Chennai Collectors Unite Over 95-Year-Old Watches and Classics

When Zubin Songadwala finally got his hands on a sleek yellow 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1 in 2015, he wasn't just buying a car. He was fulfilling a dream his mentors had planted years earlier.

On March 1, his prized Mustang became the star attraction at an unusual gathering in Chennai. The Roaring Riders Club and Madras Watch Collectors Group hosted their first collaborative meetup, bringing together over 100 enthusiasts to celebrate the machines they love.

The lawn at Greenpark Hotel in Vadapalani transformed into a time capsule. Over 300 vintage watches, more than 20 classic Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles, and numerous vintage cars filled the space. The oldest piece was a 95-year-old silver pocket watch.

What began as a spontaneous chat between Srinivasan Kasyap from Roaring Riders and Guru Prasad from the watch collectors quickly snowballed into something bigger. These weren't just collectors showing off their acquisitions, they were sharing pieces of their hearts.

Zubin explained his philosophy on keeping vintage cars alive. "You cannot drive these pieces recklessly," he said, comparing his Mustang to a mature lady who deserves respect. On stressful weekdays, he looks forward to Sunday drives when the rest of the world disappears and it's just him and his car.

Keeping these treasures running requires dedication. Zubin and fellow Mustang owner Sudhir Natarajan explained that maintaining classics means balancing preservation with practical upgrades like coolants for Chennai's heat and larger wheels for smoother rides.

Sunny's Take

The most moving moment came when Guru shared a restoration story. A stranger on Instagram reached out about his father's broken 1980s Seiko 5 watch. Guru's network found donor parts and fixed it. When the man received his late father's restored watch, both he and his mother cried tears of joy, and so did Guru.

Horologist Dinesh Sachdev, whose family has worked with timepieces for four generations, proudly wore his grandfather's 95-year-old pocket watch. He believes any watch can be fixed with enough time, money, and patience. A recent Rolex Bubble Back restoration took seven months to complete.

For these collectors, their vintage treasures aren't investments or status symbols. They're family members, memory keepers, and reminders that some things are worth preserving. Every restored engine roar and ticking second hand connects past to present.

In a city of construction and concrete, these machines remind us that inanimate objects sometimes carry heartbeats worth protecting.