In the spirit of producing world-class watches that tell stories from India, Bangalore Watch Company has announced a new watch collection that pays tribute to the game of cricket.

A Cover Drive is considered the most graceful shot played in the gentlemen’s sport. The collection is aptly named ‘Cover Drive’ and offers several design features which nod to the sport of cricket.

Most notably, an external solid stainless steel unidirectional rotating bezel to track elapsed overs in a 50 overs or a T20 cricket match, 12H markers shaped like a wicket, and 4 and 6 markers cutout in arabic numbers to denote the boundary shots.

Three models of Cover Drive are available, namely the Pitch, the Outfield, and the Pavilion.

Powered by Swiss Sellita SW200, the watches can be purchased directly via the brand website and shipped worldwide.

Cricket was brought to India in the 1700s during British occupation. Although small cricket clubs formed in Mumbai in the mid-1800s, India never played an international cricket game overseas until 1932.

Initially considered a gentleman’s game, the defining moment for Indian cricket was an ICC Cricket World Cup victory in 1983, ironically in England.

India has since produced several first-class cricket players, most of whom, elevated to demi-god status by the one billion population that celebrates cricket and its icons.

The spirit of cricketing in India is abundant. It is a common sight to see any small patch of land, or gully turn into a cricket pitch. Roads are often empty on big game days, with crowds gathering around any available TV screen.

Cricket is not just a sport but is akin to a religion in India. Cover Drive is an urban-sports watch with classic styling and compact proportions that celebrates this spirit of cricket.

Bangalore Watch Company says the Cover Drive was designed to fit comfortably into a Friday outfit for work, and equally so at a Sunday brunch.

The compact stainless steel case proportion of 40mm diameter with a 30mm dial opening, 48mm lug-to-lug, 12.3mm height, and a cleverly contoured caseback makes for a delightful wearing experience.

The case has an alternating, brushed, polished finish that catches the light well and offers a decidedly classic wrist-presence.

The dial has a sandwich construction, with cutout hour markers exposing a healthy dose of C3 Grade-A Superluminova underneath.

With a handset of appropriate length, diamond cut to two facets, and rhodium plated for generous light-play, the contrast of the matte-dial, sandwich indices, and attention-grabbing hands make for easy time-telling.

The dial has no date aperture, to not take attention away from all the cricket elements. Purists will be happy to note that there will be no phantom date position.

There are many entertaining elements in the watch that are an obvious nod to cricket.

For starters, the case has an external solid stainless-steel unidirectional overs-tracking rotating bezel with markings that allows the wearer to track elapsed overs in a 50-over or a T20 cricket match.

The bezel also doubles as a 60-minute countdown timer. Next, all the indices are shaped after cricket stumps, with the 12H taking center stage as the wicket protected by the batsman.

Index 4 and 6 are cut out as Arabic fonts, denoting the boundary shots in cricket.

Upon closer inspection, one will find the counterbalance of the seconds hand shaped after a cricket bat.

A depiction of a cricket ball above the 12H position acts as the rotating bezel’s index point.

The watches come fitted with oil-pulled genuine leather straps with ecru stitching mimicking that on a cricket ball, and matching brushed and polished hardware with BWC logo. The oil-pulled leather develops a character over time adding to the charm of the watch.

To find out more, visit BWC’s website and learn more about the collection HERE.