It was November 1, 2021, and the jury of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) had convened. As this was the first time since the onset of the COVID pandemic that we could gather physically in force, the significance of what we were participating in was not lost on us. None of us had discussed it. But each of us had come to our own conclusion that our role — more than ever — was to uplift, to edify and to celebrate the industry that has given each of us our livelihoods. When it came time to decide on awarding the optional Special Jury Prize, we all reached the inchoate, collective understanding that we needed to celebrate something worthy, something truly impactful, someone or something that had deeply enriched the culture of that extraordinary nexus where science meets magic, known as Swiss haute horlogerie. But the question on everyone’s lips was, who do we award it to? Because of all the GPHG’s awards, the Special Jury Prize is the one left most to interpretation. It has been explained that it can be given to an individual that has left a huge legacy on Swiss watchmaking. It was for this reason that Philippe Dufour, the father of independent watchmaking, received the award in 2013. But it can also be given to the founder of a charity, like my dear friend Luc Pettavino, who received the award in 2019 for founding the Only Watch auction, which asks watchmaking’s greatest houses to create one-off dream machines to benefit muscular dystrophy.
As the room deliberated — I was told this was the most vocal and impassioned jury thus far — I glanced at the gentleman seated to my right. Dressed immaculately in a neat gray suit, he had been the most thoughtful and succinct person at our at-times raucous table. But now he seemed amid quiet dignified reflection. His name is Abdul Hamied Seddiqi, and to say he is a legend in the watch industry is actually something of an understatement. Together with his family business, Seddiqi Holding, he has singlehandedly built the culture of Swiss watchmaking retail in the UAE and Middle East. He and his family had, seven years ago, also created what is universally considered to be the greatest educational platform for watches — Dubai Watch Week. What is unique about this fair is that its focus is not commercial but cultural.
During the five extraordinary days it convenes every other year, you have the CEOs of the world’s biggest brands and the coolest independent watchmakers gather, with the most respected collectors and members of the press on stage participating in no-holds-barred plenary discussions, which Dubai Watch Week dubs its Horology Forums. It hosts Masterclasses where the general public can get in-depth and hands-on understanding of true horology. But, most of all, it creates an ambience of welcome, warmth and community where leaders from every field in watchmaking can gather and share their passion in the best and most sincere way possible. It is, in other words, the greatest community building initiative of its kind.
As if the room was connected through some shared consciousness, several of us called out, “How about Dubai Watch Week?” During all this, Mr. Seddiqi, ever the model of
