This week is turning out to be quite special for the captain of the Indian cricket team. Just two days back, the cricketer was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, which is the country’s highest honour in sports—an event he attended with his wife, actor Anushka Sharma. Kohli’s wardrobe for the occasion was a sharp suit, a theme we see in most of his looks, but if given a choice, who will the skipper’s pick as a sartorial icon?

The fact that Kohli is smitten with his wife is well-known, considering all the loving updates he treats the couple’s fans to on Instagram. But as it turns out, he is bowled over by her wardrobe choices too. The cricketer unveiled his own special edition collection of watches with Tissot yesterday, and let out a juicy (and unprompted) tidbit on the occasion—he admitted that if there was one person’s closet he’d like to raid, it would only be his wife’s. We sat down with him after the reveal, to find out everything you need to know about the Tissot Chrono XL Classic Virat Kohli special edition watch.

What are the three things you love about the special edition Chrono XL Classic Virat Kohli watch by Tissot?

For starters, the watch is blue in colour with navy blue leather straps, which is obviously very close to my heart because the Indian jersey is blue too—just the colour alone has a very special connect for me. Secondly, it is personalised for me and is made with my creative inputs, which I think is pretty cool. The third thing is the detailing inside the watch; we have replaced the stopwatch number 20 with 18, which is my jersey number, in the colour red. This is the first time this has been done for a Tissot watch.

What were your creative inputs in the making of the watch. How is it customised?

I wanted this special edition piece to be different from the other Tissot watches [that were] ever made. Starting with the chrome detailing on the dial—most Tissot watches have gold detailing—and since gold was already done, this was something I wanted, and insisted on. This watch is also limited to 3018 pieces only: 18 because of my Indian Team jersey number, and also because this year in 2018, I will be celebrating my 30th birthday. Also, if you flip the dial, you will see that my navy blue logo is engraved on a white silk-printed case back, and each watch is personalised with my signature.

How does the watch fit with your style ?

The best thing I like about this watch is that you can wear it casually or formally. The black strap and the chrome on the outside of the dial makes it look very formal, yet classy and casual. It has that balance, which lets you take it from day to night, and out for different occasions too. You don’t have to think about changing the strap for the different occasions that you might be going to, which I think is the coolest thing.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about watches in the last few months?

I’ve recently understood that a watch should be classy instead of being loud. It doesn’t need to be big or flashing in people’s faces. Earlier, I would want my watch to stand out, and [would] think that everyone should notice it, but now I feel I am getting to a stage where I want it to be simple and comfortable. If you notice, all the old fashion trends are coming back. I have lots of watches from Tissot that are old-school with small dials. I love those watches.

When it comes to a watch, what attracts you the more—the mechanism or the design?

Both. They’re both very important. I can’t wear a watch I have no idea about. I need to know what the watch does, what are it’s specifications. At the same time, the design is crucial also. I wouldn’t wear a watch that doesn’t feel or look good. So both design and mechanism are equally important

What is the one thing that always completes your outfit?

A good watch always tops the list, but I think a good pair of shoes are very important too. They don’t necessarily have to be expensive ones, but just a pair that complements your look. When I envision any of my outfits, I think about the shoes and the watch, and that they should be in sync with each other. They both are the most important accessories, I believe.

How many Tissot watches do you own?

I have about eight.

One person’s wardrobe you would like to raid?

I would like to raid Anushka’s wardrobe. She’s very stylish and she styles me a lot as well. She is responsible for my well-curated cool looks, if you guys think they’re cool.

What is your opinion about smart watches?

Smart watches are fine. I’ve used a few but I don’t know how accurate they are. For some people it seems to work like magic. But with some watches, even if people move their hands, it counts it as steps. It’s also why I stopped using one, because I thought maybe it’s just making me feel good but it’s actually not doing that much.

Can you draw any parallels between the techniques used to make a watch, and the ones you use on the cricket field?

What fascinates me about making a watch is the precision and the focus that needs to be given to its every minute detail. Everything the experts do in putting a watch together is often taken for granted. I can relate to it in many ways. You need precision to work on your technique regularly, and I’m sure people who make watches don’t do it by chance, considering they’ve been doing it for many years. I think all those things, you need in any sport. Determination, passion, precision, hard work, concentration, focus—these are the things that will give you the results you want.