Dubai Watch Week has returned, and the atmosphere is bright, as if the entire city has decided to pause for a moment of collective horological appreciation. The move into The Dubai Mall has proved a wise one, giving everyone a little more room to breathe and making the fair feel calm, spacious, and inviting. The major players are all in their element — Rolex, Van Cleef & Arpels and the LVMH contingent continue to draw steady crowds — while the independents bring their own kind of spark, full of craft, character and the occasional surprise.

It is the sort of event where a six-figure mechanical marvel and a playful micro-brand diver sit comfortably side by side, entirely unbothered by their differences. With Dubai’s well-established appetite for the exceptional, the exhibitor list feels naturally at home here, spanning everything from the technically ambitious to the refreshingly accessible. Swipe through for a look at the main highlights of the week — and rest assured, there is plenty more still to come before November 23.

TAG Heuer has gone full hypercar with the Monaco Air 1, a split-seconds chronograph wrapped in a wildly sculptural Grade-5 titanium case produced via Selective Laser Melting. Hollowed-out honeycomb structures, gold accents, and a weight of just 85 grams make it feel more like a concept machine than a wristwatch. Inside beats the Calibre TH81-00, a high-frequency rattrapante movement developed with Vaucher, all sharp edges and uncompromising performance. Limited to 30 pieces, it is fast, futuristic, and gloriously over-the-top in the best possible way.

Hermès invites you to plunge into the deep with the Slim d’Hermès Hippocampe, where an engraved and leather-marquetry seahorse takes centre stage. The 39.5 mm white gold case houses the ultra-thin H1950 movement, but the artistry on the dial is the real showstopper. Each coloured leather fragment is cut to a fraction of a millimetre and assembled with monk-like patience to recreate Stuart Patience’s illustration. Available in red or blue, the watch pairs haute horlogerie with a playful marine fantasy, proving once again that Hermès enjoys being excellent entirely on its own terms.

Moser has an uncanny habit of making the coolest watch in any room, and the Streamliner Perpetual Moon Meteorite does nothing to dispel that reputation. The dial is carved from the Gibeon meteorite, lending it a textured cosmic shimmer that sits beautifully beneath the maison’s gold-toned fumé finish. An oversized moon phase floats at six o’clock, serene and smug, as if fully aware that it is the prettiest complication in the room. The 40 mm steel case keeps everything sleek, sporty, and surprisingly down-to-earth for a watch made from space debris. It is luxury sports watchmaking with a touch of extraterrestrial flair, and honestly, we don't mind one bit.

Van Cleef & Arpels has returned with something delightfully improbable: a lavender bouquet that opens to reveal a butterfly, flutters dreamily, sings a tune, and then tucks itself back in like the world’s most glamorous jack-in-the-box. The Brassée de Lavande automaton is an ode to nature, enchantment, and the maison’s tireless commitment to whimsy executed at the highest mechanical level.

Crafted in rose, yellow, and white gold with amethyst, verdite, howlite, and lacquer, the piece is a miniature theatre of movement and colour. The butterfly’s plique-à-jour enamel wings glow like stained glass, and the rotating time ring offers both functionality and poetry. It is utterly unnecessary, extravagantly beautiful, and probably the reason no one can stop smiling at the Van Cleef booth.

Parmigiani has taken its quietly brilliant Minute Rattrapante and dressed it in Arctic Rose, a refined pink hue made all the more mesmerising by Grain d’Orge guilloché. The complication allows you to set a hidden minute hand for timing intervals in an elegantly unhurried fashion. Frankly, it feels like the horological equivalent of slow food, and we appreciate the restraint. The 40 mm steel case and platinum bezel keep things crisp, while the seamless bracelet reminds everyone why Parmigiani devotees are as evangelical as they are well-heeled.

Bulgari has gone ultra-thin and ultra-poetic with a titanium Octo Finissimo engraved in Arabic calligraphy by Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej. The words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sweep across the case, bracelet and dial, turning the 5 mm-thick watch into a wearable manifesto about imagination and the future. With the BVL 138 micro-rotor movement ticking beneath the engraved surfaces, this 70-piece limited edition is quietly spectacular and deeply rooted in Dubai’s creative spirit.

Louis Vuitton continues its stone-dial renaissance with two new Escale editions dripping in turquoise and malachite. Each watch features not only a stone dial but an entire matching case ring, hand-cut and polished by the artisans of La Fabrique du Temps. The platinum structure keeps everything crisp and architectural, while colourful Saffiano leather straps complete the 1970s-chic tableau. Powered by the LFT023 micro-rotor calibre, these 30-piece runs show that LV is taking the art of stone seriously — and having an extremely good time doing it.

For those who prefer their dive watches with a side of drama, Doxa has released an 11-piece Sub 300β Ceramic in matte black and unapologetic cherry red. It has all the usual Doxa DNA — 300-metre resistance, dual-scale bezel, titanium inner container — but pared down to a slimmer, more urban silhouette. The sunburst dial absolutely sings against the red accents, and the rubber strap keeps things sporty without losing its cool. It is bold, rare, and only available through Ahmed Seddiqi, which feels very on-brand for Dubai Watch Week.

Audemars Piguet has decided that the future of watch collecting involves fewer headaches and more wizardry, hence the debut of an intelligent setting box co-developed with Dubai Future Labs. In true AP fashion, the box merges mechanical precision, robotics, and AI in a way that feels both wildly futuristic and oddly inevitable. Place your 41 mm Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar inside, close the lid, and in about five minutes the device analyses the dial, adjusts every indication, and winds the watch with the calm assurance of someone who knows exactly what they are doing.

A mechanical module mimics the human hand, a camera reads the dial, and an algorithm does the thinking, which is rather more than most of us manage before coffee. Wrapped in soft-touch materials and geometric elegance, it is as much sculpture as tool, and signals AP’s determination to make complicated watchmaking feel almost suspiciously user-friendly.