India’s largest watchmaker Titan is taking on Apple, in India and in the US, with a well-timed entry into the smartwatch segment. The company also plans to launch a payment facility similar to Apple Pay.

“We have already been approached by Bangalore Metro to see if their ticketing can be integrated with the watch. As we grow, there is a possibility that banks and other organisations would also want to tie up with us for payments,” Titan’s Managing Director Bhaskar Bhat told BusinessLine .

On Wednesday, Titan launched its first smartwatch range Juxt in India in partnership with Hewlett-Packard.

The watch, unlike most of its other ‘smart’ peers, has a smartwatch module as well as an analogue module, which work in parallel. Effectively, the watch will continue to work even if its smart features stop working or are out of battery.

The watch lets users track the number of steps taken in a day and provides alerts for emails, messages and calls.

According to Bhat, Titan will continue to update the software with HP’s help and will also look to add more features in future models, including a payment facility, akin to the Apple Watch. He acknowledged that the company was facing pressure in its watch business as discretionary consumer spending was happening in other categories such as smartphones and health-bands, too.

He expects smartwatches to create an excitement in the market and, thus, find new buyers.

“This launch will not only help us attract the young consumers who have stopped wearing watches, but also allow us to enter the American, British and Canadian markets through the HP partnership,” Bhat said.

Titan, the world’s fifth-largest watchmaker, already has a presence in 25 countries. The Juxt smartwatch will initially be launched in India, the US, the UK and Canada and will be available in five more countries by the end of the year.

Foreign markets too

“We already have a huge NRI population in these countries who are familiar withthe Titan brand. As we launch Juxt there, our social media campaigns will also help attract other buyers,” said S Ravi Kant, CEO, Watches and Accessories, Titan Company.

The smartwatch segment, which is dominated by technology companies such as Apple, Motorola and LG, has not witnessed many traditional watch brands as yet. The only other major watchmakerto have launched a smartwatch so far is Tag Heuer, whose first smartwatch, at $1,500 apiece, sold out after the launch in November.

Bhat said that since Titan smartwatches are much more affordable , he expects a good response from the market.

Priced between ₹15,995 and ₹19,995, the new smartwatch range is available in three variants — titanium, stainless steel and rose gold. The watch will be available for pre-booking at Titan’s own website and on Myntra from Thursday.

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