While cricket is the second most popular sport in the world after football, it is a religion in India. A watch dedicated to the game is therefore befitting of a country that celebrates cricket as a festivity. We are talking about the Cover Drive watch collection, comprising three models, introduced by Bangalore Watch Company to celebrate the story of Indian cricket.
The legacy and fanfare for the gentleman’s game increased manifold in India after it won the Cricket World Cup in 1983. Yet, this is perhaps the first time a major timepiece has been created to celebrate the game. Being a cricket buff myself, I couldn’t call it a pass.
Must-have for cricket fans
Football fans already have a few watches that instantly cajole them from within – for instance the Hubot Big Bang e UEFA Champions League introduced recently. Bangalore Watch Company’s Cover Drive is the first real timepiece cricket fans around the world can celebrate and talk about.
Designed as a “go-anywhere-do-anywhere” watch; the Cover Drive is a gorgeous urban-sports watch that you can wear to the stadium, office, or even for a party. The watch is 100 meters water-resistant and comes with cricket details difficult to miss.
The unidirectional stainless steel rotating bezel is the first big talking point of this watch – that has a few of them. It is made to let the owner track elapsed overs in a 50-over or a T20 game. And when cricket is not on the mind, the bezel can also be used as a 50 minute countdown timer.
When you near down your vision onto the dial – available in three colorways – you’ll see the 12 o’clock marker shaped like the wicket, 4, and 6 o’clock markers suggestive of boundary shots. The counterbalance on the seconds hand will instantly remind you of the first cricket bat you owned.
Three option and little more
As informed, the 40mm cased Cover Drive collection comprises three variants, each in a different colored dial suggestive of an aspect liked to cricket. The Outfield is matte-green dial model paying tribute to the cricket ground; the matte-brown Pitch is a celebration of 22-yards where the entire thrill takes place; while the black dialed Pavilion is a nod to where every cricket fan wants access to. The diamond-cut-rhodium-plated hands and markers on the dial have been rendered in Super-LumiNova for legibility in any light condition.
Excitement doesn’t just finish on the face of the Cover Drive, on the reverse you’ll find a right-handed batsman embossed on the caseback playing an elegant cover drive – probably why the name. The watches come fitted with leather strap with polished steel buckle featuring a BWC logo.
The Cover Drive collection is currently available for pre-order on the Bangalore Watch Company website at discounted INR 49,380 ($670). It will retail for INR 56,680 (approx. $770) starting 1st November 2020.