Dubai Watch Week is one of our favorite watch industry events. Organized by renowned retailer, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Dubai Watch Week continues to raise the bar since its debut in 2015. This year, the turnout was massive for independent watchmakers, brands, and collectors. Many of our friends and partners from North America and Europe attended.

This event is more collector-friendly than the traditional industry trade shows, those focused more on being the annual meeting grounds for brands and authorized retailers to discuss allocations. While there’s still plenty of that at Dubai Watch Week, the environment is more casual and fun with programming that fits the interests of both industry professionals and seasoned collectors alike. There were panel discussions on everything from Philippe Dufour discussing his journey in watchmaking to navigating the taboo of aftermarket customization with George Bamford to Moser CEO, Eduoard Meylan covering company buy-outs in the industry. All were high-level, candid conversations on topics outside the normal fold of timepieces and market forecasts. All can be found, as well, on Dubai Watch Week’s YouTube channel.

Beyond panel discussions and meet-ups though, the event is a time and place for brands to release their latest creations. And there were plenty of exciting new releases from some of our favorite independent brands.

MB&F – Horological Machine No. 11 Architect

Whenever MB&F releases a new Horological Machine, it’s a “moment” for serious indie collectors. The brand doesn’t do it that often (the last HM released in 2020). When we heard that this was on deck, we were immediately excited and it did not disappoint once we saw it.

Pulling from post-war, avant-garde architecture, the HM11 is astounding on many levels. We’ll leave the design and technical innovations aside (since we covered them already here). What sticks out more than any single design or technical “thing,” is simply that Max and team found a way to cross the chasm between an abstract interest in a wide discipline (avant-garde architecture) and the concrete Horological Machine that so closely matches the form and function of the timepiece’s architecture inspiration. It’s so post-war, avant-garde architecture AND it’s so MB&F. No simple task, it seems like every Horological Machine sets the creative bar higher and higher.

De Bethune – DBD Evergreen

There are only a handful of De Bethune timepieces that feature digital indicators of time – they are all spectacular. Very well welcomed this week is another for the brand’s catalog, the DBD Evergreen. We’ve seen master watchmaker Denis Flageolet and the team return to some of the brand’s most iconic timepieces with the DB28 XP and DB Eight. The DBD Evergreen is a continuation of this trend, modernizing the original DB Digitale that was released all the way back in 2006. New case size, movement, it’s a stunning timepiece. One of the things about this timepiece (and the original DB Digitale) is that there really isn’t another case like it in indie watchmaking. It fuses together the classical aesthetic that was the foundation of early De Bethune timepieces and the exceptionally avant-garde-leaning designs that came later. An important part of De Bethune’s aesthetic evolution, this case will always be one of the turning points for the brand in its early days.

Arnold & Son – Time Pyramid 42.5

Returning to one of the brand’s more technically complicated timepieces, Arnold & Son brings an updated movement and slimmer case to the Time Pyramid. Adorned by the signature skeletonized, pyramid shaped flying tourbillon, this timepiece is a direct nod to John Arnold’s cone shaped skeleton regulator clocks created more than 200 years ago. Shifting from 44.6mm to 42.5mm with a revamped case isn’t the only update here though. There’s the addition of new indicators for the double power reserve, white opal minutes circle, and an aventurine glass caseback that acts as a beautiful backdrop to the skeletonized movement. The caseback is neither transparent nor opaque, allowing some light to pass through the shimmering sparkles of the decorative glass.

Armin Strom – Tribute 1 Fumé

The flagship timepiece of Armin Strom, the Tribute 1, returns with an exceptional guilloché upgrade to the dial. The Tribute 1 Fumé from Armin Strom subscribes to the classical dress watch size at 38mm and simplicity of time-only, but with the brand’s distinct, modern design sensibilities. Pulling from their Swiss-German origins, the balance between the understated blue dial and the exposed barrel and barrel bridge lead this timepiece toward a more industrially-designed aesthetic.

This edition takes on a more dramatic look with fumé dials in four striking hues (ocean, slate, sky, and burgundy) with guilloché dial plates by celebrated independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen’s dial atelier. The combination of the off-center dial, matte and glossy textures, guillochage alongside the shine of hand-finished barrel and bridge, this all creates a watch that feels more exciting than a traditional, dressy three-hander. Overall, it’s a nice addition to the brand’s catalog and a heavy-hitter for time-only watches at the ~20,000USD price point.

Urwerk – UR-230 Eagle

WIth every new Urwerk timepiece, we all bear witness to the technical and design evolution of the brand’s leading duo, Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei. The UR-230 Eagle is a new step for the UR-200 family with an engine upgrade, the addition of a cover for the case, and continued experimentation with materials. The all-new, in-house caliber UR-7.30 is impressive, featuring an upgraded shock absorption system for the turbines (rotors). It works with two sets of turbines – the first set is dedicated to attenuating the impact of any external shock. A second set controls the flow of air that feeds the winding system. The strength of this "air brake," designed to modulate the winding power according to the wearer's level of activity, is set by a rotating knob on the back of the watch. Significantly more complex than previous turbine winding systems, this is also a significant boost to the timepiece’s robustness in day-to-day wear.

Moritz Grossmann – BACKPAGE Green

Celebrating their 15th anniversary, Moritz Grossmann released the BACKPAGE Green in rose gold and platinum. This is another major step for the brand in the direction of more contemporary aesthetics. While the brand’s high-end movements are often only observed through the caseback, the BACKPAGE pushes the fine finishing and movement architecture to the dial-side of the timepiece. The color palette of the timepiece as well as its nicely sized 41mm case are great, but the hand-engraved balance cock on the dial is the star of the show. Very traditionally “German,” it is simply very unusual to see something as classical in such a modern outfit. A head-on collision of past and future, Moritz Grossmann’s BACKPAGE Green is representative of how the brand is forging a path for the future of German independent watchmaking.

We look forward to attending again next year. Stay tuned for more from Dubai Watch Week as we publish interviews and closer looks at some of these timepieces – follow our above YouTube channel and turn on notifications to watch.

Dubai Watch Week 2023 Wrap-Up