Dubai Watch Week 2025 has concluded, and I’ll admit, narrowing down my favorite watches from this extraordinary event was difficult. The brands truly outdid themselves this year, presenting pieces that pushed the boundaries of both technical achievement and creative design. From the moment the event kicked off, it was clear this wasn’t going to be an ordinary watch fair. Every booth seemed to hold another masterpiece, another innovation, another reason to stop and marvel.
The Top Trends at Dubai Watch Week 2025
Before diving into my favorites, I need to address the two major trends that defined Dubai Watch Week 2025. First, hardstone dials are not going anywhere. If anything, they’re becoming more prominent and more adventurous. I saw everything from turquoise to tiger’s eye, obsidian mahogany to malachite, and even meteorite. These natural materials bring an organic, unpredictable beauty that no manufactured dial can replicate.
The second trend I noticed is that watchmakers are pushing tough with engineering and creative design. Take the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite, for instance. It combines a meteorite dial treated with a golden fumé effect with a moonphase accurate to one day every 1,027 years. Or consider the Arnold & Son Constant Force 11 Platinum Edition, which features laser-engraved Cornish fern patterns across its dial while housing a tourbillon and constant force mechanism. Indeed, Dubai Watch Week 2025 proved that technical mastery and artistic vision aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re complementary forces driving modern horology forward.
Here are my favorite watches from Dubai Watch Week 2025 (in no particular order)
Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour Aventurine
The Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour Aventurine immediately caught my eye with its celestial shimmer. This limited edition of just 50 pieces features a deep blue aventurine dial that seems to contain the night sky itself, cut with diamond tools and painstakingly polished before being mounted on a metal backing plate for stability. What makes this truly special is Bremont’s first use of frosted 904L steel for the case, creating a sparkling, textured appearance that resembles countless tiny diamond-like facets across the metal surface. It served as a perfect complement to the aventurine’s natural sparkle.
The 40.5mm case houses the Bremont caliber BC634, developed exclusively with Sellita, featuring a high-torque jumping hour mechanism that snaps from one numeral to the next in under one-tenth of a second. Hours and minutes display in adjacent windows at 9 o’clock, while a central seconds hand in white Super-LumiNova sweeps the dial. The watch runs at 28,800 vph with a 56-hour power reserve and comes on a matching blue leather strap. Limited to 50 pieces and priced at $10,300 (£8,950), it’s currently available for pre-order with deliveries set for early 2026.
Louis Vuitton Escale Ornamental Stones
Louis Vuitton’s Escale Ornamental Stones collection represents a masterclass in working with natural materials. Available in both turquoise and malachite, these limited editions of 30 pieces each feature not just stone dials but also monolithic stone rings integrated into the 40mm platinum case structure. This technical feat required a complete reimagining of the case manufacturing process. My personal favorite is definitely the turquoise version, with its mesmerizing blue hues interlaced by dark veins that evoke maps of distant, untouched landscapes.
The LV team exercised remarkable discernment in stone selection, ensuring balanced vein distribution in the turquoise and flawless banding in the malachite. The platinum lugs, bezel, caseback, and crown protect the delicate stone while the domed sapphire crystal adds dimension. Inside beats the chronometer-certified LFT023 automatic caliber with a 22k rose-gold micro-rotor and 50-hour power reserve. A small saffron-hued sapphire on the caseback indicates the watch’s platinum status. Each watch comes on textured Saffiano leather straps (Arroyo grey for turquoise, Rainforest green for malachite) with platinum buckles. Priced at approximately €65,500 before taxes.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Beige
Celebrating Laurent Ferrier’s 15th anniversary, the Classic Origin Beige brings warmth and understated elegance to the collection. The 40mm “pebble-shaped” case is crafted in 5N red gold for the first time, paired with a serene beige opaline dial that evokes the soft luxury of cashmere. The dial features applied 18k red gold hour markers, signature Assegai-shaped hands, and red Arabic numerals along the minute track and small seconds at 6 o’clock.
Beneath the sapphire caseback lies the manually wound LF116.01 caliber, beating at a genteel 3Hz with an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The movement showcases Laurent Ferrier’s signature finishing: black rhodium-treated sandblasted bridges, hand-chamfered and polished edges, and that distinctive long-blade ratchet pawl that produces a satisfying tactile feedback when winding. At 10.7mm thick and paired with a mocha Nubuck strap, this watch exemplifies Laurent Ferrier’s philosophy of calm, balanced design. Priced at CHF 43,000 (approximately $49,500).
Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Unfrogettable
The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Unfrogettable is pure horological whimsy executed with serious technical prowess. This collaboration flips the traditional vertical regulator display horizontally, transforming it into a frog-inspired face that’s both playful and mechanically sophisticated. The hours and seconds display in rotating disc subdials at 9 and 3 o’clock (representing the frog’s eyes), while an arrow-shaped central minute hand cuts across the dial. The crown at 12 o’clock doubles as a royal tiara, completing the “frog princess” narrative drawn from Slavic folklore.
