As Beda’a’s star continues to rise with the launch of Eclipse II at the end of October, the news dropped that its predecessor Eclipse was nominated for the Challenge Prize at the 2025 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Often referred to as the ‘Oscars of watchmaking’, the GPHG will announce this year’s winners on 13 November in Geneva — and Beda’a’s shortlisting marks a milestone moment for the emerging Qatari Maison.
Beda’a carries the rare, yet rising, cultural duality of Qatari heritage interwoven with Swiss-made watchmaking. Under the artistic leadership of creative director and CEO Sohaib Maghnam, the Lebanese designer who has made Doha his creative base, the brand has distinguished itself through a design philosophy that pairs Middle Eastern sensibility, refinement and symbolism with classical horological codes and Swiss mechanical discipline. The result is a contemporary voice that feels regional in spirit yet wholly global in execution.
The nominated timepiece distils this ethos into a poetic reinterpretation of time. Inspired by the celestial phenomenon, its 37mm stainless steel case houses a dial partially veiled by a ‘celestial shield’, revealing only the essentials: an arcing hour aperture, a floating minutes display and a subtle 10-second counter. The shield sits just beneath the sapphire crystal, catching light like a solar corona, while the Sellita SW300 automatic movement beats beneath a sapphire caseback. A slim 8.1mm profile and individually finished lugs further refine the architecture.
Fittingly, the Challenge category celebrates creativity, ingenuity and accessibility for watches priced under CHF3,000 — qualities Eclipse embodies with confidence.
“This nomination is incredibly meaningful for us,” says Maghnam. “Eclipse was born from a desire to translate a simple, universal phenomenon — the eclipse — into a watch that feels poetic, balanced and pure. To see that vision acknowledged by the GPHG jury, among some of the most respected names in the field, is deeply rewarding. It’s recognition that goes beyond the object itself — it’s about creativity, discipline and the courage to do things differently.”
For Qatar’s young but fast-ascending independent watch scene, Beda’a’s nomination signals more than success: it represents a new chapter of regional watchmaking entering the global conversation. And we can’t wait to see if our local boy will, indeed, do good.
