Words by Vaarunya Bhalla 

This month marks the 10th anniversary of Dubai Watch Week, and the scale of celebration is a story itself.

What began in 2015 as a handful of showcases tucked between DIFC art galleries has grown into a 200,000-square-foot takeover of Burj Park beside Dubai Mall; a setting as spectacular as the pieces on display. A decade ago, when the Seddiqi family first convened the event, its intent was not commerce, but education.

The inaugural Watch Week was an intimate gathering of independent watchmakers and collectors. The idea was to bring the mechanics and métiers d’art of watchmaking into view for a public that was curious to learn about the beauty and timelessness of watchmaking in a welcoming and open setting. This aspect helped the Dubai Watch Week set itself apart from other watch fairs around the world.

Demonstrations of finishing, engraving, and enamelling were offered not behind velvet ropes but across open counters, with the watchmakers themselves explaining their craft to eager attendees. After demonstrations or product launches, visitors could easily approach the representatives of the brands and have informal conversations with them. This was nearly impossible at Baselworld and the other global luxury watch conferences, where there was an air of formality and an invisible line that was difficult to cross unless you had the right connections. By contrast, Dubai Watch Week is designed to foster immersive experiences and openness. Anyone is welcome to attend (with prior registration, and at no cost).

This milestone year, intertwined as it is with Ahmed Seddiqi’s 75th year celebrations, also speaks to Dubai’s growing role as a cultural capital in its own right. The event has been staged under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority); a sign that Watch Week is as much about Dubai’s identity as it is about horology. “By introducing Dubai Watch Week, we’ve put Dubai on the map in terms of the global watch industry. We are following the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed in delivering the best in our sector for Dubai and as such, we have to conduct ourselves to the level that Dubai expects us to,” says Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, Chief Executive Officer at Ahmed Seddiqi.

Maximilian Büsser, the founder of MB&F and an early proponent of the event, agrees: “Dubai Watch Week is now the most important gathering of watchmaking lovers in the world. Hundreds of clients of ours fly in from every continent, not only to meet us and other creators, but to gather amongst themselves and form the Dubai Watch Week community.

This is truly exceptional.” Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard- Perregaux, echoes that sentiment: “Dubai Watch Week has become a true pillar for our industry because it goes far beyond being a commercial event – it’s a platform for genuine dialogue, creativity, and education. What sets it apart is its human dimension: the openness, the curiosity, and the shared passion for watchmaking that bring together collectors, creators, and brands in a very authentic way. We attend because it’s one of those rare occasions where the conversation about watchmaking evolves – where ideas are exchanged, and where the future of our craft is inspired.”

Even the programming reflects this soaring ambition and underscores Dubai’s evolving gravitational pull in the world of luxury: the keynote address by Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour, in a rare public appearance, is followed by an unprecedented round table of CEOs from Chopard, Zenith, Breitling, and Audemars Piguet. Alongside this line-up of heavyweights are the independents who give Watch Week its distinct energy: creative mavericks pushing watchmaking in new, sometimes radical directions.

What this year’s edition continues to retain is the hands-on, experiential nature of the event that has endeared Watch Week to its diverse audiences. For every keynote speech or presentation, there is a workshop or a masterclass where an attendee might learn about lume painting, dial-hammering, case decoration, or the use of special materials. The maisons aren’t merely showcasing their collections; they are teaching, storytelling, and inviting guests behind the curtain of their craft. This level of interaction and intimacy is just not possible at any of the other fairs. Few other gatherings achieve this mix of marquee launches, unguarded conversations, and moments of discovery. Dubai Watch Week feels less like an industry trade show and more like a cultural summit; undeniably the most vital forum in watchmaking today. It is telling that some of Max Büsser’s most celebrated collaborations (with H. Moser & Cie. and Bvlgari) began not in boardrooms but here, over qahwa in the winter sun. The Seddiqi family has intentionally cultivated this salon-like atmosphere, where
conversations are informal and encounters serendipitous.

That sense of community has become as important to the event as the watches themselves. “With each edition, Dubai Watch Week grows not just in scale but in purpose,” says Hind Seddiqi, CEO of Dubai Watch Week. “Our goal has always been to create a platform that bridges heritage and innovation, connects voices across the industry, and inspires audiences to engage with watchmaking as both craft and culture. We are honoured to have partners and brands utilise the Dubai Watch Week platform as a launchpad for major milestones and announcements, catering to the ever-evolving passion of the audience in our region and underscoring Dubai’s vision to be a leading hub for luxury, culture, heritage, and the arts, bringing together the greatest minds to collaborate, innovate, and pioneer across industries.”

Guido Terreni, the CEO of one of those partner brands, Parmigiani Fleurier, has this to say: “It is such a unique platform, where collectors and connoisseurs come together, a true highlight of the global haute horlogerie calendar. More than an industry gathering, Dubai Watch Week is a cultural moment and a genuine celebration of watchmaking.”

The deliberate pacing of the event also sets it apart. Presented biennially, Dubai Watch Week has avoided the fatigue that can accompany annual trade shows. Instead, each edition builds anticipation and carries editorial weight. The two-year cadence concentrates launches, discussions, and education into a single moment and ensures relevance (and breathing room) in an industry where novelty and the desire to relentlessly innovate can easily overwhelm substance.

Another aspect that makes the Watch Week unique is its outward-facing perspective. Rather than an echo-chamber of insular ideas from within the industry, the programming here explores a diverse variety of topics. Examples from this year include sessions on the Gulf’s codes of luxury, family businesses, even virality and hype culture (“When Labubu Beats the Birkin”). It’s about connecting watches to fashion, art, and lifestyle.

The 2025 edition, in its new setting and expanded scope, will test whether the intimacy can scale without becoming theatrical. The ingredient list is promising: storied watchmaking brands, independent makers, rare masterclasses, and a programme of many firsts that explicitly links watches to design, fashion, and the cultural discourse. If this edition manages to preserve those smaller, serendipitous moments that make this a special event then Dubai Watch Week will have done more than grow; it will have matured into a model. One that keeps the craft visible, the conversation open, and the audience broad.

In the end, Dubai Watch Week’s success is not measured only in square footage or impressive brand counts, but in whether it can continue to be a place where watchmaking is seen not as an exclusive ritual but as a living craft. For the city that loves to stage grandeur, the festival’s quiet genius is to make time for a small thing: the careful, human work that makes a timepiece worth holding on to.

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Images: Supplied