It Wouldn't be Dubai Watch Week Without Watches

Dubai Watch Week is special because it's not *just* about the watches.

The event is all about celebrating watch culture, fostering education and community in the space. Of course, one does not simply host the most exciting watch events on the calendar without launching a few watches, so this year's DWW saw major global launches, as well as plenty of releases just for the local market. These Dubai Watch Week limited editions include numerous regional details, like the Hublot Classic Fusion with Wissam Shawkat calligraphy. While we don't have the space to talk about every release in depth, here are a few that stood out to us over the course of Dubai Watch Week.

H. Moser & Cie's Streamliner has only grown in popularity, and the Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel might be the best one yet. Not only does it feature the brand's instantly iconic textured fumé dial in 'Aqua Blue', but there's also a brand new calibre — the slender HMC 500, which uses a micro-rotor. With a smaller calibre comes a smaller case — 39mm to be precise — a size that we're sure a lot of people are going to appreciate.

There was even the launch of new models from Vyntage Horology, an initiative of the Seddiqi family, that blends traditional Swiss watchmaking with contemporary flair. They released a stylish 40mm monopusher chronograph and a 39mm time-only design with a pleasingly asymmetrical layout.

An equally sleek new release comes from the Belgian brand Ressence, who concluded a trilogy of Dubai Watch Week releases with the Type 1 DX3. Like previous iterations, this watch featured an intricate dial pattern inspired by Arab Geometric art, in dusky, desert-inspired rose gold tones. When nighttime rolls around, this watch takes on an entirely new personality, thanks to the cloisonné design that sees the internal elements of the geographic shapes filled with bright luminous material.

Another watch with a big personality is the Reservoir X Seddiqi X Abdullah Lufti Edition, which sees Reservoir's trademark retrograde minutes and jumping hour, and manages to celebrate Dubai and Emirati culture. Central on the dial is a character from created by Abdullah Lufti, a beloved graphic artist on the autism spectrum, known for his black and white work. One arm points at the retrograde Hindu-Arabic minutes, while Dubai's skyline serves as a backdrop. This limited edition Reservoir is full of charm and personality as the artist who inspired it.

Finally, Oris' latest addition is the ProPilot X Laser, a dial update of their technical titanium pilot's watch with a chameleonic multicoloured dial that actually has no pigment on it at all. Instead, the titanium dial has been treated with incredibly precise lasers in a process never used on watches before, creating an effect called optical interference. This means that, thanks to the laser treatment, only certain parts of the light spectrum are perceived, creating the illusion of colour. It's a very cool effect and another example of the continual innovation in watchmaking.

As you can see, Dubai Watch Week 2023 really delivered when it comes to new watches.