Indian watchmakers are introducing contemporary styles and designs in watch cases to appeal to customer taste and also fight back cheaper Chinese products swamping the markets.

With prices crashing, wrist watches are no longer just looked upon as time keepers but watch makers are branding them as style statements.  Cashing in on the demand, the 50-year old watch case manufacturing industry in Rajkot is gearing up to introduce designer watches.

"The Rajkot watch cases market has a good future.  As these are luxurious and fashion items so people want some new things each day with new shapes and sizes.  So, the future is good and in the coming days we can capture the market by introducing new models," claims Arjun Shingala, the managing director of West End Time Private Limited.

Around 80 percent of the watch cases in the country are manufactured in Rajkot.  About 250 units are engaged in the manufacture of watch-cases, bands, back cover and watch glasses.

Pacing ahead at the rate of over 10 per cent every year, the Rajkot watch industry provides employment to over 10,000 workers.  The main concern for the industry is "illegal dumping" of readymade watches from China.

"Products are coming in from China to our country in an unauthorised way.  They are being illegally dumped and sold here in big centres of the city.  The prices of these unauthorised goods compete with our products and that affects our sales.  So, we request the government to stop the inflow of material in an unauthorised way.  Once it is stopped, our industry can get a double boost, " said Jayesh Boghra, President, Rajkot Watch Case Manufacturers and Ancillary Association.

Indian producers currently make about 12 million watches and also export a large number, with quality standards matching Japanese and Swiss products, a press release by Tata Group, which owns one of leading Titan brand of watches, said in September, 2003.

There is vast potential for domestic demand with just over 25 watches sold per 1,000 people.  Industry says more than half of the approximately 25 million watches sold in India are spurious or assembled out of smuggled parts.  (ANI)