The region’s biggest watch extravaganza Dubai Watch Week has officially kicked off its six edition, and it’s certainly the biggest and best yet.
This year Dubai Watch Week will see some of the world’s best watches on display, with several pieces crowned at the recent Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneva (basically, it’s like the Oscars of the watch world) showcased at the exhibition.
Visitors can get up close and personal with these award-winning watches, and marvel at some of the most innovative approaches to watchmaking the world of Horlogerie has ever seen.
Dubai Watch Week also brings with it fresh new watches, including some new limited edition pieces making their debut at the event. Here’s a look at what was revealed:
Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin in titanium, by Audemars Piguet
When it comes to watchmaking, complexity is all in the details. But when it comes to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin in titanium, well, the details are aplenty.
So where to start? Not only does the new 41mm timepiece come with a full Perpetual Calendar complication, iconic Royal Oak design hallmarks, new smokey dial colour, a case that is just 6.2 mm thick – but it is now created in a titanium and platinum alloy which combines state-of-the-art technology, aesthetic refinement and lightness.
The timepiece can rightfully be considered the natural heir of 2019’s game-changing RD #2 – which became the world’s thinnest selfwinding perpetual calendar when it launched – and now, with the inclusion of titanium on the case, bracelet and bezel, makes it even more wearable.
Freak ONE OPS, by Ulysse Nardin
For Dubai Watch Week, Ulysse Nardin gives its iconic Freak ONE timepiece a twist with the introduction of the Freak One OPS. Short for ‘Operations’ the khaki and black watch looks (and feels) more adventurous. Fear not though, it’s backed by the same cutting-edge technology developed in Ulysse Nardin’s independent integrated manufacture, only now with a casual look.
The new piece measures 44mm in diameter and is cased in black DLC titanium, complemented by a khaki green palette that characterizes the special sunray-patterned barrel cover and the watch’s integrated rubber strap pairing.
Given the watch has no dial, the Freak ONE OPS’s calibre UN-240 Manufacture movement is clearly visible, its flying carousel simultaneously relaying the minutes indication as it rotates on its own axis. Also on display are the oversized oscillator and balance spring, both in captivating blue silicon, recalling the existential role silicon has played in the Freak’s unconventional legacy. The movement is automatic and carries a weighty 90-hour power reserve.
The Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition, by Girard-Perregaux
Aston Martin and Girard-Perregaux have taken to Dubai Watch Week to jointly unveil a spectacular new timepiece, reimagining ‘the bridge’, one of the oldest mechanical signatures in watchmaking. Known as the Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition – the piece is inspired by Aston Martin’s next generation of sportscars.
A new addition to the watch brand’s ‘Bridges’ collection, the piece highlights components often hidden from view and brings them to the fore. The dual team of designers took influence from the world’s first Super Tourer, DB12, with the new watch reflecting the car’s sculpted contours and sharp lines.
The Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition is the fifth co-branded timepiece between Aston Martin and Girard-Perregaux – and in doing so perpetuates some of the design ideas found on former collaborative projects. The timepiece eschews a conventional dial to reveal an inverted movement, the Calibre GP0840000-2164, a configuration that brings components usually found to the rear of the watch, relocating them to the front. Upholding the spirit of the Bridges collection, the functional components on this model contribute to its overall visual allure.
HM11 ‘Architect’, by MB&F
Very little about what MB&F produces can be described as normal, safe, or bland. The independent watchmaker has been pushing the boundaries of what watchmaking can be (and should look like) for 15 years now, and its latest offering – the HM11 Architect – continues to do exactly that.
According to the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier: “a house is a machine to live in” so with the piece’s name “HM” standing for “Horological Machine” – it is something that MB&F has taken to its most creative extent. Viewing the watch as a “house”, the design team created four different “rooms” to the revolutionary timepiece, all centered around a central flying tourbillon housed under a double-domed sapphire roof.
From that spinning core, four symmetrical volumes reach outwards, creating four parabolic rooms of the ‘house’. The watch can be twisted in 90° angles to flick between each room means so you can position HM11 to your fancy. Like many things from MB&F, it’s wild watchmaking, but it is truly fantastic.
