Are Kashmiri Watches Really From Kashmir? What The Trail Shows

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The jingle gives it away before the sight does: a wrist stacked with pastel glass bangles, a slim gold dial and a fringe of tiny ghungroos. Kashmiri watches are trending on Google, and the question behind the searches is where they actually come from.

The origin of Kashmiri watches runs through a bazaar, a rebrand and countless Instagram reels, and only faintly through Kashmir itself.

Photo Credit: Instagram: @de_bella_decor

A Style Older Than Its Name

The bangles that started it all are not new. The look has circulated in markets for years, but the "Kashmiri" label is a recent arrival, and traders in Srinagar say it is largely a marketing label. Instagram is widely credited with driving the trend.

A Reel, A Phrase, A Rush

The phrase "Kashmiri chudiyan lene chale?", popularised through Instagram reels, fuelled a surge in demand across India. The trend began as a visual aesthetic on short-form video before it turned into physical retail demand.

In Hyderabad, Laad Bazaar and jewellery counters in Banjara Hills stocked up. Unlike traditional glass or lac stacks, these were lightweight metal bangles decorated with ghungroos, beads and enamel, paired with pastel raindrop glass bangles. The gold-toned sets came in fours, sixes or eights.

Even in Kashmir, jewellers from Srinagar to Sopore and Baramulla reported a pre-Eid rush within a matter of weeks. Sets sold for roughly Rs 250 to Rs 500 in Kashmir, against Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 reported in metropolitan markets.

What Kashmir Actually Wore

Traditional Kashmiri jewellery tells a different story. The dejhoor, pierced through the upper ear cartilage, is worn by married Kashmiri Pandit women as a symbol of marital status. Silver, often with filigree, embossing and carving, has a strong place in Kashmiri ornament. Pajebs, silver anklets, are sometimes adorned with small bells.

Glass bangles are the missing piece. Kashmiri women historically did not wear them as customary attire, and gold dominated bridal wear. Bangles did exist locally as Beangreh and Keankneh, but their use faded as gold grew costlier and more dominant. The bells are the one genuine echo.

Where The Sets Are Really Made

Traders in Srinagar say most bangles sold under the label are not made in Kashmir. They are sourced from manufacturing hubs across India, and some are imported from China. Observers say the trend borrows loosely from Kashmir's metalwork, floral motifs and use of bells, adapted for mass production.

From Bangles To Kashmiri Watches

The watches followed the bangles. After the bangle craze, bracelet-style watches inspired by Kashmiri or traditional Indian aesthetics began appearing across fashion content, combining a small dial with pearls, stones, ghungroos, chains, floral motifs and kundan-style detailing. Tutorials for making Kashmiri watches at home appear to have been circulating by early March.

Online listings show what sits behind the name: a brass base, gold plating, an adjustable chain and charms. One seller's buyer's guide concedes that the term names a decorative style, not a place of manufacture, with prices ranging from about Rs 600 to Rs 8,000. Fashion coverage links the watches to a "functional jewellery" trend, with engraved chinar leaf or paisley motifs.

Authentic Or Just Inspired?

One Srinagar design enthusiast described the trend as a modern interpretation rather than an authentic continuation. The popularity has also raised wider conversations about cultural authenticity and appropriation.

A bangle set that Instagram taught India to call Kashmiri now has a watch cousin. The name points to the valley, but the trail ends in bazaars and feeds. Buyers can enjoy the look and simply read "Kashmiri" as a style rather than a place of origin.