Bangalore Watch Company Honors Women in Aviation with New Addition to MACH 1 Collection

In a tribute to women in aviation and their significant contributions to modern India, Bangalore Watch Company introduces a new timepiece in the MACH 1 collection - the MACH 1 Silk Scarf.

“We introduced the MACH 1 collection in 2019. Since then, this collection has seen a strong identity as a compelling aviation-styled watch with Indian aviation backstories. We did several watches in the past that celebrate the Indian Air Force, and most recently the Indian Navy. The Silk Scarf extends the MACH 1 collection into a commercial aviation backstory for the first time,” said Nirupesh Joshi, Co-Founder and Creative Director of the brand.

In 1936, 21-year-old Salra Thukral became the first Indian woman to acquire a commercial pilot's license. Despite aviation not being a popular career choice for women in mid-century India, the economic liberalization in the 1980s marked a turning point. Thousands of Indian women entered aviation in the 1980s, not only in piloting careers but also in ground-crew and air-traffic roles.

“Indian women don’t just keep our skies safe, and make air travel efficient, but they also carry with them the dreams of millions of young girls that look up and aspire. 15 percent of all commercial pilots in India are women. This number is surprisingly 3 times higher than the global average. This storyline formed our inspiration to create a new watch,” said Mercy Amalraj, Co-founder and Head of Ownership Experience.

Given the unique backstory, the designers at BWC have crafted a new color scheme for the watch. A new light-pink shade called Aerobloom was developed for this watch. The dial also carries a motif de grain, giving the watch a shine and luster not seen before in the MACH 1 dials.

In the formative years of modern aviation, an aviator’s scarf, mostly made of silk, was worn by pilots. Today, the scarf adorns the necks of many flight crews, standing as a symbol of their freedom to fly. The Silk Scarf watch features a decorated caseback that showcases an Aviator’s Scarf etched onto it.