Gandhi was known for his punctuality and it is no surprise that amongst his meagre personal belongings, his most prized possession was his pocket watch.
It was during his student days in England, when he asked his brother in India to send him a double watch-chain of gold.
Later when he changed his attire from western to Indian his watch could be seen attached to the folds of his loincloth with a safety pin, as the gold chain may have been misplaced. It is said that this was a watch made by the Ingersoll Company.
Later Indira Nehru (Indira Gandhi), who became India’s Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977, gifted Gandhi a silver pocket-watch made by the Zenith company. This watch had an alarm setting function which was used by Gandhi for reminding him of his prayer times.
It was stolen from him during a train journey to Kanpur on 25 May 1947. In a note written on a letter dated 28 May 1947, he said that it had a radium disc and he had been using it for the last 20 years. It had cost rupees 40 when it had been purchased as a gift for him. The thief, overcome by remorse, returned it to him six months later.
Shortly before his death, Gandhi passed on this legendary watch to his assistant, Abha. It subsequently came into the hands of private collectors. In 2009 it was auctioned in New York as a part of Gandhi’s belongings, which also had his famous round spectacles, a bowl, a dish and a pair of leather sandals. These were sold for a record sum of 1.8 million dollars to an Indian billionaire, who brought these items back to India.
