For 13 years, Varun Jashnani searched for a person he knew nothing about, save their name, ‘N Bhowmick’, engraved on the steel caseback of a pre-1930s Favre Leuba Sea-Chief. Once owned by the unknown ‘N’, the watch travelled through the backchannels of the pre-owned vintage watch market, from Thrissur to a small Byculla watch shop, where Jashnani, then 24 and younger than the average age of a vintage watch, snapped it up.A vintage watch—typically defined as being at least 25 years old—holds multiple stories: of its provenance, accidents, brand history, craft and technology, servicing journey, and, finally, how it came to rest on a wrist. Keen to learn and tell these stories, a growing community of watch enthusiasts is gathering around the fading lume of vintage timepieces, their ears pressed close to the weathered dials.Jashnani, Vice-President at the real estate firm Lighthouse Luxury, is an avid listener, drawn to mechanical movements that come to life when wound. “I was hooked by the look and feel of this mechanical piece,” he says of a first-generation HMT Kohinoor he spotted in 2011 in the display case of his watch-repair chacha in Byculla. “It stood out from the quartz watches in the market. Here was a watch you could engage with. And it only cost Rs 2,000.” Hooked, he began researching and collecting mechanical wristwatches; today, they make up a large part of his 110-piece collection, 105 of which are vintage.Vintage watches are conversation starters, says Jude de Souza, founder of The Revolver Club (TRC), an artisanal music store that branched into watches 3 years ago. “In a world where people spend hideous amounts of money on blah watches, these stand out. They speak to a time when companies were allowed to take risks, and individuality was valued over scale and the bottom line,” he says, recalling the pre-quartz era (70s–80s).Seiko launched the first quartz wristwatch, the Astron 35SQ, in 1969. By the late 80s, what many call the Quartz Crisis forced nearly 1,000 Swiss watchmakers out of business, with overall production falling to nearly a third. This made surviving mechanical and automatic pieces rarer, more valuable, and highly coveted.Vintage watch enthusiasts scour the market for these models, often willing to shoulder the cost of restoration. “The condition of the watch, its design and rarity are what typically draws us to a timepiece,” says Jashnani. “Budget, naturally, narrows down the search.”As interest in vintage watches grows, supply channels are starting to widen.TRC started sourcing pieces from their existing customer base, and from a handful of trusted dealers and service centres. But as word spread, sellers reached out to them from across the country, contributing to their catalogue with the familiar (HMT, Citizen, Seiko), the foreign (Jemis, Titoni, Nino, and the USSR-era Raketa and Zaria), and the premium (Omega, Cartier, Favre Leuba, Tissot and Rolex).Keen to build “an ecosystem” around vintage watches, they organise watch meets, where people drop by to talk watches and browse pieces on display, which include ones loaned from personal collections. They even trade models between them. “Initially, our product drops focused only on old-school HMTs, priced between Rs 1,500–2,000.” Around 40 to 50 pieces would sell out in 2 days.“We want to de-intimidate the average young person who wants to get into watches by showing them that there are tons of Seikos, HMTs and Citizens that are affordable and have their own unique value. You don’t need to buy an Omega or a Rolex to be a watch guy,” de Souza maintains. Buyers fall into 2 camps: under-25s buying watches under Rs 10,000, and those over 35 spending upwards of Rs 1–2 lakh. Men outnumber women 4 to 1.Many first-time collectors hoping to eventually enter the luxury segment also take the vintage route. “Vintage watches are often considered entry points to luxury watches—you can buy a nice vintage Omega from the 70s at the price of a new Tissot,” says Punit Mehta, Chapter Lead at RedBar India, a watch community that began with 7 enthusiasts during COVID and today counts over 500 members.At a typical RedBar India meet, watches are laid out on a table, with people sitting around them, eating, drinking and admiring the exhibits. Marquee events cover talks by watchmakers, visits to premium service centres, strap-making workshops and luxury brand outings.India’s interest in vintage watches is relatively recent, Mehta notes. “Until the 90s, Italian watch dealers were known to import vintage watches from India, because we didn’t much care for them, while Italians did.” Today, India’s vintage watches are circulating within the country, because demand is rising here, driven by higher disposable incomes, social media, pop and hip-hop culture, and the desire to stand out.On the supply side, a range of online and offline avenues operates across a sliding scale of credibility and trust—from eBay and Facebook Marketplace to specialised platforms like Chrono24, certified pre-owned programmes of major luxury brands and auction houses.