~ A Parisian Afternoon in Mumbai ~
Some days in Mumbai come with a plan. Others unfold on their own—quietly, almost intuitively—leading you exactly where you didn’t know you wanted to be.
That afternoon was meant to be routine. It turned into something far more memorable.
I wasn’t expecting my afternoon to end at Palladium. But there I was, walking into Just In Time, genuinely excited—like, actually excited—to meet Brice Jaunet, the founder of Briston Watches, as the French brand made its India debut.
There’s a certain Oxford-bred ease in the way he carries himself—polished, yet never distant from the room. Brice doesn’t carry himself like someone who spent fifteen years at Cartier, Baume & Mercier, Raymond Weil, and Zenith before founding Briston in 2013. There’s no rehearsed founder mythology, no performance. Just a man who clearly loves what he built—speaking about horology with the ease of someone discussing a favorite book over coffee.
“Briston,” he tells me, gesturing to the collection displayed at Just In Time, “is named for the English village where I lived. It’s that preppy sensibility—British racing green, tortoiseshell, the idea that elegance shouldn’t feel like effort.”
He speaks about design the way some people speak about travel or food—with curiosity, with emotion. And it reflects in Briston. Nothing feels forced, nothing feels overdone—just a quiet confidence that allows each piece to speak for itself.
For Jaunet, the decision to enter India—particularly through Mumbai—was guided as much by instinct as by insight. He speaks of a clear shift in the luxury landscape, where a new generation is seeking pieces that resonate beyond logos—objects with meaning, design integrity, and individuality.
In that context, Briston feels not just relevant, but quietly compelling. And when he speaks about the cambered-tonneau case—that signature square-yet-softened silhouette that defines the Clubmaster—you realise this isn’t borrowed nostalgia. It’s personal.
The watches themselves reward attention. That cellulose acetate casing, sourced from Italian masters Mazzucchelli, catches light like liquid amber. The interchangeable NATO straps—originally developed by the British Ministry of Defence—let you shift from leather to flannel to rubber without missing a beat. From boardroom to weekend drive to poolside ease, as Brice puts it. Sport-chic, with equal emphasis on both.
What strikes me is the accessibility. In an industry built on theatrical scarcity, Briston offers something radical: watches you can actually obtain, actually wear, actually live with. Miyota movements, thoughtful details, prices that don’t require a second mortgage. The Clubmaster Classic, the Diver with its 200-meter depth rating, the Traveler Worldtime in that impossible British racing green and tortoiseshell pairing—each feels like an invitation to develop a relationship with time, not just track it.
By the time I leave Just In Time, the afternoon has settled into that particular Mumbai golden hour—warm, reflective, and just a little indulgent.
Mumbai gets Briston, I think. We know that true style is confidence, not conformity. That a watch should make you smile when you check it—not anxiety-spiral about scratches or resale value.
Brice gets it too. That much is clear from the way he talks about his creations, the way he stays present with everyone who approaches him, the way he makes fifteen years of heritage feel like a conversation rather than a sales pitch.
Sometimes the best afternoons are the unplanned ones. This was one of them.
The Briston collection is now available at Just In Time boutiques across India, and online www.justintime.in marking the brand’s entry into the Indian market, with plans to expand its retail presence further.
