horology together create credibility.”
Balancing exclusivity and scale
Scarcity-led marketing can be a double-edged sword, but Titan believes India’s geography offers a natural advantage. While 500 pieces may appear limited nationally, distribution across multiple cities ensures exclusivity at a local level without constraining reach.
The company plans to extend the Titan of the Year platform beyond sports, tapping into science, technology, culture and entrepreneurship in future editions—each accompanied by a high-horology tribute watch.
For Titan, the Gukesh launch is less about selling 500 watches and more about reinforcing a narrative: that Indian watchmaking can move beyond affordability and fashion into aspiration, collectability and global relevance.