Much unlike the kings and rulers of erstwhile India, who commanded a considerable gravitas in the international luxury circuit, the post-independence Indians have allowed the West to dictate to them what passes muster as luxury and true status symbols. Even the watch industry continues to hawk world time-keepers that don’t cater to our 5.5hours of GMT displacement and yet, the well-heeled and well-travelled Indian adjusts with the mental math to fit their requirement.
But some brands have started listening to the Indian consumer, noticing what they want and even begun catering to it. Franck Muller, a house that made its name bending cases and scrambling numerals, has now gone somewhere few Geneva maisons have dared: it has made a watch about faith.
The Franck Muller Vanguard “Ram Lalla” Limited Edition is a watch which has been created especially for India. It pays tribute to Lord Ram in his childhood form, worshipped as the presiding deity of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The watch was unveiled in New Delhi on 21st October, 2026 with Kapoor Watch Co., as a special preview.
From Commemoration to Devotion
Commemorating a national milestone is one thing but to depict a deity on a dial (and Lord Ram, no less) is quite another task to set oneself up for and it asks for a different kind of nuanced handling. The Franck Muller Vanguard “Ram Lalla” takes Franck Muller’s avant-garde design language and turns it towards a subject of deep cultural and spiritual significance – one that can be a very precarious tight-rope to walk for any brand.
The subject is specific – this is Ram Lalla, or Lord Ram, as a child, which is the form that is worshipped at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, his birthplace. The dial carries an intricate appliqué of the deity, given depth through relief engraving.
This watch again is a limited (deliberate) run of 108 pieces and this is a number with much spiritual significance in Hindu tradition – it is the same count as the number of beads on a prayer mala. Each piece is individually numbered so what the owners are signing up for isn’t just a number at the back of a watch but a specific bead on a very pious, exclusive string.
The Devotion in Numbers
The case of this watch is fashioned out of a solid block of 18-carat rose gold, a three-dimensional, dual-curved structure that is curved along both its length and its width. The curvature further extends to the dial and the appliqués so the whole face follows the wrist. The dial showcases a Ram Lalla appliqué with relief engraving, all hand-applied with hand-painted numerals.
For each dial’s depiction of Lord Ram, one needs approximately 30 hours of laser processing. That is close to an entire working week spent on a work surface that is no more than a few centimetres across!
Given the amount of workmanship, these dials are produced in a limited batch run that is understandably unhurried. Each run carries an eight-week lead time where the dials go through:
- 8 hours of machining
- 16 hours of electroplating
- 16 hours of finishing
The Ram Lalla appliqués then receive their own treatment for each batch run: 8 hours of electroplating and 8 hours of finishing, on top of the laser work. Electroplating is what gives the figure its metallic depth while the finishing brings out the relief so that it reads clearly under bright light.
But wait, we aren’t done yet, for, the final layer is the most important – the human one. Each numeral is hand-applied and hand-painted by skilled artisans, adding yet another dimension to a dial that already has a lot going on. Machines can be trusted to cut a block of gold but the numerals are still placed on the face by someone with a steady hand, years of experience, and, one can only assume, no coffee jitters.
Consequently, even with its substantial proportions which measure 41 mm wide and 49.95 mm long, the double curve helps it sit satisfyingly flush on the wrist than the numbers would otherwise suggest. A Swiss automatic mechanical movement powers the entire setup.
The Strap and the Smaller Details
Most straps are usually configured using spring bars but here, it has been fixed to the case with two concealed screws, which allows the strap to feel as a continuation of the case rather than an accessory appended to it. This makes for a lovely loop which follows the Vanguard’s curved silhouette all the way round the wrist.
The material is a modern mix: rubber combined with grape-based vegan leather, finished with careful edge stitching along the transition from case to strap.
In Conclusion
There are those who love watches for their complications and/or aesthetics, some who are patriotic about endeavours which show respect to their nation and its rich history, while some share a deep personal and intimate connection with the divine. The new Franck Muller Ram Lalla then stands to appeal to a mixed set. The only conflict, if at all, may arise out of just who can get their hands on it first!
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