The Timegrapher community from Kerala has partnered with Delhi Watch Company (DWC) for their first collaboration to launch Tithi, a series of four watches designed in Malayalam and Tamil scripts. The collection draws from how time has traditionally been understood in India.
Timegrapher and Delhi Watch Company Collab
The idea took shape soon after Olam, Timegrapher’s earlier Malayalam numerals watch, which was released as a community-led project. While Olam was widely appreciated, it was produced in limited numbers, leaving many outside the community unable to own one. The team at Timegrapher began looking for a way to take the idea forward in a more accessible form.
Delhi Watch Company, which already shared a close relationship with the Timegrapher community, was thinking along similar lines. As DWC explored watches rooted in Indian languages and regional identities, the collaboration fell in place naturally. “When they shared their thoughts about creating watches in different regional scripts, we knew it was the right project at the right time to collaborate on,” says Nishad from Timegrapher.
Tithi – Everything you Need to Know
That conversation led to Tithi, a series of four watches inspired by how time was once measured and experienced in everyday life. The name comes from Sanskrit. “Tithi refers to the lunar day, the rhythm formed as the Moon moves ahead of the Sun,” Nishad explains. “For centuries, this rhythm shaped daily life across India, from agriculture and festivals to rituals and reflection.”
By naming the project Tithi, the team wanted to acknowledge a time when nature played a central role in shaping culture and routines. The watch brings together a moonphase complication with regional numerals, keeping the design minimal. The moonphase on the dial follows the same cycle that once guided seasons and ceremonies, while the use of different scripts reflects a shared cultural understanding of time. As the team puts it, “Different scripts. One sky. One Moon.”
The colour palette of the watches draws directly from landscape and lived experience. The Malayalam edition, finished in salmon and sky blue, takes inspiration from Kerala’s coastline and the soft hues of dawn and dusk over the sea. The Tamil edition uses yellow and green, reflecting sunlit land, fertile fields, and the cycles of agriculture and renewal.
From a technical standpoint, Tithi features a 39mm case made from 316L stainless steel, with a slim profile of 9.2mm. It offers water resistance up to 50 metres and comes paired with a suede leather strap. The hydraulic-pressed dial is protected by a sapphire crystal on both the front and the caseback, which is also made of 316L stainless steel. Powering the watch is the Miyota 6P24 movement, and it comes with a one-year warranty.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Building Tithi was a collaborative process shaped by different perspectives. “What we enjoyed most was the clash of ideas,” Nishad says. He approached the watch from a business and hospitality perspective, believing that “the watch has to feel gracious at first glance.” Artist Dilip Maniyappanan focused on symmetry and proportions, while Sohan Balachandran evaluated how design decisions aligned with user behaviour and historical insight. Anish Dandwani from Delhi Watch Company ensured that ideas were grounded in production feasibility.
“Bringing together these very different viewpoints around a single core idea is what shaped the final outcome,” Nishad adds.
Working with Delhi Watch Company also shaped how the team approached the project. “DWC operates with clarity and is open to receiving feedback,” he notes. “They take feedback seriously and address it wherever required.” The experience reinforced the importance of standing by one’s ideas. “We learned the importance of having conviction in our designs, and their openness to experimentation was especially inspiring.”
With Tithi soon to be released, the team is experiencing a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. “We feel grateful and immensely happy, and we’re equally anxious,” they admit. “Each watch will go on to tell its own story on someone’s wrist, and that feeling is very special to us.”
Bookings for Tithi open at 7 pm on 3 February, priced at ₹5,499. Grab yours here.
