MAM
Diesel partners with King to unveil Vert watches, designed in virtual reality
Mumbai: Renowned fashion and lifestyle brand Diesel brought together the worlds of horology and hip-hop this week at a thrilling launch event for their new collection of timepieces. Held at Mumbai’s Jio World Drive, the launch featured India’s leading singer and pop star King, who unveiled Diesel’s Vert Collection alongside the managing director of Fossil Group – India, Johnson Verghese. A first-of-its-kind range of timepieces by Diesel, the Vert Collection has been crafted using a new wave of VR technology that bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds. The exclusive event was a glamorous affair, attended by a number of prominent influencers and leading press outlets, reaffirming Diesel’s status as a trendsetter in the industry.
The launch event itself was a spectacle of design and technology, featuring a captivating launch film and a showcase of the Vert Collection in all its glory. The brand further set up a striking 3D visual display of the Vert Collection within the mall, for attendees to admire up close. Diesel chose to partner with King, one of India’s most popular pop stars, to celebrate the futuristic aesthetic and transformative design of the Vert Collection and bring this fusion of elements to the public.
Mr. Verghese began the evening by sharing the story and design journey behind the eagerly awaited Vert Collection; before being joined by King to present the launch movie that gave the public their first-ever look at the Vert Collection. This was followed by a press conference and an in-person unboxing and reveal of the Vert range of watches.
Fossil Group – India managing director Johnson Verghese said, “The Vert Collection is a testament to Diesel’s commitment to innovation at the most fundamental level. Our timepieces are an expression of individuality, and the creative process behind the Vert Collection aims to let wearers make a unique statement about their personal style. A first-of-its-kind VR technology was employed to create an immersive aesthetic inspired by Diesel Creative Director, Glenn Martens, for this collection, giving it a futuristic look that still seamlessly complements the ensemble of the modern man.”
King singer and pop star said, “I’ve always believed that style is a powerful form of self-expression, just like music. The Diesel Vert Collection is a series that showcases a new level of craftsmanship with its VR design technology. The daring and futuristic look of this collection is something I relate to and appreciate on a personal level, with its gutsy and unapologetic design. The Vert Collection perfectly complements my style, and I’m proud to partner with Diesel to bring their new design approach to the world.”
The new Vert watch bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds and is a first-of-its-kind for Diesel. It’s one of several styles from the new forward-thinking Metamorph collection that’s entirely conceptualised and created from a technologically immersive virtual reality experience with a game-like approach. Here, the flexibility of dreaming of a modern approach to design looks like armour unfolding on the wrist, a disruptive, hard-shelled appearance that’s mutually organic and futuristic. The entire composition is crafted using a new wave of VR technology where virtually everything looks “organically” different.
With a case size of 44 mm, the watches are available in three colour options – black, gold and silver, and they come with a stainless steel strap bracelet and three-hand date movement. There’s also a limited edition exclusive (DZ2183)—only 700 units available worldwide—and it features contrasting leather black inlay accents along this dynamic design’s inner core and clips. The range begins at Rs 27,995.
Alongside the collection launch, Diesel invites both Vert holders and all fans globally to experience an immersive, multi-layered, game-like experience—Metamorph. Developed in partnership with the visionary media-tech artists from Artificial Rome, the project further strengthens Diesel’s position as a Web3 pioneer and expert in connecting creativity with culture. The Metamorph virtual world is shaped by Vert design details with breathtaking scenery and a sprawling environment where visitors will move through various challenges with their A:VERT: AR (avatar) to reactivate time in a fictional land where time has stopped. The experience culminates in a virtual concert celebration with artist Lil Dre at the completion of the quests.
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
