Dubai Watch Week earns its place in the sun

In just two editions, Dubai Watch Week has established itself among the major international watch exhibitions. Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, one of the Middle East’s foremost watch retailers and a family-run business now in the hands of the third generation, launched the event in 2015 as somewhere aficionados can talk watches, meet others who share their passion, and learn from the watchmakers themselves. This emphasis on the culture of watches over an overtly commercial event was a gamble that paid off with, from the outset, a who’s who of exhibitors that ranges from big brands to smaller independents. In addition to viewing timepieces, visitors can attend master classes led by renowned watchmakers, join in high-level panel discussions, discover first-hand the intricacies of a mechanical movement, see detailed presentations of timepieces created specifically for the Emirates, take in exhibitions, or simply enjoy the casual atmosphere and meet some of the industry’s “stars” (another singularity of Dubai Watch Week is how easy it is for the public to hang out with the people who actually make the watches they wear).

"A resounding success"

An event that offers as many opportunities to understand watchmaking as to admire the results was bound to be a success. The public were quickly won over, and exhibitors needed little convincing; indeed, the popularity of the first Dubai Watch Week prompted even more brands to sign up for the following year. “Last year’s edition was a resounding success, and so we’re absolutely delighted to be hosting this third Dubai Watch Week,” explains director Melika Yazdjerdi. “It is a unique platform for sharing information that goes from the history of the individual brands to the technical specificities of watch movements, the latest consumer trends or what lies ahead for the industry.”

Winning formula

Held in partnership with Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, the next Dubai Watch Week is scheduled for November 16th to 20th, when it will continue its “mission” to inform and educate. An impressive panel of some sixty brands will be lining up on the Persian Gulf. “The Middle East clientele, particularly the new generation, is highly educated and well-informed. Here, as everywhere, people buy watches they have seen worn, on social media such as Instagram, or by visiting some of our stores,” notes Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, SVP Sales and Retail at Seddiqi Holding. “To a certain extent, Dubai Watch Week has helped educate the watch-buying public by providing a real opportunity to interact with the brands, particularly independents.” Why change a winning formula?

Dubai Watch Week
16th-20th November 2017
Dubai International Financial Center