“What was once a niche interest limited to a small group of collectors evolved into a more structured and visible segment, marked by higher auction participation, stronger price benchmarks and a growing base of first-time buyers . . . who value vintage watches for their design, engineering and heritage, not just status,” says Hinesh Kotecha, Director of the luxury watch portfolio at AstaGuru Auction House. “While it is difficult to assign an exact value to the Indian vintage wristwatch market, much of which still operates through private sales, it grew steadily over the past decade.“As the market formalises, both buyers and sellers are increasingly turning to service centres to get watches—especially high-value pieces—authenticated, serviced and repaired. “In India, many vintage watches are what collectors call ‘Franken’ or ‘Bombay watches’, meaning they’re not entirely authentic under the hood—the dial may be repainted, movements changed, or parts cannibalised,” says de Souza.Skilled technicians can set things right. Service centres such as My Watch Merchant (MWM) in Goregaon and Pogu Watch Service in Parel started off as neighbourhood repair shops, but as the market expanded, so did their operations. Today, they run sleek labs in multi-storey buildings, employing 7 to 8 technicians.“Finding original parts is the most challenging bit,” admits Paresh Parihar, Director at MWM. “We fabricate parts that are unavailable when the model is no longer manufactured and reliable substitutes cannot be found.” They also tailor watches to individual preferences. “We can make a classy watch look sporty by simply changing the straps.” Ultimately, watches are meant to be worn, not salted away. “The more often you wear them, the longer they’ll last,” he says—advice that runs counter to a familiar Indian instinct to save cherished possessions for special occasions.Another counterintuitive piece of advice is to allow a vintage watch to look vintage. Some clients want them to look as good as new, says Chandraprakash Pogu, founder of Pogu Watch Service, who advises clients to retain the patina because they are signs of a life lived. “Earlier, people didn’t know how to maintain their watches or that they needed to service them regularly, but they are more aware today.” Part of it has to do with pride of ownership, and part, asset appreciation—knowing that a well-kept watch will command a higher value in time.For William Charles, it is both. Charles was 12 when he accidentally broke his father’s cherished Breitling AVI 765, a chronograph he used to time his friends racing. “He was livid,” Charles recalls. Unable to find trusted technicians in Nagpur and unwilling to send the watch to the metros for repair, his father stored the 1950s timepiece in a vintage Japanese hard-candy box. It lay forgotten there until it was disinterred 35 years later, last April, when Charles decided to sell it.“I thought it wouldn’t be worth more than Rs 2 lakh,” says the corporate communications professional. A dealer he found through a newspaper classified quoted Rs 90,000; a second opinion valued it at Rs 8–10 lakh, Charles chuckles. With the original bill and box, which he didn’t have, it could have fetched Rs 12–15 lakh. He spent Rs 88,000 on repairs and servicing, initially intending to sell. But when My Watch Merchant returned the piece to him in September, he couldn’t let it go.“I can’t bring myself to wear it outside; my wrist feels heavy. I never wore a watch worth more than Rs 20,000,” he admits.But he knows the watch must be used if it is to be maintained. So, once in a while, for a couple of hours, he takes it out of the cupboard and wears it at home.Look out for the following events next week:India Watch Weekend 2026 January 17–18 Four Seasons Hotel Tickets on BookMyShowThe Revolver Club Community Meet January 17, 12 pm onwards The Revolver Club, LJ Rd, Mahim Free entryAstaGuru’s ‘Legacy Jewellery, Silver & Timepieces’ auction January 15–16 Astaguru.com

