Dubai Watch Week 2025

The Horological Festival That Redefined Luxury Timekeeping

When: November 19–23, 2025
Where: Dubai

At the base of the illuminated Burj Khalifa, five days of horological fellowship unfolded in a way few in the luxury world had predicted a decade ago. What began in 2015 as a modest watch celebration has become a global horology landmark, a space where Swiss maestros rub shoulders with collectors, artists, and culture-shaping thinkers. This year’s seventh edition of Dubai Watch Week drew more than 90 brands and nearly 50,000 visitors, a dramatic leap from its last showing and cementing its place just behind Geneva’s Watches & Wonders in global importance.

Unlike traditional trade fairs dominated by business deals, Dubai Watch Week was engineered to be inclusive, educational, and experiential, with a free-entry ethos and open dialogue between makers and enthusiasts. It was a festival of mechanical heartbeats as much as ticking seconds, a place where the future of an age-old industry was discussed in loud, open rooms under the desert sky.

A Who’s Who of Swiss Watchmaking Takes the Stage

One of the big reasons the world watched Dubai last month was not only the number of brands present, but the weight of the figures behind them.

Jean-Frédéric Dufour, rarely seen in public fora, delivered a keynote alongside Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, chairman of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. Dufour’s presence underscored the growing significance of Dubai as a strategic platform outside Switzerland.

The first-ever CEO Roundtable: Horology Edition featured some of the industry’s most influential leaders like Georges Kern from Breitling, Ilaria Resta (Audemars Piguet), Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (Chopard), and Julien Tornare from Zenith, a rare assembly of Top Minds from Switzerland.

With these figures onstage, the conversations were strategic, candid, and inescapably forward-looking; not merely promotional. They revealed cracks and aspirations in an industry navigating shifting consumption habits, global economics, and rising digital frontiers.

Panel Takeaways: More Than Just Timekeeping

Across more than 50 panels and workshops, the week’s discussions spanned from craft to culture; and what emerged were themes that resonate far beyond watchmaking.

1. The Time to Act Is Now
   During the opening Horology Forum keynote, Dufour and Seddiqi spoke about urgency in innovation and relevance. It was less a sales pitch and more a strategic call to action; a recognition that mechanical watchmaking must evolve in experience and connection if it is to thrive.
   
2. Luxury in the Age of Hype
   Panels like “When Labubu Beats the Birkin” explored how luxury brands, including watchmakers, must balance heritage with a new wave of cultural currency. Genuine storytelling and authenticity emerged as central to long-term relevance.
   
3. Identity in a Capricious Market
   Industry thought leaders like Jean-Claude Biver and media voices such as Wei Koh debated how brands maintain a timeless identity amid evolving trends.
   The consensus: heritage isn’t enough, it must be coupled with bold, coherent vision.
   

More Than Watches, A Living Museum of Craft

While the forum rooms hummed with dialogue, the halls vibrated with tangible masterpieces. Swiss high horology names, from Rolex’s land-roving innovations to Audemars Piguet’s 150th anniversary Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in titaniu, were on display, offering a hands-on feast for collectors and first-timers alike.

Independent watchmakers and avant-garde creators also found a stage here. Attendees shared stories of meeting founders, trying on rare pieces, and learning directly from artisans, moments that would have been impossible at closed-door industry trade shows.

Numbers That Tell a Story

• 90+ participating brands, reflecting a nearly 50% increase from 2023.
  
• 50,000 visitors over five days, including seasoned collectors, executives, and cultural influencers.
  
• 100+ industry leaders participating in panel forums, from CEOs to creative thinkers.

It was an environment where chatter didn’t cease at exhibit doors, a living, breathing community of enthusiasts building connections that will influence the next decade of watch culture.

Lessons the Watch World Will Carry Forward

From the buzz and learning at Dubai Watch Week, several strategic shifts emerge for Swiss luxury watchmaking:

• Embrace community over exclusivity: Open dialogue with collectors creates lifelong brand loyalty, far beyond glossy ads.
  
• Culture complements craft: Regionally inspired collaborations and culturally nuanced storytelling matter.
  
• Leadership in conversation, not just production: CEOs and creative leads participating in open forums foster credibility and thought leadership.
  
• Education fuels appreciation: Workshops and masterclasses help demystify complex watchmaking for new audiences.

A Glimpse at Dubai Watch Week 2026

Even before DWW 2025’s doors closed, anticipation for Dubai Watch Week 2026 was already shaping up. Organisers and attendees alike hinted that the event could transition to an annual cadence, rather than a biennial one, to match its surging momentum and global relevance. Industry watchers expect deeper integration of digital platforms, from virtual showcases to augmented reality experiences, as watchmakers adapt to the hybrid world followers now inhabit. Collectors are also urging brands to lean into sustainability narratives, including crafting with responsibly sourced materials and highlighting long-term care for mechanical timepieces.

Final Tick: Why Dubai Now Matters

Dubai Watch Week has done what few expected: it has turned the global conversation about watches away from purely Swiss boardrooms and into a cultural crossroads where Middle Eastern aspiration meets centuries-old Swiss craft. As Jean-Frédéric Dufour, Georges Kern, Ilaria Resta, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, and Julien Tornare proved onstage, the watch world is not just about keeping time, it’s about understanding the moments that define us, and the ways we connect across time and space. For Swiss luxury watchmaking, Dubai Watch Week isn’t just another event, it is now a vital waypoint on the journey toward the future.