The Most Exciting New Watches from Dubai Watch Week 2023
Eric Rossier, courtesy MB&F
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This week, the watch world’s boldest and brightest all converged in the Middle East for Dubai Watch Week—a biannual celebration of all things horological that has quickly grown to serious prominence on the trade show circuit.
Dubai Watch Week was founded in 2016 by the UAE jeweler Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. Its the flagship event sees maisons both large and small come together in Dubai’s financial center to exhibit their new wares, meet with the press, and nerd out on anything relevant to timekeeping.
One of the best knock-on effects of DWW for watch collectors is the numerous special editions and new releases that accompany the show: There’s your typical array of new colorways and references, of course, alongside a handful of Middle Eastern market exclusives that feature the Eastern Arabic numerals now familiar to any auction catalog addict. Many of these hot-of-the-press timepieces are worthy of both your attention and hard-earned dollars.
I was on the ground in Dubai this week. These are the favorite pieces I saw at the event.
Ming 29.01 Dubai Edition
Founded in 2017 by a group of passionate watch collectors, Ming designs and builds distinctly contemporary watches in limited production. Its most recent release before DWW broke the record for world’s lightest watch with a piece that is barely in the same weight class as two sheets of paper. Even by those high standards, the new Ming 29.01 Dubai Edition is special: A world timer housed in a 40mm titanium case, it features an Arabic-script sapphire dial with HyCeram ceramic Super-LumiNova fill that glows brilliantly in the dark, plus a Schwarz-Etienne for Ming Calibre ASE 222 movement with micro-rotor.
Moser Streamliner Small Seconds
Folks have been begging Moser for a smaller version of its luxury sports watch for years, and the Swiss maison finally delivered: The new Streamliner Small Seconds not only sports a 39mm stainless steel case, but also a gorgeous blue fumé dial in the grand feu style. What’s more, it houses a brand-new movement, the Caliber HMC 500 automatic with a platinum micro-rotor.
MB&F HM11 Architect
It’s tough to overstate just how important MB&F is to the high-end independent watchmaking scene. Max Büsser’s baby creates some of the funkiest, most jaw-dropping creations in the industry. The company’s new HM11 Architect is a visual feast: Its case, based on futuristic midcentury architecture, rotates in order to wind the in-house movement, which powers time, power reserve, and temperature indication modules. Busser compares the watch to a house with each indication representing a different room. I’d personally love to curl up in an Eames chair with a nice book inside this beauty.
Zenith x Time & Tide Defy Skyline Night Surfer El Primero
A collaboration between the Aussie watch website Time & Tide and Zenith, the limited-edition Defy Skyline Night Surfer El Primero is far and away one of the coolest El Primero models in the brand’s contemporary lineup. Given how compelling its bright blue bridges and sandblasted, grey titanium case are, many are bound to forget about the innovative hi-beat movement ticking away inside.
Chopard Alpine Eagle 41mm
Can’t snag a rainbow Daytona? How about a new Alpine Eagle. While Chopard’s luxury sports watch has been kicking around now for a few years, four new references in various forms of gold (yellow, rose, and white) with colorful, gem-set bezels are a feast for the eyes and wrist. Housed in 41mm cases, they may be classified as men’s watches, but there’s no doubt that many women will soon be happily sporting them as well.
Originally Appeared on GQ
