When in Dubai (let alone Dubai Watch Week) you’ll be hard pressed to not see an RM or Patek Philippe casually adorned on someone’s wrist – so it comes as no surprise that this Emirate now plays host to one of the biggest watch community get-togethers in the calendar since the pandemic.
“It was a way to break the ice into an industry that was always seen as too serious, too rigid,” shares Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, Director General of Dubai Watch Week. “Watch events and the industry in general can often feel inaccessible to anyone, unless you’re a big collector. The objective here is to show people that you can join the club,” she continues.
It’s a safe place to talk about balance wheels to your heart's content, or ask someone what a balance wheel actually is and know that you’re not being labelled foolish for it. And know that you can’t actually buy the balance wheel here even if you wanted to. No sales allowed; education is the sole currency. “It’s a casual environment, so brands get to actually have conversations with each other,” adds Seddiqi.
As I stand watching two CEOs from ‘rival’ companies sit on a bench together smiling, putting the watch industry to rights, it’s a good indicator of what Dubai Watch Week offers in comparison to the more established Watches and Wonders. It welcomes new wrists to an enigmatic world while preserving its greatness, so in the spirit of collaboration, here are the most talked-about new releases from the fair.
Evacuate the dance floor because Oris is bringing all the disco to the dial. Its unspoken manifesto to create watches worlds apart from the launch before and totally unexpected (hi Kermit) strikes again. This time, the Swiss watchmakers have conjured an iridescent titanium ProPilot x Calibre 400 – with a rippling rainbow effect that differs from dial to dial and shimmers in spectrum effect without using any colour pigment. “The dial has a very special treatment never used in watchmaking,” shares co-CEO, Rolf Studer. “We’re curious about things, and we actually started out by trying to find a treatment of function for sapphire crystals. But we landed with titanium, both on the bracelet and case too with the ETH Zürich – like the Swiss MIT – looking at lasering techniques while supporting local industry.” £4,050. At oris.ch
At the most ultramodern of watch fairs, it was fitting that Doxa chose to showcase a major milestone in its relatively young history (DoB 1889). The relative newbies take their diving very seriously, and with patents under its belt so in celebration of the partnership with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the aquatic outliers reworked their size: 11.95 mm thinness (compared to 13.65 mm for the SUB 300T) and a lower bezel height (by 0.5 mm) than on the SUB 300T. Wetsuits might not be the chicest attire, but there’s no reason when you’re diving into the deep blue that your watch can’t be. There's also the option of ‘Beads of Rice’ bracelet in stainless steel or a white FKM rubber strap for a lighter more modern look. At doxawatches.com
Maximilian Büsser doesn’t do things by halves. He doesn’t do things traditionally either. Case in point: the man just turned a house into a watch. Context, incoming. Captivated by the architecture of the '60s, where buildings were rendered based on the form of the human body, Büsser has created a watch that harbours different ‘rooms’ and is a habitable experience for its owner. The 90° angle of offset between each room means that you can position HM11 with one of its rooms directly facing you, or with one of the corridors of the house running towards you. If that wasn’t bonkers enough, each 45° clockwise turn is signalled by a tactile click under the fingers, and delivers 72 minutes of power directly to the barrel. After 10 complete rotations, HM11 is at its maximum autonomy of 96 hours. “It's a pivot for me in my whole design and creativity. It's not from my childhood,” shares Büsser, whose designs typically acknowledge his past. “It’s really the very first one about my adult passions, architecture. Maybe it means I’m finally growing up?” At mbandf.com
On the topic of meteoric, unexpected rises this week – hi Lance Stroll in Formula 1’s all-new Las Vegas circuit – there was a mammoth execution of new launches from Aston Martin’s timekeeping sponsor, Girard-Perregaux. Partners since 2021, the Tiffany Green pantone of the racing team’s signature design code is now narrated in the Girard-Perregaux Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition, accented the bridges and dial. Scoring 45mm on the podium, in a black titanium DLC at 12.18mm, grab yourself one of these commemorative models to keep you busy after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale – it's a long wait until March when F1 returns. In accordance with the launch, Girard-Perregaux welcomed guests to sport the watch in a F1 simulator, of which I tried and realised that my chances of becoming a driver are slim to none. £32,100. At girard-perregaux.com
Last month, Leonardo DiCaprio popped up out of the blue to bolster the beginning of Swiss-based newcomers, ID Genève. If you’re going to read anything in the tabloids about the Hollywood heartthrob, it’s that he’s committed to investing in sustainable businesses that we help towards our future. “We built this ecosystem and the solution to sustainability is thinking about everything, from the packaging to the recycled stainless steel that is melted in a solar furnace,” share the founders, echoing the sunny sentiment in the pattern of the dial.
