ICYMI: Day 3 DWW2021 Highlights

The end of Dubai Watch Week is sort of like a line from the Brad Pitt movie, “Fight Club.” The line being, “The first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club.” And in the same way, we don’t talk about Dubai Watch Week coming to a close, even if we are at the midway point of the fair.

If you are here at The Gate at the DIFC, you completely understand the previous statement. What’s been happening here seems almost too good to be true, largely, because there were so many months spent apart, and so few opportunities to gather in groups with likeminded individuals. Yet here we are – albeit masked and slathered in antibacterial gel – talking about auctions and new watch releases and learning about cryptocurrency and block chain. 

Here is what you may have missed on day number three: 

Sustainability Discussions and More

Horology Forum’s panel discussion covered two hot topics today: Brands putting more emphasis on ethical sourcing/sustainable practices, and how watch collectors from various generations go about collecting. The sessions, titled, “On the Bright Side, at Least We Don't (blank) Anymore” and “Did You Just Assume My Trope?” were well-attended and received. If you missed these or any of the previous days’ Horology Forum discussions, feel free to visit the Dubai Watch Week YouTube channel to watch them in their entirety. 

A Hypothetical Glimpse Inside the Jury Room at the GPHG

New York Times’ watch writer and all-around lovely Englishman, Robin Swithinbank moderated a panel of GPHG jury members at the Christie’s Auction House pop-up to get the scoop on what really went on behind this year’s closed doors. The panel included Wei Koh of the Rake and Revolution magazines, watch collector Ahmed 'Shary' Rahman, independent watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi, GPHG president, Raymond Loretan, and author and historian Nick Foulkes who was this year appointed President of the GPHG Jury. 

The members of the panel allowed attendees into their worlds by sharing the process with which the votes are cast, who knows the outcome once all of those votes are in, and how not everyone always agrees on the event’s big winners. 

A follow-up discussion took place at The Collector’s Lounge shortly thereafter but with more of a “fireside chat” feel to it where GPHG Academy members and one jury member delved further into how the GPHG could improve their processes as they look to the future. 

Only Watch and more! 

Dubai Watch Week’s Head of Communications, Sarah Bahman sat down with the founder of the Only Watch Auction, Luc Pettavino, to discuss how the auction came to be, why Luc does not wear a watch, and how empathy has been the key factor in getting watch brands on board with the successful charity auction. 

Today was all about education and enlightenment, and tonight is about entertainment. Oh, and the food’s pretty good, too!