Why Gen Z Still Wants a Titan on Their Wrist

India’s watch market is in the middle of its biggest reinvention yet. What was once a category defined by utility and gifting has transformed into a high-expression space shaped by premium design, culture-led consumption and a generation that treats the wrist as a personal signature. Through all this disruption, Titan wants to remain one of the few legacy brands that continues to command both trust and cultural relevance.

Titan has rolled out its new brand campaign, ‘Wear Your Story’, starring PV Sindhu and Vikrant Massey, flipping the style script from “what’s in” to “what’s you”—where watches aren’t just worn, they quietly tell the story of who you are and how you got here.

In this conversation with BrandWagon Online, Aparna Ravi, Marketing Head – Titan Watches, Titan Company Limited, unpacks how the brand is navigating a competitive, fragmented marketplace—one where storytelling and individuality matter as much as engineering. (Edited Excerpts)

Q. Titan has witnessed India’s watch industry evolve rapidly—from functional timekeeping to lifestyle expression. What does ‘staying ahead’ look like in this environment?

Watches haven’t been about just timekeeping for years now. They tell as much about the wearer as the time they display. People see their watch as an extension of their personality—something that completes their look and communicates who they are.

And today’s consumer wants to tell their story. A watch often becomes that conversation starter, and most owners know exactly why they picked their piece.

That’s where Titan has evolved. We’ve always created good-looking watches, but now every watch carries a deeper narrative. Each collection has a strong design story and equally strong horology behind it. We’re not just building aesthetic pieces—we’re building high-horology watches backed by engineering.

Our Stellar collection is a good example. The Black Hole watch required a convex dial to depict gravitational pull, which meant re-engineering the hands and the movement. The story works only when the craftsmanship reaches the same level.

We’ve done this across multiple design-intensive collections—music-inspired Quartet, the chess-led Grandmaster, ocean-inspired pieces and many more. With over 300 SKUs across men’s and women’s watches, we offer something for every personality.

On communication, the old “one celebrity everywhere” approach simply doesn’t work anymore. Today’s digital-native consumers are extremely discerning. Authenticity is non-negotiable. We work with people who genuinely use and believe in Titan.

Q. How do you build campaigns that resonate with Gen Z and millennials, who are notoriously tough to impress?

Since watches are a lifestyle category, where you see them—and on whose wrist—matters. So we choose people who genuinely reflect Titan’s values. Gen Z can sniff out inauthenticity in seconds; nothing survives in their world if it feels purely transactional.

Our campaign Wear Your Story, releasing next week, is built on the insight that young people feel pressured to follow trends but don’t actually want to blend in. They want individuality and authenticity. Titan stands for “substance with style,” and this campaign expresses that.

We chose Vikrant Massey and PV Sindhu as ambassadors because both embody that thought. Vikrant has built his career on unconventional choices and even wore a Titan watch on the day he won his National Award. That’s real advocacy.

Sindhu brings discipline and consistency—qualities that reflect Titan’s own 40-year journey.

Beyond celebrities, we collaborate with influencers who fit specific collections. For our Automatic range, for example, we worked with a wildlife photographer—because precision matters in both his craft and ours.

Overall, our strategy is rooted in authenticity, relevance and alignment with each product’s story.

Q. With such an emphasis on younger buyers, how is Titan shaping a consumer language that appeals to Gen Z and millennials? And what share do they represent for you?

Gen Z and millennials form roughly 30–35% of our buying population. They’re looking for lifestyle accessories that reflect their personality, so we build collections across clusters specifically keeping them in mind.

Our communication operates on two levels:

1. Brand campaigns that articulate Titan’s core philosophy
   
   

2. Topical, culture-led content tied to festivals, ensembles and fashion moments relevant to young consumers
   
   

During festivals, for instance, we collaborate with creators to showcase how a watch fits into their curated looks. It’s contextual, current and rooted in their everyday aesthetic.

In terms of reach, Titan World stores give us a massive on-ground presence—something many global brands lack. Paired with our strong online footprint, we’re able to meet young consumers across every touchpoint.