Last year’s Dubai Watch Week was one of the most spectacular watch events of the year outside Switzerland, with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, the Middle East’s largest luxury watch business welcoming some of the industry’s biggest names.
Rolex put on its only exhibition of the year, outside of Baselworld, and its CEO Jean Frederique Dufour was in attendance. WatchBox built a television studio for the occasion and hundreds of journalists from around the world attended.
Jean-Claude Biver was among a host of top line speakers at a fascinating forum discussing topics including the mishandling of waiting lists for hot watches and why pre-owned sales could overtake new watch sales inside a decade.
The success of the forum was the broad range of topics discussed, and the way they appealed to newcomers to the watch world, seasoned collectors and business professionals.
The Horology Forum is taking place as a digital event this year, hosted on the Dubai Watch Week Youtube Channel.
New sessions open on October 24, 26, 28 and November 9. Subscribers to the Youtube channel will be alerted when there is fresh content or a live forum is starting.
Four topics have been announced:
Pump & Dumping 24K takes place on October 24 at 9pm in the United Arab Emirates (midday EST), covering a discussion about brands and retailers unofficially selling luxury on the grey market.
Means to the End of the World is on October 28 at 9pm UAE (midday EST), and will be a panel talk about the environment. The Dubai-based organizer has chosen the subject because, “as one of the world’s leading pollutants, the one thing we can’t afford is to stop talking about it”.
Servants of Serpents on October 26 at 9PM UAE (midday EST) is about conspiracy and authenticity and whether the heart of the luxury industry beats in an organic market or is wound-up and coerced into ticking by specific entities.
Rochambeau, the final session, takes place on November 9 at 9PM (midday EST) and opens the forum to question. “We are gathering your unsparing questions and one of the panelists must answer it in an age ol’ game of rock, paper, and scissors,” Dubai Watch Week promises.
