As far as visionaries go, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons know what they’re talking about. As one of the UAE’s pioneering brands when it comes to watchmaking, the retailer’s foresight was essential to the development of the regional watch culture and community. It’s fitting, then, that Seddiqi should have dreamt up a very different kind of watch fair, one that celebrates all manner of rule-breaking and boundary-pushing horologers.
Mavericks of Time burst on to the scene, first in Abu Dhabi then in Dubai, at the beginning of November 2024. Over the course of two successive weekends, the fair-slash-exhibition shone a spotlight on the artisan watchmakers who are pushing the industry into a whole new era with their fearless thirst for what’s new, now and next. Challenging the industry’s norms and immersing visitors into the artistry and technical brilliance of independent horologers, it was an education in what passion and sheer talent is capable of when it comes to haute horlogerie.
Kicking off in Abu Dhabi’s Space42 Arena, Seddiqi & Sons’s expertise gleaned from running Dubai Watch Week and its Horology Forum events was clearly on show. With a fascinating ‘Time Capsule’ experience at its core — a theatrical exhibition space that moved visitors through four watchmaking eras — this was a watch geek’s paradise. And with 15 independent watch brands showing at the event, including Girard-Perregaux, Speake Marin, H. Moser & Cie., Greubel Forsey and MB&F, this really was a who’s who of high horology. In addition to Urwerk, De Bethune, Bovet, Girard Charles, Ressence, Laurent Ferrier, Ulysse Nardin, Chronoswiss and HYT, Seddiqi’s own newly-launched brand — Vyntage Horology — was also present and correct.
With the show travelling on to Dubai’s Museum of the Future after its inaugural weekend in Abu Dhabi, watch lovers in both cities were spoilt for choice when it came to experiencing some of the world’s top horology in truly exciting surroundings. We can’t wait for the next edition to see more Mavericks in action.
