A guide to Dubai Watch Week: timepieces, food, workshops and will.i.am

Back for the fifth time, the horology-themed event opens to the public on November 24

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  Deep-pocketed consumers who crimped on spending during lockdowns are now snapping up high-end goods, including Swiss timepieces. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

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  Diamond suppliers have raised prices by 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

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  A Mont Blanc pocket watch with the price tag of Dh188,000 is on display.

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  A Breitling Chronometer worth Dh104,590.

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  The Hublot, sang bleu, high jewellery watch costs Dh3,788,400.

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  A Chopard watch from L.U.C collection with the price tag of more than Dh1 million.

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  Bulgari Minute Repeater 2016 watch costs Dh642,000.

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  Louis Moinet watch with the price tag of Dh1,512,000.

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  Breitling tachymeter watch costs Dh70,980.

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  Hublot watches on display.

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  Handmade custom watch straps made by Atelier Du Bracelet, Genève.

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  A visitor at the Chopard stand at Dubai Watch Week 2021.

One of the region’s biggest horology events is back for its fifth season.

Dubai Watch Week, a cultural platform designed to share knowledge on and celebrate watchmaking, opened to the public on November 24.

Launched by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons in 2015, it is the one of the largest non-commercial watch events in the Middle East and, this year, it’s confirmed the presence of 48 leading watch brands.

Taking place at DIFC Gate from 10am to 10pm over five days, the event also features a number of immersive activations, competitions, workshops, panel discussions and food and beverage outlets.

Here’s a look at everything you need to know if you’re thinking about visiting the watch lover’s paradise:

Brands participating in Dubai Watch Week

Mont Blanc pocket watch with the price tag of Dh188,000 AED on display at the Dubai Watch Week 2021 held at DIFC Gate. Pawan Singh / The National

Entry is free, but you have to register to get access to some of the world’s most famous watch brands including Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Tudor, Hublot, and Chopard. They will all also have standalone interactive spaces to visit.

Other participating brands include Breitling, Bulgari, Mont Blanc, Oris, Tag Heuer, Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk.

WatchBox, a leading destination for pre-owned luxury timepieces, is also set to return.

Check out some unique timepieces

Constantly evolving, this year the event has launched the Collector’s Lounge, a dedicated space for watch connoisseurs to discuss the latest releases and horology news. This area also showcases limited editions conceptualised by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons to commemorate the UAE’s 50th anniversary, plus pieces from Buben & Zorweg and Miki Eleta.

This Hublot watch costs Dh3,788,400. Pawan Singh / The National

You can also see some beautiful and very expensive pieces, such as the Hublot sang bleu, a high jewellery watch that costs Dh3,788,400.

Sit in on masterclasses, or a horology forum

There are masterclasses on everything from how to create your unique timepiece to Murano glass in watchmaking.

One of the highlights is also a horology forum, a series of panel discussions with experts exploring themes and topics from including alignment of online personas with actual identities, and NFTs and cryptocurrencies in luxury.

Meanwhile, a Creative Hub gives visitors the chance to partake in some of the industry’s most debated topics – from investigating collector credibility to deciphering luxury’s ascension to crypto and how it transcends limits.

Check out the installations

Dial of Discovery is an activation that offers visitors a chance to reflect on themselves and their experience at Dubai Watch Week. Thought-provoking questions such as: “What describes you best?” to “What are you looking for?” have been printed on the wall-like structure to encourage moments of meditation amidst the event.

A visitor looks at watches at the Chopard stand at Dubai Watch Week. Pawan Singh / The National

Elsewhere, next to Christie’s event space in DIFC, the Time to Capture installation will reveal inspirational messages to allow each viewer to capture time on their phones and experience more moments of mindfulness.

Spend your time wisely to win rewards

Each visitor can receive a special booklet including scratch games and instant wins across all of Dubai Watch Week’s activations. Horology explorers can win big by working their way around the event and collecting stamps from five key locations: the Exhibition Hall, the Collector’s Lounge, Christie’s, the Dial of Discovery and Time to Capture.

Skywards, the loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, is offering up to one million Skywards Miles to those who can collect all five stamps in their Dubai Watch Week booklets, with 125,000 being given out at random each day. On Sunday, November 28, one lucky winner will score a grand prize of 500,000 Skywards Miles as well as a limited-edition timepiece from H Moser & Cie.

Meet industry creatives and familiar faces

The musician will.i.am is attending a talk at Dubai Watch Week 2021. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Attendees get the chance to meet familiar faces in the creative industry, including renowned musician and innovator will.i.am. The celebrity guest will be participating on a panel in the Creative Hub to discuss the challenge that lies in focusing on heritage luxury while finding synergy in a fast-moving digital world. Meanwhile, British artist Keira Rathbone will be bringing sights to life using a manual typewriter in the Exhibition Centre.

Eat up

Burger joint Salt is launching a limited-edition menu of treats especially for the event.

Other exciting dining concepts to try at Dubai Watch Week include Cipriani, which has a pop-up that serves popular breakfast favourites, as well as a selection of carpaccio, burrata, salads and gnocchi to choose between. Home Bakery will ensure that sweet cravings are satiated, while Twst also offers a range of sweet treats.

Play some games

No matter the age, an interactive game booth featuring foosball and air hockey at the event is sure to keep everyone entertained.

The event is on until Sunday, November 28; free to enter; dubaiwatchweek.com