THIS started as a hobby,u201d says Abhishek Basak, founder of Absynthe Design, who repurposes watches and radios to create womenu2019s jewellery, menu2019s accessories and sculptural pieces. A fashion designer by degree, he started to miss the art of working with his own hands. u201c I was interested in watches and their minute gearsu2026 I felt the history and innovation of watches brought together the best of human abilities in science and art. It used to pain me to see timepieces with intricate movements scrapped away because we had technologically advanced,u201d he says.

By reinventing the old and repurposing the broken, Basak looks at creating keepsakes that the next generation can enjoy, value and pass on as inheritance. u201c The first piece I worked on was my mumu2019s watch, which was gifted to her by my grandfather. It had stopped working a long time ago, but since her father was no more, she treasured it. Like all sentimental pieces, it was being preserved in the corner of a drawer. I asked her if I could have it, and modelled it into a pendant.