Fossil is giving its premium watch play a distinctly Indian face. The watchmaker has named His Highness Sawai Padmanabh Singh as the global ambassador for its new Signature Collection, signalling how seriously it takes India’s growing appetite for elevated, traditional timepieces.
A royal face for a global reset
The campaign, called ‘As Distinct as Your Signature’, will run in India and across Fossil’s global markets. Melissa Lowenkron, Chief Brand Officer at Fossil Group, told Storyboard18 that Singh was chosen because he balances heritage with an individual sense of style and a modern outlook.
Lowenkron added that Singh’s appreciation for craftsmanship aligned with Fossil’s four-decade watchmaking history, and that the brand sees him as a ‘global citizen’ with particular relevance in India.
Designing premium without losing the DNA
Ryan White, Senior Creative Director at Fossil Group, said the design team revisited the brand’s 1984 origins and early illustrations before building the Signature Collection. The central design unlock, he said, was a ‘triple-diamond stamp of quality’ that now carries through the hands, indexes and crown details.
That kind of specific, repeatable design code is the practical work behind premiumisation: a collection looks more elevated when one signature detail keeps appearing, not when every element changes at once.
Why India is the premiumisation story
Johnson Verghese, Managing Director, Fossil India, said the country has become a significant part of Fossil’s global business since its 2007 entry. The brand sees smartwatches and traditional watches as complementary, with consumers choosing different watches for different occasions.
Lowenkron said India over-indexes on automatic movements, ceramic materials and rose-gold tones compared with other markets. ‘There’s just a premiumisation expectation in India that, quite honestly, is quite exciting,’ she said.
Smaller cities want the same watch
Fossil is also chasing expansion beyond metros. Verghese said tier 2 and tier 3 consumers ask for the same products as tier 1 buyers; the gap has been reach, not preference. E-commerce is now closing that gap, supported by gradual expansion into department stores and new outlets.
What marketers can borrow
- Anchor the product story in a signature code. Fossil’s triple-diamond detail gives the collection a recognisable premium cue.
- Use a local cultural figure for global consistency. India-facing equity can travel when the personality matches the brand’s values.
- Don’t assume smaller cities want a cheaper range. Use digital distribution to serve latent premium demand rather than redesigning the product.
For marketing professionals, the Fossil move is a reminder that premiumisation is less about announcing luxury and more about proof points: materials, movements, design language and distribution that reach the consumer where they are.
Source: Storyboard18
