A Family of Royal watchmakers from the erstwhile Jaipur State. The Maharajas and Thakores of India were patrons of arts, culture and trade, many of them embraced watchmaking as a craft and introduced European watchmaking to Asia.

As time passed by, generations of watchmakers were given royal decrees to serve as the watchmaker to the state, the royal family and other important positions. Abraham-Louis Breguet is one the prime and famous example of them. We bring you the tale of one such family of watchmakers who served the Jaipur State before and during the reign of Sawai Man Singh II, a collector extraordinaire.

There is quite the relation of watchmaking and the Jaipur state, we keep coming back to it with stories of the horological craft. Having written about it twice earlier, it only made sense to continue to dig, courtesy of our dear friend Rohn Sebastian, a native, fellow chronicler and enthusiast of the subject.

Jaipur State within Rajputana Agency, Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909.

This is the story of Ram Sharanji’s family whose grandfather Sh. Gopal Singhji was the first watch winder/maker for the Jaipur princely state. He migrated from Punjab and joined the princely state services in early 1900s in the reign of Maharaja Madho Singh II (1880-1922).

As the ruler of the large and prosperous state of Jaipur, Sawai Madho Singh II embraced modern ideas on education and sanitation. He built schools, colleges, hospitals, clock towers and a museum. Sawai Madho Singh is specially known to have gifted a clock tower and donated a plot for construction of the St. Andrews Church in Jaipur.

Above & Below – Gate Pass of Jaipur City Palace issued in 1916.

The early services of Shri Gopal Singhji are evident from the gate pass for Jaipur Palace circa 1916. His job was to maintain and repair clocks and watches for the royal family and regularly wind the tower clocks of Jaipur, for this he received a salary of 12 Rupees and was provided with a horse courtesy of the state. The position was known as ghadiyali or watchmaker/winder. Ghadi – watch in Hindi/Urdu.

Carriage Pass issued by The Residency, Jaipur.

The Residency referred to a British Resident, usually an officer of the British Army/Civil Services staying in the princely states to overlook foreign administration and allegiance of the states to the empire. The resident often acted as the advisor to the rulers in foreign/European affairs and a contact to the British administration. Gopal Singhji also rendered his services to the Residency, HM Troops and army of the Jaipur State.

The Residency in Jaipur awarded certificates to Gopal Singhji during the 1920s. The Residency in Jaipur is Raj Mahal palace today, converted to a hotel.

Certificate of Satisfaction by the Residency, Jaipur in the name of Shri Gopal Singhji circa 1925, 1926 & 1928 – during the reign of Sawai Man Singh II.

His legacy was carried forward by his son Sh. Narain Singhji who, like his father, joined the princely state services at the post of watch maker & clock repairer.

Narain Singh, City Palace.

Narain Singhji was also issued passes to the royal residences, one such was issued by the Rajendra Hazari Guards of the Jaipur State Forces in 1945, where Sh. Narain Singhjis occupation is mentioned as a watch winder.

A tri-language state card. Issued by the commandant of the RH Guards.

Circa 1945, two years before independence and dissolution of princely states.

To put it briefly – the job of a state appointed watchmaker was to take care of clock towers constructed by former rulers, clocks and watches of ruling family, nobles and officers of state forces/administration. And from what we see, he did it quite well. He never went to Europe to learn the craft. How he perfected is not known but there must be something that made him the first official watchmaker to an important state like Jaipur, something we will never discover.

The Rajendra Hazari Guards were created by the Maharaja in 1940 to perform the role of mounted ceremonial bodyguard. He is shown here in the unit’s uniform, against a backdrop of the older capital of Amber (Jaipur), with Jaigarh Fort above it. 

Like his father & grandfather Sh. Ram Sharanji had the same passion and love for clocks and watches but he did not join the services at the Palace, instead he got that job to one of his assistants. Ram Sharanji opened up his own watch repair shop Deepa Watch Repairing Centre. He was an ace watch maker is what I have heard from some veteran watch collectors of Jaipur.

Ram Sharan Ji at his shop – Deepa Watch Repairing Centre.
Notice – Jayco Watch Co. advert on his table, one of the defunct Indian microbrands established in collaboration with West Germany.

He was once contacted by the City Palace for repair of the chimming system of the tower clock on which he along with his assistant (already working there) operated, sadly the venture was not successful.

Pictures of the City Palace Clock Tower project.

Today, Ram Sharanji is almost 90 years old and has lost the ability to speak and listen, most of the information was provided by his wife who proudly says “Aisi koi ghadi nahi thi jo yeh nahi bana sakte the” – There is no such watch/clock he would not make/repair.

Ram Sharan ji, at his home surrounded by a trigenerational legacy of what he loved the most – the craft of horology.

It was an honour to meet the man whose family had dedicated their lives towards watch-making. May we be able to find at least a fraction of love towards vintage watches of what Sh. Ram Sharanji adn his family has had, as proudly stated on his name plate R.S.Verma, Watch-Maker.

An honour rarely possessed today. It was a privilege to write about the legacy of horology left by fellow men and forefathers. We hope to revive the craft and restore it to its former legacy.

Jaipur has a long history of horology, from its Sawaiman Reverso to its courts affection to JLC up until the state’s official watchmakers and man-made astronomical instruments, we will keep coming back to Jaipur.

Follow Rohn at Sebastian Vintage Watches for some fantastic watches. He is making a group for local watch collectors, do join in if you live in or around Jaipur.