The Indian Army on Saturday said it conducted exercise ‘Sanjha Shakti’, a joint Military–Civil Fusion exercise, at the Dighi Hills Range under the aegis of the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area of the Southern Command. The exercise focused on strengthening coordination between the armed forces and civilian agencies to deal with complex security challenges and emergency situations, as per a post shared by the Southern Command of the Indian Army on X.

According to the Indian Army, the exercise was aimed at enhancing civil–military synergy, improving rapid response capabilities and ensuring public safety. More than 350 personnel participated in the drill, which brought together the Indian Army and 16 key civilian agencies, including the Maharashtra Police, Force One and various fire departments. The joint exercise tested interoperability, communication protocols, decision-making processes and rapid response mechanisms through realistic, mission-oriented scenarios, the post said.The Army stated that exercise Sanjha Shakti validated seamless coordination between civil and military stakeholders, particularly in situations involving, disaster response and public safety. The emphasis was on preparedness and joint action to address emergencies in the hinterland effectively.Lt Gen DS Kushwah, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding of the Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area, highlighted the importance of close civil–military cooperation. He stressed that such synergy is critical for safeguarding the hinterland, responding swiftly to disasters and providing support to veterans and their families, as per the Indian Army’s post.The exercise reaffirmed the Indian Army’s role in rear area security and public safety, the Southern Command said, adding that it underlined the shared commitment of civil and military agencies to work together under the framework of Military–Civil Fusion to ensure safety and security.

UP Warriorz captain Meg Lanning moved past Ellyse Perry to become the second-highest run-scorer in Women’s Premier League history during her team’s match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday.Phoebe Litchfield’s aggressive 78 off 40 balls could not prevent UP Warriorz from going down as Gujarat Giants registered a 10-run win in a high-scoring Women’s Premier League (WPL) match.

In the match, Lanning crossed Perry’s tally of 972 runs after scoring 30 off 27 balls. She now has 981 runs in the tournament and is 50 runs behind Mumbai Indians all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who leads the list with 1,031 runs following the opening match of WPL 2026.Sciver-Brunt remains the only player to score more than 1,000 runs in the WPL. Her tally was built on a strong 2025 season, during which she became the first cricketer to score over 500 runs in a single WPL edition. She achieved that feat during Mumbai Indians’ title-winning campaign.The earlier record for most runs in a single WPL season was held by Ellyse Perry, who scored 347 runs in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title-winning 2024 season.With the 2026 season underway, Lanning and Sciver-Brunt are set to compete for the top spot on the all-time WPL run-scoring list.Lanning has been among the more consistent batters in the tournament. She represented Delhi Capitals in the first three WPL seasons, scoring 952 runs in 27 matches and helping the team reach the final on each occasion. Ahead of WPL 2026, Delhi Capitals released her, after which she was signed by UP Warriorz and named captain for the season.Perry finished her third WPL season with 972 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. She played a key role in RCB’s title win in 2024. Although retained ahead of WPL 2026, Perry withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons.The Women’s Premier League 2026 started on January 9 and will conclude on February 5. The final is scheduled to be held at the BCA Stadium (Kotambi) in Vadodara.

Ask any person about one thing they hate the most about their home, most of them would say, peeling paint! There’s no denying that wall paint peeling in patches looks ugly, disturbs the whole look and sometimes also looks spooky. Well, we need to understand that this doesn’t happen overnight. Peeling begins quietly and by the time you realise, it becomes a major issue. From a tiny bubble on the bathroom wall or a flaky patch near a main door, soon turns into an eyesore! And if you ignore it, soon your wall looks damp, and ugly. But don’t worry! If you too are going through the same issue, we have some good news. You don’t need a full repaint and spend thousands of bucks immediately. With the right approach and some quick fixes, you can actually deal with peeling paint. Priyanka Sahai, an interior expert (Gurugram), says, “Paint never fails on its own. It’s the surface beneath which tells the real story.” On this note, let’s find out how to fix the problem in a smart way.Understand why peeling happens The most common causes are:

Moisture and dampness: One of the main villains of the peeling paint in Indian homes are moisture and dampness which happens due to leaky pipes, bathroom humidity, seepage, or poorly waterproofed exterior walls. Uneven surface: If you have painted over dusty walls, or uneven surface, it weakens adhesion and eventually, paint starts peeling in patches.No or wrong primer: Primer is extremely important. If your painter has skipped primer or used the wrong one, you’ll soon notice peeling on your wall.Low-quality paint: Interior paint on exterior walls, or budget paints without moisture resistance, peel faster. Always use good quality paint which stays longer.Weather conditions: Painting during extreme humidity, cold, or heat prevents proper curing, leading to peeling.Quick fixes

Scrape off loose paint : Use a scraper to remove the loose paint completely. Never, like ever paint over peeling areas. It will only add to the problem.Smooth the edges: Use a sand paper to smooth the area. It will help the peeled edges blend into the surrounding wall. This ensures the repaired spot doesn’t stand out later.Clean the surface: Wipe the region with a damp cloth to remove dust or residue. Now let it dry completely. Fix the dampness

If peeling is caused because of dampness, then:Fix leaks firstCheck the ventilationLet walls dry for at least 24–48 hoursApply wall putty (If required)Use wall putty to fix cracks and uneven surfaces. Once dry, sand lightly for a smooth finish.Primer

You cannot skip primer. Use interior primers for living areas and for washrooms, use damp-resistant primers. Primer helps sealing the surface and helps paint grip properly.Repaint twice but only with good quality paintAlways go for a good-quality paint. It is important to apply two thin coats on the wall. Avoid one thick layer and give proper drying time between coats.Quick design fixes

If you can’t repaint immediately, here are some smart hacks:Accent wall: Turn it into a design featureWallpaper or wall decals: You can cover it with wallpaper or wall decalsWall panels: You can also hide the damaged sections using wall panelsThough these aren’t permanent solutions, they allow you some time.How to prevent paint peeling

Make sure kitchens and bathrooms are properly ventilated Repair seepage before rains hitAlways use primerDo not paint during extreme humidity or rainsTarun Shah, a seasoned painter working in a society of Greater Noida advises, “Good paint lasts years, but good preparation lasts decades. Most issues we face in societies are during monsoons. Because of dampness and water seepage, the walls suffer and paint peels. So it’s advisable to invest in quality paint which is also weather proof and water proof”.Peeling paint in patches is an early warning sign that your home needs attention. With timely action, you can restore your walls and prevent damage. Fix it once, fix it right.

The New Zealand tour of India 2026 kicks off with an opening ODI at the newly inaugurated BCA Stadium in Vadodara. This marks the first-ever men’s international match at this venue, setting a prestigious stage for two of the world’s most consistent ODI sides. India, led by Shubman Gill, enters the series with a reinforced squad featuring the return of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. New Zealand, led by Michael Bracewell, will be eager to break their recent winless streak against the Men in Blue in this format.

IND vs NZ, 1st ODI: Match Details

• Date and Time: January 11 (Sunday); 1:30 pm IST / 8:00 am GMT / 9:00 pm NZDT
• Venue: BCA Stadium (Kotambi), Vadodara

Head-to-Head Record (ODIs):

Matches played: 120 | India won: 62 | New Zealand won: 50 | No result/Tied: 8

BCA Stadium, Vadodara Pitch Report

As this is the debut men’s international match at the BCA Stadium, the pitch remains somewhat of a mystery, though early indicators from domestic matches suggest it is a batting-friendly surface with a fast outfield. The track is expected to offer a true bounce, favoring stroke-makers like Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Historically, fresh surfaces in Gujarat have provided some initial movement for the seamers, but as the match progresses, spinners are likely to find grip. With the match being a Day/Night affair, dew is expected to be a significant factor in the second innings, making the toss crucial. The captain winning the toss will likely elect to bowl first to capitalize on easier chasing conditions under the lights.

