Dubai, the new center of luxury, becomes the meeting point of luxury watchmaking with the efforts of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons.
We all love to visit trade shows where new models of luxury watchmaking are introduced, to meet new people, to listen to different stories and to learn new information about watch culture. However, there is an indisputable fact about these trade shows that everyone loves to visit; Regardless of the subject (cars, furniture, boats, etc.), trade shows are losing blood. Every year, another brand leaves those exhibitions and sets a different path for itself.
While brands set new paths in the digitalizing world, there is a new location that, Dubai. Dubai, which is a part of the United Arab Emirates, is easily accessible from many important centers of the world. Transforming from a small fishing and port town to a commercial, tourism and shopping center, Dubai offers its guests the true luxury experience.
Let's come to the name behind the event and Dubai's rise in this sector: Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and Dubai Watch Week. Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, founded by Ahmed Qasim Seddiqi, a man who pursued his passion in 1950, 70 years ago, is now recognized as a pioneer among the region's leading retailers. The company represents more than 60 luxury watch and jewelry brands in 51 locations in the United Arab Emirates. Among the brands he represents in the region are A. Lange & Söhne, Akrivia, Audemars Piguet, Bovet, Bulgari, Christophe Claret, Chopard, Chanel, Corum, De Bethune, F.P. Journe, H. Moser & Cie, HYT, IWC MB&F, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille.
Let's rewind a bit to understand the success of Dubai Watch Week. Organized for the first time in 2015, only independent brands participated in that year. Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, who takes his customers to Geneva and tour the watch shops five or six times every year, started to bring watch brands to Dubai and get them together with people from the industry since he could not offer this service to all his customers. The most beneficial aspect of this formation, and even the reason it was so successful and growing fast, was that the watchmakers, who came from many different countries and who wore the watches produced by these masters, were able to meet without a middleman or a distance.
Dubai is a transfer hub for people traveling to many different countries. For this reason, there are direct flights from countries around the world. Dubai being an easily accessible center of luxury and Dubai government supporting Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons are among the factors that make Dubai Watch Week successful, but that is not all. The organization once again proved its development, especially with the latest edition. During the event, which took place between 20-24 November, forums, question and answer events, new model introductions and workshops took place every day.
Another extension of this successful week was LVMH Dubai Watch Week. Everyone in the watchmaking industry is still talking about the first edition of this event held this year in January. The LVMH Group brands Hublot, Zenith, Bulgari and TAG Heuer, introduced their new models and brought them together with watch lovers, distributors, and the media. Events in different themes, which took place both in the daytime and in the evening, also reinforced the success of the organization.