Carrera Tourbillon H0 2T Dubai Skyline Limited Edition, by TAG Heuer
At Dubai Watch Week, TAG Heuer payed tribute to the event’s host city with the release of an exclusive limited-edition Carrera Heuer 02T in elegant black and blue hues.
In a highly exclusive limited run of twelve (12!) timepieces, the Swiss watchmaker’s showpiece watch draws inspiration from Dubai’s blue-lit skyline in a stunning black and blue colourway.
stunning 45 mm anthracite chronograph captivates the eye with universal blue accents that adorn the indexes and sub-dials creating an enchanting spectacle. The watch is harmonized with the white Super-LumiNova® on the indexes and watch hands, ensuring exceptional visibility in the dark night.
The blue sapphire caseback creates a mesmerizing sense of depth, offering a stunning window into the inner workings of the timepiece framed by the iconic skyline of the emirate. The memorable “DUBAI” logo takes center stage in the middle of the caseback. A dedicated “DUBAI LIMITED EDITION” inscription and a one of a kind “XX/12” numbering for the lucky owners complete the piece.
L.U.C Strike One, by Chopard
While Chopard fated its famed L.U.C collection’s 25th anniversary last year, it doesn’t mean the celebration needs to stop. That’s why Chopard took to Dubai Watch Week to deploy its expertise in chiming watches by unveiling a new L.U.C Strike One model in ethical 18-carat white gold.
The new 25-piece limited edition not only showcases the maison’s stunning expertise when it comes to chiming watches, but also the colour combo of dial, case and strap makes it even more appealing.
Equipped with the new L.U.C 96.32-L movement, the refined 40mm timepiece in ethical 18-carat white gold is chronometer-certified and bears the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. Its solid gold grey-green dial is hand-guilloché with a honeycomb motif. With its crown-integrated pusher, its slender 9.86 mm size and its crystal-clear sound, the L.U.C Strike One model endows the passing of time with an elegantly resonant dimension
ProPilot X Calibre 400 Laser, by Oris
There are watches that will tell you the time, and then there are watches that you want to look at – the new ProPilot x Calibre 400 Laser, is very much both.
Unveilled at this year’s Dubai Watch Week, Swiss watchmaker Oris introduced a shimmering new dial to its ProPilot X Calibre 400 collection, using an innovative lasering technique never applied in watchmaking before.
The titanium dial captivates with a spellbinding play of colors, transitioning seamlessly from shades of blue to green and finally to violet as it gracefully moves.
Based on the principles of biomimicry, specifically a phenomenon found in nature called optical interference. This means that red light waves are destroyed, while blue and green waves are reflected. There is not one drop of colour pigment in this watch’s dial. This inventive treatment is a surface manipulation that splits the light into its components, creating a stunning rainbow effect that changes depending on your viewing angle.
The laser technique we used to create the dial’s unique colour is a watchmaking first. It was developed in partnership with a research lab affiliated to ETH Zürich and applied to the titanium dial under the guidance of our engineering department. Beyond the dial, the watch carries the familiar, challenging form of the forward-looking ProPilot X Calibre 400, first introduced in 2022. It as a titanium 39 mm case, bezel and crown, and a three-link titanium bracelet.
ARQAAM by Byrne
Okay, so while this brand may not have been officially exhibiting at DWW, this independent watch brand did present a new regionally-focused timepiece in a setting adjacent to the big event – think ‘off-Broadway’ rather that ‘Broadway’.
Developed exclusively for the regional independent watch 10 Ten Labs, indy watch brand Byrne released an exclusive creation called ARQAAM. Meaning ‘numbers’ in Arabic, the numeral design is inspired by the rich history of numerology on the Arabian Peninsula, especially in Saudi Arabia.
Limited to 10 pieces each, the collection is a fresh take on Byrne’s GyroDial 311 watch which harbours Byrne’s hallmark mechanism animating the indices at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. Quite spectacularly, the cardinal markers change when the hour hand passes 12 o’clock, instantaneously presenting a new watch face.
Through this complication, the ARQAAM limited editions showcases a quartet of numeral styles that draw inspiration from the Arabian Peninsula’s rich numerological heritage. Each set in the series represents a historical epoch, charting the evolution from ancient times to the contemporary usage of Arabic and Indo-Arabic numerals.