New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- "Are you big on watches?" Raymond Loretan, president of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG), widely regarded as the Oscars of watchmaking, asks before the video call. The Swiss diplomat and former politician is a recent watch enthusiast, taking to it in 2018 after he became the head of GPHG, a non-profit that promotes the art of horology and celebrates the year's standout watches and the people behind them.

The passion for watches, he admits, somewhat poetically, "is something that's not directly useful but is nurturing your soul". He was recently in Mumbai to kick off GPHG's 2026 World Tour, which features an exhibition of the watches nominated for this year's prizes. After the two-day Mumbai exhibition, he...