Anil Agarwal — watch collection

About Anil Agarwal’s watch collection

Anil Agarwal is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder and executive chairman of Vedanta Resources Limited, one of the world's largest diversified natural resources companies with operations spanning zinc, copper, iron ore, oil and gas, and aluminium across India, Africa, and beyond. Born in Patna, Bihar, Agarwal built his business empire largely from scratch, starting out in the scrap metal trade before orchestrating a series of bold acquisitions — most notably the takeover of Hindustan Zinc from the Indian government in 2002 — that transformed Vedanta into a global mining powerhouse. He is also the founder of the Vedanta Foundation, through which he has channelled substantial philanthropic commitments toward education and healthcare in India.

When it comes to watches, the Anil Agarwal watch collection takes a direction that stands apart from what many industrialists of comparable wealth tend to favour. Rather than gravitating toward the usual high-complication Swiss prestige brands, Agarwal has been spotted wearing the Longines Heritage Weems Second Setting (reference L2.713.4.11.0), a historically grounded reissue of a 1930s aviation instrument watch developed in collaboration with U.S. Navy commander and navigation instructor Philip Van Horn Weems — the same man who trained Charles Lindbergh. It is a deliberate, considered choice: a watch with genuine technical heritage and a clear connection to a specific moment in aviation history, priced well below what a billionaire of his profile would typically be expected to wear.

The choice of a Longines Heritage piece, with its roots in functional instrument design rather than jewellery-grade luxury, suggests a collector sensibility that prioritises provenance and historical relevance over conspicuous expenditure. For a self-made entrepreneur who built his fortune through calculated, contrarian decisions, wearing a mid-range Swiss watch with a documented place in aviation history feels consistent rather than surprising. It is worth watching whether future sightings reveal further depth to the collection or confirm a preference for understatement as a guiding principle.