Swatch eyes Bollywood with Hamilton

American watch company Swatch Group is eyeing the Indian film industry with its brand Hamilton, featured in over 300 Hollywood movies.

Hamilton was associated with blockbusters such as Independence Day, Fantastic Four (1 and 2), Men In Black (1997 and 2002), You've Got Mail (1998), 2001: Space Odyssey, Spiderman II (2004) and Superman (2006).

"We are exploring various possibilities in Bollywood. The Indian film fraternity is big within India and outside," said Matthias Breschan, president, Hamilton International.

"We are new to India, and associating with movies takes time," he added.

Will Smith's upcoming movie 'I am Legend' will see him sporting a especially designed Hamilton watch. The film is set for release simultaneously in the US and India on December 14. "The automatic watch worn by Will Smith was designed especially for the movie," added Breschan.

The watch brand is all set to make its debut in the Indian market. The company aims to establish 50 points of sale by the end of December 2007.

"Watches are a form of self-expression today and with the Indian market growing rapidly, it is the right time to be present in the market," said Breschan.

The company is launching around 35 models in the country and plans to set up 15 points of sale by the end of this month. "We want to establish ourselves in 10 big cities first and then look at tier II cities," added Breschan.

The domestic watch segment is pegged at Rs 2,500 crore. Of this, the luxury watch segment accounts for Rs 700 crore.

Hamilton watches are priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 80,000 and targeted mainly at male customers.

The brand is strategically placed between Swatch's other two brands Tissot and Longines. "In this price range there are few players. Most of the players have graduated to a higher range. We don't have any such plans as Swatch already has brands for every price range. Our aim is to capture the number one position in India in the price segment we operate in," said Breschan.

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TIME ACCORDING TO HOLLYWOOD

The company is exploring all options with the Bollywood film industry before debuting in India

Hamilton made its presence felt in well-known movies such as Independence Day, Fantastic Four, Men In Black, You've Got Mail, Space Odyssey, Spiderman and Superman

In the Will Smith-starrer I Am Legend, the actor will sport a especially-designed Hamilton watch