What started as a mere idea has been written in the sands of time as the world’s first luminous ‘SINGH’ chronograph watch.
Indian-Australian watchmaker, Danny Singh perfectly blended culture and luxury with the release of the Khalsa 1699 chronograph watch. Mr. Singh tells a story about the Sikh community and their heroics in India. The watch was manufactured to commemorate the establishment of the Khalsa Panth (the pure way of life) and the birth of the Sikh community.
The Sikh community is the world’s youngest monotheistic religious group. The community was founded on the 30th of May, 1699, and has historically been located in the Punjab region of India. The Sikh community’s strong commitment to their faith’s tenets such as love, service, and justice, keeps them resilient in the face of hatred.
The Sikh community believes the 16th and 17th centuries to be the golden years of its history when the original religion was created by a series of Sikh Gurus. From Guru Nanak through to Guru Gobind Singh. These individuals are known for their religiosity as well as their ability to forge a common identity among diverse followers. The Adi Granth is the highest religious authority in the Sikh religion.
With service to humanity embroidered in their history, the Sikhs once again provided numerous social services to Indians during the crisis that came with the global pandemic.
Hundreds of volunteers from Sikh organizations were among the first to respond when India was hit by a devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, shattering the health system in numerous cities. Sikh religious organizations also created oxygen centers in the nation’s capital, New Delhi, which was severely damaged.
Danny Singh who started crafting wristwatches in 2019, has sought to promote the culture, divinity, and religion of the Sikh community through his wristwatches.
According to Mr. Singh, the vision to start a wristwatch brand came during a visit to London. After establishing the fact that he wanted to venture into the manufacturing of wristwatches, he sort ways to stand out of the crowd. In our world of today, there are many prolific wristwatch brands, and competing with these brands would require a “cutting-edge” promotion. Mr. Singh turned to his culture, not as a form of exploitation but to promote their religiosity and the “Khanda” symbol.
According to SBS Punjabi, Mr. Singh had this to say on the creation of the SINGH brand; “one night I dreamt of the Golden Temple and saw the Nishan Sahib that carries the Sikh symbol of Khanda with the double-edged sword that to me represents my religion and all that it stands for. This is how my brand ‘Khalsa 1699 Watches’ was born. We are the world’s first watch brand since watchmaking began in 1812 to proudly boast the Khanda as the brand’s universally recognized symbol of excellence”.
Mr. Singh’s wristwatch brand, Khalsa 1699 recently announced the launch of their first luminous chronographic watch. Its exquisite look is born from seven months-long research by the Khalsa 1699 company.
Launching this masterpiece with pride, Mr. Singh spoke with Hindustan times, revealing some insight on what the chronograph wristwatch depicts to himself and his company alike;
“The SINGH was purposefully designed to salute the glorious culture, history, and magnificence of the Khalsa Panth and the title SINGH. The SINGH is a pure tribute to Dasam Pita and the day he made us SINGH’s. This is a homage to every SINGH who has ever lived. Every SINGH living today and every Singh who is yet to come to this world.”
Here are a few features of the Khalsa 1699 luminous wristwatch and what makes it spectacular;
- The world’s first super-luminous watch with Khanda Sahib on it.
- Khanda Sahib engraved on the crown
- The depiction of the Khalsa lion king spirit in steel peering at you is on the back case, with Raj Karega Khalsa over his head.
- The seconds hand indicates Aki Rahe Na Koi, while the arrowhead is blood crimson in color, indicating Khalsa’s perpetual victory.
Only 5000 pieces of this limited edition watch were produced by Khalsa 1699 company. This watch also comes with a lifetime warranty and is composed of solid stainless steel with gold plating. The Sports Chronograph is also water-resistant. The first 90 among those pieces were up for online purchase back in May 2021 for an initial price of $1,500 AUD.
The motto of the Khalsa 1699 company is:
“To wear a Khalsa 1699 timepiece is to embody the spirit of freedom – to be free from hate and fear.”
This is to dispel myths that the Sikhs were subject to attacks and hate in different countries. Mr. Singh exclusively told TOI his view on this;
“We are Sikhs and have always fought with foreign raiders who had invaded India. We are about doing selfless service to humanity. We will have even served the haters until we make their hate turn to love. The love and the adoration which we received have touched and moved us all”
Danny Singh is a father of two children and lives in Australia. Mr. Singh hails from a family whose background is rooted in building global brands. Danny Singh was asked about his futuristic view on wristwatches given that wristwatches are threatened by the era of mobile phones with digital clocks on them. Mr. Singh replied in an emotive note;
“In the world of smart devices, I believe that the tradition of having a timepiece on your wrist is not at all lost. The population of watch collectors is growing, I believe Khalsa should be on everyone’s wrists”.
He also owns the “Kaur” collection in his range of collections. According to Danny Singh, this is an homage to the name held by girls which translates to the English word “princess”. The idea of this was cross-cultural and hopefully would ignite people’s interest in the Khalsa and help them learn more about Sikhs.
