The sixth edition of Dubai Watch Week, founded by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, took place last month with over 60 participating brands – ten of whom were present there for the very first time. Here are six timepieces that were launched at the event that made a big impression on the global watch community.
Girard-Perregaux
Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition (pictured above)
Only two years after the Swiss watchmaker and the British auto manufacturer joined hands, the pair have unveiled the fifth timepiece to come out of that collaboration – this Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition that works off the watchmaker’s Bridges collections and draws its inspiration from the carmaker’s DB12. Limited to 250 pieces, the 45mm watch has a case made from titanium and coated with black DLC. The dial, thanks to the automatic winding Calibre GP0840000-2164 whose baseplate also serves as the dial, has been engineered such that many of the components that would otherwise be tucked away into the back of the watch have now been brought to the front. The joint creative team of the two entities worked on this timepiece, and that collaboration is prominently displayed here with the micro-rotor at 10 showing the ‘Designed by Aston Martin’ words while the drum of the mainspring barrel at 2 o’clock is covered with the words: ‘Powered by Girard-Perreguax’.
Chopard
L.U.C Strike One
At the 2019 edition of the Dubai Watch Week, Chopard memorably undertook the global launch of its Alpine Eagle collection. Its presence at the watch week therefore sparked much anticipation as to what it would bring to the table this year, and it didn’t disappoint. As part of the 25th anniversary of the L.U.C collection, it unveiled this L.U.C Strike One which is limited to 25 pieces. This timepiece is a chronometer-certified watch and features the Poinçon de Genève hallmark too.
The 40mm case is made from white gold, and the dial is also made from gold – hand guillochéd with a honeycomb design. The slim opening on the dial between 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock reveals the hammer that strikes the brand’s patented monobloc sapphire delivering pure tones.
Ressence
Type 1° DX3
A six-year partnership between Ressence and Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons resulted in two previous releases in 2019 and 2021. In 2019, the Type 1DXB Dubai Edition was an open-worked version of the Type 1 Squared, while the Type 1 Slim DX2 was introduced two years later to mark the UAE’s 50th founding anniversary and featured geometric patterns on the dial. Now, that collaboration has culminated with this TYPE 1° DX3 timepiece released at Dubai Watch Week. The pebble-shaped case is made from grade 5 titanium and frames a dial with an Arab geometric art pattern on it, that is further covered with Super-LumiNova and coated with rose gold too. That dial takes on a new twist when you consider that the main disc and the sub-dials denoting the hours, minutes, seconds and day of the week are constantly in motion.
Ulysse Nardin
Freak One OPS
This 44mm case features a titanium case and carbonium bezel, the latter is UN’s carbon-based composite material. Its carbon fibre is reportedly sourced from aircraft wings and fuselages in order to reduce its environmental impact by 40 per cent compared to other carbon composites. Adding to the aesthetics of the watch is the absence of a crown which therefore gives it a balanced and symmetrical appearance (in case you were wondering, you can set the time by rotating the bezel). This is an automatic winding watch, although the watch can be manually wound too if the outer frame of the caseback is rotated. It comes with green and black khaki straps which comprise 30 per cent recycled rubber sourced from production waste. However, the highlight of this watch is the dial that showcases a truly freakish feat of avant-garde watchmaking – the entire escapement and balance assembly is mounted on the minute bridge, and it completes a rotation around the watch every 60 minutes. That minute bridge effectively serves as an orbital flying carrousel tourbillon too.
Vyntage Horology
Monograph Inner Circle
Vyntage Horology is an all-new brand presented by the third generation of the Seddiqi family. It features two collections, Monograph and Purity, fitted with Swiss hand-finished movements. Both collections have Grand Feu enamel dial versions. The Monograph Inner Circle (pictured here) is a 40mm timepiece with hand-applied Breguet numerals. The dial colour is inspired by the sky at midnight. The Purity Inner Circle watch is slightly smaller at 39mm and has its crown placed at 4 o’clock. The white enamel dial on that timepiece also has hand-applied Breguet numerals. While both those pieces have now sold out, the good news is that coming soon are a Monograph edition with Arabic numerals and a Purity model with Roman numerals.
Hublot
Classic Fusion Black Magic Diamonds Dubai Watch Week
Wissam Shawkat, whose roots trace back to Basra, is a well-known calligraphy artist within the region. Now, he’s teamed up with Hublot to showcase this Classic Fusion Black Magic Diamonds Dubai Watch Week whose black aluminum bezel is set with 36 black brilliant-cut diamonds. The dial features a colourful display of calligraphy which reads “Al Zaman” and “Al Waqt” – both words mean time in Arabic. The watch is powered by the brand’s HUB1110 automatic-winding movement and has a 42-hour power reserve. This timepiece is a shining example of local Arabic culture fusing seamlessly with Swiss watchmaking. For those who don’t necessarily want diamonds on their wrist, there’s also a 42mm version called the Classic Fusion Black Magic Dubai Watch Week.