Available in forest green and deep purple with grained dial surfaces and lacquered nostrils, each variant is limited to 178 pieces. The 40mm Grade 5 titanium case houses the automatic Sellita SW266-1 caliber with a 38-hour power reserve. The strap is made from Himeji Kurozan leather with Urushi lacquer. At CHF 4,500 (approximately $4,948), this watch offers entry into Chaykin’s Wristmons universe at a fraction of the cost of his fully independent pieces.
MB&F HM11 Architect Art Deco
MB&F’s collaboration with designer Maximilian Maertens reimagines the HM11 Architect through the ornate lens of 1930s Art Deco design. Every element has been revisited—from radiating “sunbeam” motifs to two-tone rings and period-inspired typography. The titanium case features architectural lines that recall the geometric exuberance of the Art Deco movement. Meanwhile, the dial incorporates stepped elements and decorative patterns reminiscent of the era’s skyscrapers and luxury ocean liners. The quatrefoil case boasts four parts, each serving as indicators of different functions: hours and minutes, power reserve, mechanical thermometer, and a time-setting module.
Inside, the manually wound movement displays its mechanics through a transparent sapphire structure, with the balance wheel prominently visible. The watch captures Art Deco’s fundamental tension: the celebration of machine-age precision wrapped in luxurious ornamentation. It’s MB&F at their most historically referential, proving that even a brand known for futuristic designs can pay compelling tribute to the past. Pricing and full specifications weren’t widely released, but this represents one of MB&F’s most distinctive design collaborations.
Bvlgari Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo
The Bvlgari Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo stands as one of the most culturally significant watches at Dubai Watch Week 2025. Limited to just 70 pieces, this collaboration features laser-engraved Arabic calligraphy flowing across every visible surface. Yes, the 40mm sandblasted titanium case, integrated bracelet, and minimalist dial. The calligraphy quotes His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: “The future will be for those who can imagine, design, and implement it. The future does not wait, but it can be designed and built today.”
Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej’s signature calligraphic work transforms the ultra-thin Octo Finissimo (just 5mm thick, including crystal) into a wearable canvas that bridges Italian design heritage and Emirati artistic vision. The dial features no indices, no subdials, no branding, only slender hands sharing space with the engraved script. Inside beats the BVL 138 automatic movement at 2.23mm thick, delivering 60 hours of power reserve. The watch maintains 30 meters of water resistance. Priced at €23,000 (approximately £20,300 or $29,000).
H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite
The H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Perpetual Moon Concept Meteorite represents thematic coherence at its finest. The dial is crafted from the Gibeon meteorite that crashed in Namibia in prehistoric times. But unlike typical grey meteorite dials, Moser treated it with a golden fumé gradient that shifts from warm honey tones at the center to deeper amber at the edges. This golden treatment harmonizes perfectly with the 5N red gold hands and moon disc, creating visual warmth that plays beautifully against the 40mm stainless steel case.
The star complication is the perpetual moonphase, accurate to one day every 1,027 years. This marks the first time Moser has offered this complication in an automatic movement. The new caliber HMC 270 features a skeletonized 18k red gold rotor, beats at 21,600 vph, and delivers 72 hours of power reserve. The moonphase at 6 o’clock shows a textured, cratered moon against a simple black background. At 13.2mm thick (including the 1.8mm domed crystal) with 120 meters of water resistance, the watch balances bold presence with surprising wearability. Priced at CHF 35,000 (approximately $43,700), it’s unlimited production though “very rare” given Moser’s limited manufacturing capacity.
Biver Automatique (New 2025 Variations)
The Biver Automatique collection expanded dramatically at Dubai Watch Week with 11 new variations exploring guilloché, gem-setting, and hardstone dials. The collection now includes a platinum Clous de Paris model with blue sunray guilloché dial, a two-tone rose and white gold dial combination, three blue quartzite variants (including diamond and sapphire-set versions), two lavender jade versions, a rose gold mahogany obsidian, and the piece that captured my heart: the Oeil-de-fer version in yellow gold.
My personal favorite, the Oeil-de-fer (also known as tiger iron), features layers of hematite, red jasper, and tiger’s eye fused over eons, resulting in a matte surface interspersed with intense flashes of yellow, orange, and red. Cased in 18k yellow gold, it creates a warm, autumnal palette that shifts dramatically with light. All versions house the Calibre JCB-003 automatic movement with 22k gold micro-rotor and 65-hour power reserve, developed in collaboration with Dubois Depraz. The 39mm case measures just 10mm thick with 47.55mm lug-to-lug. Prices range from CHF 80,000 to CHF 125,000 depending on materials and gem-setting.
Frederique Constant Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture Turquoise
Part of Frederique Constant’s 37th-anniversary Elements Collection unveiled at the Dubai Watch Week 2025, the Classic Moonphase Date Manufacture in turquoise represents the brand’s first-ever use of this vibrant stone. The 40mm stainless steel case frames a naturally unique turquoise dial streaked with black mineral fibers that create marmoreal visual effects. The layout remains elegantly minimal: applied markers, dauphine hands, and a window at 6 o’clock combining both date display and moonphase complication in sweet astral harmony. Powered by the in-house FC-716 caliber with an impressive 72-hour power reserve, the watch achieves 11.98mm in thickness and comes on a blue alligator leather strap. Limited to 716 pieces total (with 37 in the Elements box set), the turquoise edition exemplifies Frederique Constant’s philosophy of accessible haute horlogerie, priced at CHF 4,895 and individually available in Q1 2026.
Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11 Platinum
The Arnold & Son Constant Force 11 Platinum Edition serves as a touching tribute to Cornwall and a celebration of horological friendship. Limited to just 11 pieces at CHF 140,600, this watch features a solid 18-karat yellow gold dial with 3N finish, hand-engraved with an intricate tremblé guilloché pattern inspired by the wild fern-covered moors surrounding Tintagel, Cornwall, John Arnold’s birthplace in 1736. The irregular zigzag patterns throw reflections in organic, unpredictable ways, connecting the watch to its founder’s rugged origins.
The 41.5mm platinum case (13.7mm thick) houses the manually wound A&S5219 caliber with a 100-hour power reserve. The patented constant force mechanism sits prominently on the dial side, rotating once per minute while delivering precisely measured energy packets to the tourbillon every 60 seconds. A flame-blued anchor-shaped hand serves as the deadbeat seconds indicator. Time is displayed on an off-center white opal subdial at 11 o’clock with flame-blued hands. Most poignantly, the barrel bridge bears a hand-engraved dedication: “To the revered memory of J.Arnold and A.-L.Breguet. Friends in their time, legendary watchmakers always.” The watch comes on a midnight blue hand-stitched alligator strap with a platinum folding clasp.
Vanguart Black Hole (2025 Dubai Watch Week Editions)
Vanguart unveiled new Black Hole editions at Dubai Watch Week 2025, continuing their bold approach to contemporary watchmaking. While both editions showcase Vanguart’s distinctive design language, my personal favorite is definitely the rose gold edition. The Black Hole collection is known for its architectural case construction and sophisticated complications, representing Vanguart’s commitment to pushing boundaries in both aesthetics and mechanics. These editions demonstrate how the brand continues to evolve while maintaining the core identity that has attracted collectors to its unconventional approach.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose showcases one of the most philosophical complications in modern watchmaking: the ability to add time on demand. First introduced in 2023 as a world-first mechanism, the Minute Rattrapante features two superimposed minute hands (one regular rhodium-plated minute hand and an 18k rose gold rattrapante hand) that can be advanced separately. Pushers at 8 and 10 o’clock advance the rose gold hand in 5-minute and 1-minute increments, respectively, functioning like a graduated dive bezel but located on the dial itself. When the two hands align, the desired time interval has elapsed.
The Arctic Rose dial shifts between subtle pinks and crystalline reflections depending on light, reviving rose tones historically associated with masculine refinement in the 18th century. The hand-guilloché Grain d’Orge (barleycorn) pattern captures and diffuses light across the dial surface, creating depth and dimensionality. The 40mm stainless steel case with hand-knurled platinum bezel measures just 10.7mm thick and houses the caliber PF052 with 22k rose gold micro-rotor, 48-hour power reserve, and 271 components. Part of the permanent collection at CHF 29,700 (approximately $33,300), this represents Parmigiani’s ethos of private, understated luxury perfectly.
Beyond Watches: Exceptional Clocks from Dubai Watch Week 2025
While watches dominated the conversation, several extraordinary clocks deserve recognition from Dubai Watch Week 2025.
L’Epée 1839 x The Dial Artist Marks of Time represents a collaboration between the renowned Swiss clock manufacturer and the creative artist, resulting in a timepiece that blurs the line between horology and sculpture. L’Epée’s architectural approach to clock design, combined with The Dial Artist’s distinctive aesthetic, creates an object that commands attention in any space.
La Vallée’s Cosmo brings astronomical complications to the realm of decorative timekeeping. This clock features celestial displays and complications that track astronomical phenomena, presented in La Vallée’s signature style that emphasizes both technical achievement and visual drama.
Van Cleef & Arpels Brassée de Lavande showcases the maison’s legendary artistry in a table-top automaton. The “Bouquet of Lavender” features incredible attention to detail, with mechanical elements bringing the natural world to life through miniature engineering. Van Cleef’s Extraordinary Objects collection represents the absolute pinnacle of decorative arts merged with mechanical ingenuity, and this piece exemplifies why their automata command such reverence among collectors.
Final Reflections on the Dubai Watch Week 2025 Best Watches
Looking back at my favorites from Dubai Watch Week 2025, I’m struck by how diverse and vibrant the watch industry remains. From the geological beauty of hardstone dials to the technical achievements of perpetual moonphases and constant force mechanisms, from playful frog-faced regulators to solemn tributes to horological friendship, these watches demonstrate that mechanical watchmaking continues to evolve in fascinating directions.
As Dubai Watch Week 2025 concluded, one thing became absolutely clear: the future of watchmaking is bright, diverse, and more exciting than ever. I can’t wait to see what the next edition brings.
Featured image: Louis Erard
Amanda Akalonu is dedicated to weaving together the worlds of jewelry, watches, and objects through a lens of literary storytelling.