Also READ: Adult film star Kendra Lust shares photo with Virat Kohli; fans react to the viral buzz

India vs New Zealand: Team dynamics and key players

India: The hosts boast a star-studded lineup with Shubman Gill leading the side. The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli provides immense stability at the top, while Shreyas Iyer, returning from injury as vice-captain, adds depth to the middle order. The bowling attack is a blend of experience and youth, with Mohammed Siraj leading the pace battery in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. The spin department looks formidable with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, both of whom are expected to thrive on the Vadodara surface.

New Zealand: The BlackCaps arrive with a balanced squad known for their tactical discipline. Captain Michael Bracewell and Devon Conway will anchor the batting, while the explosive Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips provide the finishing fire. Their pace attack, featuring the Kyle Jamieson and the express pace of Zak Foulkes, will look to exploit any early moisture. New Zealand’s success will hinge on how well their spinners, particularly Adithya Ashok, can contain the Indian middle order during the crucial middle-overs phase.

IND vs NZ, 1st ODI: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• India wins the toss and bowls first
• New Zealand powerplay score: 45-55 (10 overs)
• New Zealand total score: 265-280

Case 2:

• New Zealand wins the toss and bowls first
• India powerplay score: 55-65 (10 overs)
• India total score: 300-320

Match result: India to win the contest 

Also READ: Former opener explains how Yashasvi Jaiswal can become a three-format player for Team India

