Inside Dubai Watch Week 2025: 9 timepieces rewriting the rules of watch design
A showcase of boundary-pushing creativity, these launches from Dubai Watch Week show how far contemporary watchmaking can go when artistry, engineering and bold imagination align.
Across both major brands and independent maisons, the focus at Dubai Watch Week 2025 was on creativity and innovation, with timepieces that blurred the line between traditional watchmaking and wearable art. (Photos: Courtesy of respective brands; Art: CNA/Chern Ling)
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Held in a city defined by its appetite for innovation, Dubai Watch Week returned for its seventh edition from Nov 19 to Nov 23, 2025 at a new and expanded venue in Dubai Mall’s Burj Park. Doubling its footprint to 200,000 sq ft and welcoming more than 90 brands and speakers, it drew some 49,000 visitors across five days of exhibitions, talks and immersive experiences.
This year’s fair reaffirmed its role as a stage for horology’s most daring and fearless expressions. Here, we spotlight nine timepieces that defined this very spirit of creativity and uncompromising innovation, from ultra-thin cases engraved with Arabic calligraphy and kinetic micro-architectures to avant-garde collaborations and hard-stone dials transformed into miniature mechanical canvases.
MB&F HM11 ART DECO
Undoubtedly the most architecturally ambitious unveiling at Dubai Watch Week, MB&F’s HM11 Art Deco takes the guise of two limited editions with 10 pieces each. A reinterpretation of 2023’s HM11 Architect, it reimagines the original house-on-the-wrist concept through the geometric glamour of 1930s Art Deco. Strong vertical lines, stepped forms and sunburst motifs replace the predecessor’s organic curves, giving the watch its bold, architectural presence.
Designer Maximilian Maertens reworked the HM11’s four-chamber layout with period-inspired typography, two-tone display rings and radiating decorative elements that frame the central flying tourbillon beneath its double-domed sapphire roof. Even the translucent red enamel inserts on the white gold hands evoke Art Deco-inspired stained glass.
Mechanically, the HM11 Art Deco retains MB&F’s most interactive and tactile winding system. Rotating the entire titanium case by 45 degrees delivers 72 minutes of power, with 10 full turns providing the full 96-hour reserve. Visible through sapphire apertures, the hours, minutes, power reserve indicator and mechanical thermometer each occupy their own “room” arranged around the watch.
Crafted from grade 5 titanium and offered in two colourways – blue with yellow gold-toned bridges and green with rose gold-toned bridges – this machine blurs the line between timekeeping and wearable 3D art.
BVLGARI MATTAR BIN LAHEJ X OCTO FINISSIMO
One of the fair’s most poetic collaborations was Bvlgari’s Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo, a 70-piece limited edition that bridges Italian design with Emirati artistry. The timepiece transforms the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo into a canvas for Arabic calligraphy, while celebrating Dubai’s forward-looking spirit.
Housed in a sleek 40mm by 5mm sandblasted titanium case with a matching bracelet, the watch is laser-engraved across its dial, case and links with a quote from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: “The future will be for those who can imagine, design and implement it. The future does not wait, but it can be designed and built today.” Rendered in the fluid, sweeping style of acclaimed Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej, whose large-scale works include the script on Dubai’s iconic Museum of the Future, the calligraphy transforms the Octo Finissimo into a distinctly modern and wearable cultural statement.
True to the Octo Finissimo legacy, the artistry is underpinned by serious watchmaking. The timepiece is powered by the ultra-thin BVL 138 automatic micro-rotor calibre. Just 2.23mm thin, it boasts a 60-hour power reserve and refined hand-finishing visible through the sapphire caseback, where the artist’s signature is also featured.
BIVER AUTOMATIQUE
Among the fair’s standout artisanal highlights was Biver’s Automatique Atelier Series, which welcomes seven new references showcasing four captivating hard stones: Mahogany Obsidian, Oeil de Fer, Quartzite and Lavender Jade.