“We discovered Dubai Watch Week this year, so everything is new to us, after opening our company in 2020. We’re proud to be here amongst the big names.” Striving to increase its production and double its output to 1000 pieces next year, ID Genève makes it clear that it’s time to truly wash your hands with greenwashing. At idwatch.ch
As far as I'm concerned, brands who measure a watch's telling the time function in perverse ways duly earn their spot in the limelight. Ulysse Nardin’s latest Freak is building on the prestige of its iconic orbital flying one-hour carousel, with no dial, no hands and no crown. “The Freak truly is a concept watch. The spirit of the Freak, and also, the mindset of our collectors, is that they agree to be part of the journey, with Ulysse Nardin, to explore things. When you wear a Frick, in a certain manner, you contribute to innovation with and for the brand. But with this new model, you can wear jeans and trainers easily,” says Jean-Christophe Sabatier, CPO for the brand. The aim isn’t to be freaked out by it and feel like you can only wear it on select occasions, given its khaki and black approach, set for adventure and a more casual approach to the most provocative kind of watchmaking. Getting freaky on the weekend just got a whole new meaning. At ulysse-nardin.com
At the other end of the spectrum, showcasing how underrated it actually is to make watchmaking look so simple (but equally mind-blowing) is De Bethune’s DBD Evergreen. In a run of 20 pieces, it explores the symbolism of the colour green, rich in Middle Eastern cultural history with a refined outlook. There’s respect for negative space on the dial, as the digitally displayed jumping hours, minutes and calendar are encased by a bold green dial with Côtes de Genève patterning (basically stripes). De Bethune raised eyebrows at Dubai Watch Week in the best possible way, particularly if you compare this model to its Geneva Watch Days launch DB28 XP Kind of Blue. “Last year, I think was a game changer. We did a world tour and started looking at the brand through a different lens,” says Jörg Hysek Jr, the brand’s Sales Director. “We have a lot of young people approaching us, a lot of young collectors who are already very knowledgeable. They already own some APs and F.P Journe as well. Then they start digging and then they find us. Why us? We all have our own identities. We all are making art pieces. But for De Bethune, we're doing everything ourselves. Everything you have from the base plate to the hands, everything that's in between, is by us.” At debethune.ch
Get on Amazon and buy yourself a UV LED torch so you can geek out about just how cool Ressence’s latest release is. The curtains open to reveal the TYPE 1 DX3 in collaboration, the third and final chapter of a six-year partnership between the luxury retail group and the independent watchmaker, with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, with a graphic pattern inspired by Arab Geometric art. Erected in a rose gold palette – a nod to the hues of the desert – the major talking point of this collaboration is the dial in the dark, engraved with indications filled with grade A Super-LumiNova®. In layman's terms, it glows in the dark and almost looks like a stained glass window on your wrist. At ressencewatches.com
I used to think watches that made noises were a nuisance. Most notably, the CASIO BABY-G I've never been able to mute. (Everyday at 11pm she says hello.) But when it comes to chiming watches, I’ve become absolutely arrested by the sound. This year, gently chirping on your wrist, Chopard marks its 25th anniversary of the L.U.C collection with the 18k white gold L.U.C Strike One. Limited to 25 pieces (naturally) with a grey-green honeycomb dial, Chopard so kindly documents the passing of each hour with a truly rhythmically chime on a monobloc sapphire, with a mirror-polished hammer at one o'clock. It's this very hammer that delivers the chime. Who knew 40mm of 18k white gold could be so poetic? Chopard is calling for a re-edition of Hammer Time. At chopard.com