Mumbai: In a ruling aimed at providing “just compensation” for life-altering injuries, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) ordered the owner of a school bus and Reliance General Insurance to pay a total payout of Rs 2.12 crore (this amount includes interest) to a 44-year-old teacher left bedridden after a 2022 road accident. The victim, Shital Salunke, once an active teacher earning an annual salary of over Rs 11 lakh, is now unable to speak or perform daily activities independently. The tribunal noted the severity of the neurological damage. “The physical disablement assessed… is permanent in nature and will not reduce over the period of time,” the tribunal observed, citing medical evidence that Salunke suffers from aphasia (loss of speech) and right-hand weakness.Salunke moved the tribunal through her husband in Dec 2022. The victim worked at the school in Bhandup. On the morning of June 10, 2022, while riding her scooter with “due care and caution” on LBS Road in Mulund, a school bus belonging to Golden Travels, driven in a “rash and negligent manner”, struck her vehicle. The impact was so severe that Salunke sustained a traumatic head injury, a temporal burst lobe, and multiple fractures. The bus driver fled the scene immediately after the collision. Salunke spent a lot of time in hospital and spent around Rs 25 lakh. “She is totally dependent on the help of her caretaker. She is having unbearable pain and sufferings. Her expectation of life has been shortened and adversely affected. She had to bear huge medical expenditure for her treatment and is still undergoing treatment,” her claim said.During the proceedings, the insurance company attempted to argue that Salunke was partially responsible for the accident and that her disability might be treatable through speech therapy. However, the tribunal rejected these claims. Referring to the teacher’s inability to return to her profession, the tribunal stated, “Although the permanent disablement suffered by the claimant is ascertained as 60%, there is total disablement with regard to her occupation as she will not be able to work as a teacher at any point of time in future.”A key point involved medical expenses already covered by Salunke’s private Mediclaim policy. The insurer argued these should be deducted from the award. The Judge firmly disagreed, citing established High Court precedents: “The claimant is entitled to the entire medical expenditure incurred for treatment even though a certain amount was covered under the Mediclaim policy.” The final award includes loss of future earnings, alongside compensation for pain, suffering, and medical bills. The tribunal ordered the owner and the insurer to pay the amount jointly and severally.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday stepped up its attack on the INDIA bloc over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It accused opposition parties of shifting positions and turning a constitutional exercise into what it called a “spectacle”, after the Samajwadi Party questioned the credibility of the Election Commission over the scale of voter deletions in Uttar Pradesh. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said SIR is increasingly becoming “Yaksha prashna” for opposition parties making them unable to “speak openly or remain silent” on the issue.Referring to the Samajwadi Party and Congress, Trivedi said they are contradicting themselves on whether SIR was cutting or adding votes. He cited recent statements by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leaders to argue that the opposition’s stand had kept changing. “The issue of SIR appears to be turning into a real conundrum for the INDIA alliance. Their situation has become such that they can neither speak openly nor remain silent. Today, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said —just 12 days ago—that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s votes had been cut. A few days before that, the Congress party was saying that through SIR, opposition votes were being cut. Now today, they are saying that SIR is not meant to cut votes but to add votes.”He went on to say, “I request the INDIA alliance parties – Samajwadi Party and Congress – to clearly explain, according to them, whose votes are being cut and whose votes are being added,” adding that SIR was “a constitutional process being carried out with professional competence and on a completely technical basis”. Using a Hindi idiom, the BJP MP described the opposition’s position as inconsistent. “If I were to put it in one line: in a moment it is a ‘tola’, in another moment it is a ‘masha’; in a moment it is one thing, in the next it is something else,” he said, calling the issue a “Yaksha prashna” created by the opposition itself. He urged opposition parties to cooperate with the process “with seriousness and awareness”.The BJP’s remarks came after Akhilesh Yadav alleged that Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders had advance knowledge of how many voters would be excluded from the SIR draft electoral roll, raising questions about the poll panel’s neutrality. The draft roll, published on January 6, excluded 2.89 crore voters while retaining 12.55 crore out of 15.44 crore names listed earlier.Speaking in Lucknow, Yadav said he had been apprehensive about the removal of three crore voters, but claimed BJP leaders had publicly cited even higher figures before the draft was released. “If BJP leaders, a former party MP, and the chief minister are making such statements, then what is the credibility of the Election Commission?” he asked, according to PTI.The SP chief also questioned discrepancies between voter data used for assembly and panchayat elections and sought clarity on figures compiled by BLO. He said the party would demand answers from the Election Commission and expressed hope that “genuine voters will have their names added to the voter list” before the final roll is published on March 6.Yadav said party workers had been given draft complaint formats to flag alleged irregularities and reiterated his demand for linking voter information with Aadhaar, alleging misuse of fake identification during elections.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Saturday said it has taken suo motu action against 27 restaurants across the country for mandatorily levying service charges on customers, holding the practice to be a violation of consumer law.The restaurants have been fined up to Rs 50,000, directed to refund the service charge collected from consumers, and asked to modify their billing systems to remove any default addition of such charges, the authority said.According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, the CCPA took “suo motu cognizance against 27 restaurants located across the country for violation of consumer rights and adoption of unfair trade practices under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, relating to the mandatory levy of service charge”.The action followed complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), supported by invoices showing that a 10 per cent service charge was being added automatically to bills.Investigations found that several establishments, including Café Blue Bottle, Patna, and China Gate Restaurant Pvt Ltd (Bora Bora), Mumbai, were levying service charges by default — a practice declared an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and barred under CCPA guidelines.In the case of Café Blue Bottle, Patna, the CCPA directed the restaurant to refund the entire service charge collected from the complainant, discontinue the practice with immediate effect, and pay a penalty of Rs 30,000.In the case of China Gate Restaurant Pvt Ltd (Bora Bora), Mumbai, the restaurant refunded the service charge during the hearing. It was further directed to modify its software-generated billing system to remove the default levy and pay a penalty of Rs 50,000.The CCPA said it is “closely monitoring complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline regarding levy of service charge and will continue to take strict action against non-compliant restaurants to safeguard consumer rights and prevent unfair trade practices”.The action comes after the Delhi High Court’s March 2025 ruling, which upheld the CCPA’s guidelines on service charges and held that mandatory collection of service charge by restaurants is contrary to law. The court also affirmed that the CCPA is fully empowered to enforce its guidelines.The Guidelines to Prevent Unfair Trade Practices and Protection of Consumer Interest with Regard to Levy of Service Charge in Hotels and Restaurants, issued on July 4, 2022, clearly state that restaurants cannot add a service charge automatically or by default, cannot collect it under any other name, and cannot force consumers to pay it. The guidelines also bar restaurants from denying entry or service to customers who refuse to pay a service charge.