The Quartzite and Lavender Jade models are offered in multiple dial configurations: from understated white gold markers to luxurious diamond or blue sapphire baguette hour markers. Setting gems into such fragile stones is notoriously difficult, but the visual effect, in which the stones appear to hover over a polished mineral landscape, is remarkable. All configurations can be paired with a strap and platinum pin buckle or with an optional full platinum Biver bracelet.
Warmth and richness enter the collection through two precious metal executions: a rose gold case with Mahogany Obsidian and a yellow gold case with Oeil de Fer. The former reveals flowing black, red and orange striations with a mirror-like polish, while the latter has a matte, almost volcanic character with streaks of black, brown, orange and saffron. You can match the watches with a complementary strap and gold pin buckle or a gold Biver bracelet. Each reference is equipped with the hand-finished Calibre JCB-003, an automatic micro-rotor movement with a 65-hour power reserve and zero-reset seconds.
RESSENCE TYPE 1 ROUND ROSE GOLD
Ressence’s milestone creation, the Type 1 Round Rose Gold, is the Belgian independent watchmaker’s first-ever rose gold timepiece. The 70-piece limited edition infuses Ressence’s signature crownless, organic silhouette with new warmth, featuring a rose gold-plated convex dial paired with a sandblasted titanium case ring and guilloché-finished orbital discs.
Powered by the patented ROCS 1.3 module atop a customised ETA 2892 automatic movement, the timepiece displays hours, minutes, seconds and day of the week through rotating discs that continuously reposition themselves – a hallmark of Ressence’s fluid, intuitive approach to time. A light grey suede strap completes the elegantly understated palette, allowing the golden tones to come through.
NORQAIN WILD ONE 42MM METEORITE SPECIAL EDITION
The Wild One 42mm Meteorite Special Edition marks the family-owned Swiss independent brand’s first timepiece to feature extraterrestrial material. Each watch is fitted with an iron meteorite dial discovered in northern Sweden that flaunts the distinctive Widmanstätten pattern – naturally occurring crystalline structures formed through millions of years of slow cooling in space. Framed by a rich burgundy case, the cosmic dial offers a powerful visual contrast that founder Ben Küffer describes as “wonderfully primal”.
Developed with industry legend Jean-Claude Biver, the Wild One’s revolutionary case construction is made up of 25 components and uses Norteq, a shock-resistant carbon-fibre composite that’s 3.5 times lighter than titanium and six times lighter than stainless steel. The timepiece is driven by the COSC-certified Norqain Manufacture Calibre NN20/1 by Kenissi with a robust 70-hour power reserve.
With a limited production of only 300 pieces in 2025, the watch features a burgundy Norteq plate that can be engraved with initials, a meaningful date or short message, and is paired with an anthracite rubber strap with a Milanese pattern. The open caseback with scratch-proof sapphire crystal reveals the movement within and bears the inscription “SPECIAL EDITION, METEORITE” as a final nod to its celestial origins.
TAG HEUER MONACO SPLIT-SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH AIR 1
The Swiss manufacture unveiled one of its most technically ambitious creations to date: the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1. Limited to 30 numbered pieces, this radical evolution of the iconic square-cased Monaco marks a new era for Tag Heuer’s avant-garde engineering and motorsport-inspired design.
Executed in ultra-light Grade 5 titanium using Selective Laser Melting (SLM), an aerospace-level additive manufacturing process, the 41mm case appears hollowed out and aerodynamic, as though shaped by wind tunnel forces. Its visually arresting openworked structure reveals latticed forms in titanium and solid yellow gold, echoing the vents and engine covers of hypercars. Despite its architectural complexity, the watch weighs only 85g, achieving an exceptional weight-to-performance ratio.
At the heart of the timepiece is Tag Heuer’s most complex chronograph movement: the Calibre TH81-00, a high-frequency automatic rattrapante developed with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Hand-finished and crafted partly in titanium, it has a power reserve of 65 hours and enables split-seconds timing with impressive lightness and stability. A translucent sapphire dial, golden-lacquered chronograph hands and a left-side split-seconds pusher in solid gold complete the dramatic aesthetic.
