An In-House Tourbillon… From India! Here’s the Titan Nebula Jalsa Tourbillon

For many, watchmaking is synonymous with Switzerland. While the Swiss industry remains influential, several other countries also play significant roles in the production of timepieces. Germany, Japan and China are obvious examples. But India, too, is increasingly important, both as a manufacturing hub and a growing market. At the heart of India’s watch industry is Titan Company Limited. Founded in 1984 as a joint venture between the Tata Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), Titan has become the country’s leading lifestyle brand. Beyond watches, it also designs and retails jewellery, eyewear, and fragrances. To put its scale into perspective, Titan sells around 15 million watches per year, more than the entire Swiss watch industry. While most are affordable models, Titan’s offerings have evolved in step with the growing sophistication of the Indian market… And today, there is an ambition to champion India and its artisanal heritage within the world of fine watchmaking.

Let me give you a perfect illustration of Titan’s evolution and its venture into high-end watchmaking. In late 2024, in the frame of the celebration of its 40th anniversary, Titan unveiled India’s first tourbillon watch. The Titan “40 years of Joy” was certainly a showcase of the brand’s watchmaking capabilities and a sign that the Indian manufacturer was ready to look at the premium and luxury markets. 

Released in an exclusive limited edition of just four pieces, Titan’s and India’s first tourbillon watch was powered by the in-house calibre 7TH1, whose one-minute flying tourbillon cage takes the shape of the T of Titan, while doubling as a small seconds indication. In 2025, to celebrate 225 years of Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal palace (a.k.a The Palace of Winds), Titan releases the Jalsa Tourbillon, as part of its precious Nebula line of watches. This 10-piece limited edition is a métiers d’art flying tourbillon watch inspired by Indian tradition. 

The Titan Nebula Jalsa watch features a compelling marble dial hand-painted by Padma Shri Shakir Ali, a renowned Indian painter known for his Mughal and Persian miniature paintings. Protected under an impressive domed sapphire crystal, the evocative miniature painting represents a royal procession with Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh riding an elephant in front of the Palace of Winds he commissioned in 1799. 

The creation of this artistic dial required over two years, particularly for the selection of the natural pigments and gemstone dust used for painting on this marble canvas. Each of these handcrafted dials requires 120 to 130 hours of work and is therefore unique. To achieve the finest details, a single strand of hair from a squirrel’s tail is used for painting. An original touch, a loupe, also serving as a counterweight for the minutes hand, provides an original perception of time while revealing different details of the dial every hour. As the minutes hand rotates, every stroke of Padma Shri Shakir Ali, as well as the intricacies of the flying tourbillon, are magnified.

A painting deserves a frame… The 43.5mm case is crafted from 18k rose gold with satin-brushed finishes and polished chamfers along the openworked lugs. Its distinctive sandwich construction highlights a red agate decorative ring encircling the mid-case. As you would imagine, crafting such a part in a natural stone is quite a challenge, requiring the material to be perfectly uniform. 

Powering the Jasla Tourbillon, the hand-wound calibre 7TH2 is derived from the 7TH1, the main differences being the central hour and minute indication, while off-centred for its predecessor, as well as the specific decoration visible through the exhibition caseback. 

The movement has been developed and is manufactured in-house with a few components sourced from suppliers (for instance, Feller Pivotages SA and Générale Ressorts in Switzerland for the assortment and the mainspring barrel). It beats at 28,800 vibrations/hour and boasts a 36-hour power reserve. The barrel bridge is openworked to highlight the symmetrical positioning of the barrel and tourbillon. The decoration is rather simple and is based on traditional finishing techniques, but the use of red agate to cover the bridges is an original touch. 

The Nebula Jalsa is presented on a hand-stitched alligator strap. It is secured by a plated steel folding buckle. Released in a limited edition of 10 pieces, it retails for INR 4,050,0000, which corresponds to approximately CHF 38,200 or EUR 39,800. 

All in all, it’s been quite an experience to visit Titan’s manufacture and to see the evolution of the giant of watchmaking, moving several steps up on the scale of watchmaking. And on that note, stay tuned as we will very soon publish a report of the visit, surely an eye-opening experience that made us discover an unexpected and underrated side of the watch industry. 

For more information, please visit www.titancompany.in and www.titan.co.in.