
Editorial See You In Dubai!
The 2021 edition of Dubai Watch Week takes place in just a few days…
They say that the heart of mechanical watchmaking lies in Switzerland, an undeniable statement (and one that we’re clearly biased towards). That said, an international community such as the community of watch lovers has many homes, and one of these homes throws its doors open to the world this Wednesday. That’s right, my dear WorldTempus family, Dubai Watch Week is back.
From the 24th to the 28th of November, the most exciting community event in the horological universe will be held in the quarter of Dubai known as DIFC, harnessing the energy and dynamism of the surrounding financial district. The 2021 edition of Dubai Watch Week (DWW) will be the fifth full edition of the event since its inception in 2015, with an offsite edition focusing just on the Horology Forum held in London in 2018, and an online-only Horology Forum held in 2020.
In the fullest version of DWW, activities are expanded to include Masterclasses, mini-seminars led by industry names such as Fiona Krüger (designer and founder of her eponymous brand) and Florian Preziuso (of Antoine Preziuso). Creative Hub sessions are steered by watch brands who are launching new timepieces at DWW or presenting in-depth explorations of their collections. The immensely popular Horology Forum shines the spotlight on some of the hottest topics of discussion in the watch world today, with panellists who have a reputation for open discourse and no-holds-barred honesty. New for DWW 2021 is the Collector’s Lounge, a community space where some exceptional watches (hint, they’re linked with the 50th anniversary of the UAE) will be on display and horological luminaries such as Luc Pettavino of Only Watch will be invited to speak.
As if all this hive of activity wasn’t enough, there will be 49 horological brands exhibiting their star timepieces and recent launches at DWW, from industry juggernauts such as Rolex and Audemars Piguet to indie favourites such as MB&F and Urwerk. Other watch events may claim to be community-centric, but there really isn’t any other event in the world that caters to as many aspects of the watch community as Dubai Watch Week.
Of course, your beloved WorldTempus team will be there, bringing you all the latest and most exciting news on the ground. Together with GMT founder Brice Lechevalier and our very own Sophie Furley, fresh off her star turn as a jury member at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, not to mention longtime contributor Roberta Naas, I’ll be in Dubai all week getting exclusive stories for your reading pleasure. I’ll also be moderating a discussion panel all about the evolution of gender-free watchmaking, with panellists Aldis Hodge (watch aficionado and Hollywood star), Christine Hutter (CEO, Moritz Grossman) and Fabrizio Buonamassa (Director of Product Creation, Bulgari); and leading a VIP session of women watch lovers at the Collector’s Lounge.
If you’re in Dubai, we do hope to see you at DWW — drop us a line! — but if you’re not, don’t worry. We’ll bring Dubai to you.
Brands
The ARMIN STROM manufacture expresses the very substance of its founder’s legacy. Its guiding principle is that of reinterpreting watchmaking tradition. To this end, it applies the principle of...
Find out more >Audemars Piguet is one of the few independent family-owned watch businesses and has been based in Le Brassus, in Switzerland's Vallée de Joux region, at the heart of the fine watchmaking industry,...
Find out more >For Bell & Ross, each detail has a specific meaning and function: functionality is key, and minimalism – dispensing with superfluous ornamental details in favour of essential aspects – is vital.
Find out more >The Bovet Manufacture upholds the tradition of decorative arts applied to its delicately engraved, chased, enamelled, engine-turned or hand-painted cases, dials and movements, thus passing on the...
Find out more >From humble family beginnings Breitling grew into a major player in the world of chronographs and aviation instruments. At the dawn of a new era, the brand is poised for a legendary future.
Find out more >Bulgari has its own clear definition of excellence, which involves the perfect balance between design, added-value, quality of its products and its worldwide service. In the case of Bulgari...
Find out more >Maison Chopard epitomises the alliance between watchmaking and jewellery. It has always known how to meet the expectations of its day, relying on four essential values: expertise, tradition,...
Find out more >Corum takes aesthetic daring to the heights of technical perfection. Through a number of collections, drawing on the fundamentals of traditional watchmaking, the manufacture continues to pursue its...
Find out more >Czapek & Cie. harks back to the origins of one of the watch industry’s most prestigious names, which was born from the watchmaking skills of two Polish émigrés who sought refuge in Switzerland...
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De Bethune embraces the wealth of the watchmaking knowhow of the past in order to design the watches of the future. This combination results in timepieces with all the attributes and technical...
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Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud offers a contemporary take on the work of a master watchmaker. Its exclusive timepieces, developed by today’s master watchmakers, are a tribute to the excellence...
Find out more >Frederique Constant has made a successful business out of offering affordable luxury, experiencing growth rates well above the industry average. The owners have a clear mission to make fine...
Find out more >GENUS, a singularity of time. Pushing back the limits of watch display, the brand has established its own watchmaking ethos. It resides upon on the experience of its Master Watchmaker, author of an...
Find out more >Ever since 1791, Girard-Perregaux has been pursuing its course in the best tradition of Fine Watchmaking. The Maison’s history has been characterised by legendary timepieces that combine...
Find out more >H. Moser & Cie. was created by Heinrich Moser in 1828. Based in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, it currently employs around 60 people, has developed 14 in-house calibres to date, and produces more than...
Find out more >From the outset, Hublot has embodied design and innovation that differ markedly from the established watchmaking order. With the impetus provided by Jean-Claude Biver, by 2004 these values had...
Find out more >An elegant, outward-looking philosophy that dates back to the Age of Enlightenment is still at the heart of Jaquet Droz's identity. The fine and rare handcrafts practiced at the company’s workshops...
Find out more >Ateliers Louis Moinet was born out of the passion of one man, and this is clearly to be seen in each of its creations. The Maison takes the concept of exclusivity to its height, producing only...
Find out more >The early years of the third millennium brought the world a new paradigm of watchmaking, which came to be known as horological kinetic art.
Find out more >Synonymous with excellence in craftsmanship and design, Montblanc has been pushing the boundaries of innovation ever since the Maison first revolutionized the culture of writing in 1906.
Find out more >Unique, customisable, free-spirited and independent, Norqain watches are designed in Nidau (Biel) and celebrate life in a journey where beautiful watchmaking meets adventure.
Find out more >Inspired by performance, precision and mechanical prowess, Purnell’s philosophy of bringing more future than past to watchmaking. Each timepiece distinguishes itself by having a tourbillon...
Find out more >A passion for the ultimate in performance is what drives both Rebellion Timepieces and Rebellion Racing, two entities whose worlds are closely intertwined.
Find out more >Based in traditional Swiss watchmaking country in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schwarz Etienne has a century of history in watchmaking but chooses to look to the future rather than the past.
Find out more >Over 150 years of watchmaking savoir-faire and technical innovation have made TAG Heuer a global reference in avant-garde sports watches. As it tracked the rise of sports demanding increasingly...
Find out more >A horological iconoclast, intent on breaking free of traditional watchmaking. A new way of telling the time, poetry on the wrist, an emotional connection. Trilobe is all that, and much more.
Find out more >Combining cutting-edge technology with a unique heritage from marine chronometry is what sets Ulysse Nardin apart from other brands.
Find out more >Few brands are as closely associated with the rise of avant-garde independent horology in the new millennium than URWERK, the Geneva-based brand with Swiss-German mechanical foundations.
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