URWERK X ULYSSE NARDIN UR-FREAK
The 100-piece limited edition Ur-Freak also captured the forward-looking spirit of Dubai Watch Week. Technical and unconventional, it’s the first collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk, two of the most influential avant-garde independent maisons in watchmaking today. Rather than borrowing design signatures from each other, they built a completely new mechanical architecture to create a watch that feels undeniably radical yet perfectly coherent.
At its core is the UN-241 calibre with more than 150 newly created components. It unites Ulysse Nardin’s iconic Freak carousel, a rotating movement that doubles as the watch’s hands, with Urwerk’s wandering satellite hour system. Three trapezoidal satellite hour discs jump forward every 60 minutes, carried by a three-arm carousel that makes a full rotation every hour. The entire assembly is anchored by an oversized silicon oscillator mounted on the carousel, its hypnotic motion forming the visual heartbeat of the watch. Ulysse Nardin’s Grinder winding system, one of the most efficient in the industry, and DIAMonSil-coated escapement parts further enhance performance and durability.
Aesthetically, the 44mm sandblasted titanium case unites the design sensibilities of both maisons perfectly: a crenellated Urwerk-style bezel for time-setting, electric yellow accents and a crown-less profile consistent with the Freak philosophy. The caseback houses the winding mechanism, while a sapphire crystal showcases the kinetic choreography beneath.
HUBLOT BIG BANG ALL BLACK AND TITANIUM GREY AHMED SEDDIQI 75TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS
Hublot unveiled two striking commemorative editions created in partnership with long-time regional collaborator Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the UAE’s leading retailer of luxury watches and jewellery. Marking the 20th anniversary of the maison’s iconic Big Bang and Seddiqi’s 75-year horological legacy, the Big Bang All Black Ahmed Seddiqi 75th Anniversary and Big Bang Titanium Grey Ahmed Seddiqi 75th Anniversary embody the fusion-driven spirit that defines Hublot.
Limited to just 10 pieces, the All Black reference is pure stealth. Made entirely from microblasted black ceramic, it channels Hublot’s famed monochrome aesthetic, letting texture and depth stand in for colour. The stamped, satin-finished “carbon effect” dial and black-plated appliqués accentuate the watch’s sculptural quality, while the sapphire caseback reveals a luxurious surprise: a 22k solid rose gold oscillating weight engraved with Seddiqi’s 75th-anniversary insignia.
By contrast, the 25-piece Titanium Grey limited edition offers a more contemporary play of light and metal. Its polished and satin-brushed titanium case is accented with King Gold elements on the crown, pushers and signature H-screws, echoing the UAE’s affinity for warm metallic tones. A grey “carbon effect” dial, rhodium-plated hands and structured black rubber strap complete the refined, architectural look.
Both models are equipped with Hublot’s HUB1280 Unico Manufacture flyback chronograph, featuring a 72-hour power reserve, column-wheel mechanism and slim, modernised construction designed for stability and shock resistance. Arabic numeral hour markers honouring Seddiqi’s regional heritage add a final flourish.
BREMONT LIMITED EDITION TERRA NOVA JUMPING HOUR AVENTURINE
The Terra Nova collection takes a celestial turn with Bremont’s latest Limited Edition Terra Nova Jumping Hour Aventurine. With only 50 pieces produced, this 40.5mm model introduces aventurine to the Terra Nova family for the first time with its deep, shimmering midnight-blue dial recalling a star-filled sky.
This display is framed by Bremont’s first frosted 904L steel case, whose delicately grained surface reflects light with a subtle, jewel-like glimmer. For all its elegance, this watch remains every inch a Terra Nova – modern, robust and inherently functional.
The statement timepiece is equipped with the Bremont calibre BC634, featuring a high-torque jumping hour mechanism that snaps to the next hour in under 1/10th of a second and paired with a clean, highly legible dial. With a 56-hour power reserve and central running seconds, the watch is finished with a blue gradient leather strap that echoes the dial’s night-sky allure.
