Vintage HMT · Automatic · Day-Date
HMT Rajat Automatic
- Automatic
- 21 Jewels
- Day-Date
- Black dial
- Leather strap
- Stainless steel
One piece · available in store
Serviced & tested Honest vintage condition Inspect in store
A vintage HMT Rajat automatic watch with a black dial, a day-date at 3 o'clock and a 21-jewel self-winding movement, on a leather strap. One of HMT's iconic automatics, serviced and tested, available to buy in store in Chennai.
At a glance
The HMT Rajat is one of HMT's most iconic automatics, a self-winding 21-jewel day-date watch made by Hindustan Machine Tools. This HMT Rajat automatic has a black dial with a day-date at 3, in a stainless steel case, with honest vintage wear. It is one original piece, available to buy in store at Clock House in north Chennai. Ask us for the price.
Specifications
- Brand
- HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools)
- Model
- Rajat
- Type
- Automatic self-winding day-date watch
- Movement
- HMT automatic, Citizen-derived 6900-series family (e.g. 6906), built for day-date (not opened or confirmed from the exterior)
- Winding
- Automatic, self-winding
- Jewels
- 21
- Functions
- Hours, minutes, central seconds, day and date at 3 o'clock
- Dial
- Black with applied markers
- Case size
- About 36 mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Strap
- Leather (a wear item, not original)
- Era
- HMT's automatic era, 1970s to 1980s
- Condition
- Honest vintage wear, original and unrestored
More about this HMT Rajat
The movement: an HMT automatic day-date
The Rajat is one of HMT's signature automatics. Marked Automatic 21 Jewels with a day-date, it belongs to HMT's Citizen-derived automatic family (the 6900-series, such as the 6906 derived from the Citizen 6501), not the hand-wound 0231 line. It is a self-winding, 21-jewel movement built around a day-date display.
Rajat is Sanskrit for silver. The model was made in several dials, including this black version. (The movement has not been opened, so the calibre family is an evidence-based reading from the dial.)
The HMT story behind this watch
An everyday object from India's industrial age
HMT, originally Hindustan Machine Tools, was incorporated in 1953 and set up its Bangalore watch unit with Citizen Watch Co. of Japan in 1961, becoming India's first wristwatch manufacturer. HMT created Watch Factory II in 1972 specifically for automatic day-date watches, and says it introduced India's first automatic day-date watch.
The Rajat belongs squarely to that automatic tradition. HMT made mechanical watches until 2016 and served, by its own account, over 100 million customers.
Rajat means silver: HMT's signature self-winding day-date, a mechanical step up from the hand-wound dress watches.
Condition & authenticity
Honest vintage, openly described
- Honest vintage wear: the crystal and case show age and the black dial has softened.
- The leather strap is a wear item, not original.
- The dial signature (Rajat, Automatic, 21 Jewels, day-date) matches known examples; the movement has not been opened, so the calibre family is an evidence-based reading rather than a certified fact.
- Vintage HMT is widely redialed, so we do not claim total originality from the outside and go through the caseback and movement with you in store. Water resistance on a watch this age is not to be relied upon.
In detail
Up close
Questions about the HMT Rajat
Good to know
What is the HMT Rajat watch?+
It is a vintage Indian automatic day-date watch made by HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools), one of the brand's iconic automatics. It is self-winding with 21 jewels and shows the day and date at 3 o'clock, here with a black dial.
Is the HMT Rajat automatic or hand-wound?+
The Rajat is automatic (self-winding), with 21 jewels and a day-date, from HMT's Citizen-derived automatic family. It is not a hand-wound watch.
How much is an HMT Rajat worth and what is the price?+
Value depends on condition, originality and service status. We do not publish the price online. Message us on WhatsApp or visit the shop and we will give you the HMT Rajat price for this exact piece, with an honest quote.
Where can I buy a vintage HMT automatic watch in Chennai?+
We sell vintage HMT and other watches in store at Clock House in Kodungaiyur, north Chennai. This HMT Rajat automatic is in stock now. Message us on WhatsApp or visit the shop.
Can you service or restore my HMT automatic?+
Yes. We service and restore vintage and antique watches, including HMT automatics, at our Kodungaiyur workshop in north Chennai. We quote the work before we begin.
Interested in this HMT Rajat?
One piece, in store in Vyasarpadi, north Chennai. Message us and ask for a quote, or come in to see it.