The design elements of the watch have several inspirations – if we looked at the color of the dial , it is British green guillochee dial that has similar colors to the Crash I have created 2 years ago ; I wanted to maintain the same color codes throughout these Privee models.

The watch cases are either Platinum or Yellow Gold, giving our members the choice to two different contrasts but also catering for those who cannot wear Gold in general

The most striking and important element of the watch is the design of the numerals; these are the original Arabic numerals that have been introduced by Al Khawarizmi and they are based on geometrical shapes that indicate the number based on the count of angles in each shape!! This is a first for watchmaking to use such design for its numerals and we wanted to pioneer in that regards in our special order.

In total we have commissioned 15 watches : 9 of which were yellow gold and 6 are platimum. Each watch has been numbered and is indicated in its case back – each member has his own favorite number and engraving on its case back as well.

In over 5 years since 2019; the Arab Watch Club has commissioned 3 Special orders with Cartier in total; with almost 100 pieces that have been delivered to every proud member of the club and continuing our strong relationship with Maison Cartier and maintaining a level of trust and loyalty that we admire.  Who knows what the future holds for us- perhaps something new is coming our way …. again!!!

If you are a seasonal collector with a strong collection in your portfolio and would like to join like minded and passionate collectors in the region , you can reach out to us on our Instagram accounts to discuss further

The post Arab Watch Club Special Order Cartier Asymetrique AlKhwarizmi appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Mastering and reviving traditional expertise could well be Louis Vuitton’s byword. The Maison has placed craftsmanship at the core of its cardinal virtues since its earliest days. By choosing plique-à-jour enamel – a French word first recorded in 14th-century annals – Louis Vuitton intends to restore the prestige of this rare, complex technique, still used by exceedingly few artisans in Europe. Though this enamelling process is lengthy and very painstaking, the transparency, lustre, and colourful nuances it provides are second to none. Many months of research were needed to obtain this blue gradient. To achieve this, the Maison worked with several master enamellers within its atelier at La Fabrique des Arts. The dial of the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour was crafted entirely within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshop.

A technical and artistic feat

The highly precise plique-à-jour technique, pioneered by Byzantine artisans in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, consists of depositing enamel into cells without the support of any backing. Louis Vuitton chose the ancient, Western “percé” – and most challenging – technique from among the different types of existing plique-à-jour methods.

To breathe life into this miniature stained-glass artwork, the enameller applied colour to each section using a paintbrush, in keeping with the most traditional technique: capillary action fill. Given that the material is not deposited directly onto the dial’s back, but rather into open cells, the enameller’s movements must be quick and light to ensure that the enamel spreads evenly and without air pockets. The result on such a surface is a real technical feat, providing the Voyager watch with unprecedented clarity and light. The visually striking white gold dial, featuring repeated interlocking Vs for Vuitton, showcases a vivid, luminous, and modern reinterpretation of plique-à-jour enamel. This effect is only heightened by the timepiece’s exquisite colourway and the dimensions of the enamelled surfaces – as demonstrated by the central dial at 12 o’clock, whose sumptuous gradient of three shades of blue varies in saturation and opalescence between ultramarine, azure and blue grey.

Beyond the difficulties in obtaining plique-à-jour enamel on a larger surface, the hand pipe’s placement speaks to Louis Vuitton’s technical mastery. To ensure a perfect set of hands, the pipe must be precisely centred and adjusted by hand down to the millimetre. The component seems to float serenely in the centre of this blue dial, permanently affixed thanks to a meticulous application of enamel. This achievement is further proof of our in-house enamellers’ ingenuity and experience.

In total, five to six layers of translucent enamel – and the same number of kiln firings – are needed to obtain this impressive level of transparency, with around 100 hours of work going into every dial.

This mesmerising work of art is allowed to shine in the Voyager’s avant-garde case, defined by a circle within a square, whose architecture provides the watch with even more radiance.

By letting light pass through the dial, this type of enamel sets the stage for a chiaroscuro effect, casting infinite nuances onto the watch mechanism. This virtuoso design is paired with a unique skeleton movement: the Poinçon de Genève hand-wound LV104 calibre, which is hand-finished down to the smallest cog. By bringing together the exceptional know-how of plique-à-jour enamel and the mastery of a flying tourbillon movement, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton perfectly captures the essence of High Watchmaking.

A top-flight mechanism

Developed and designed exclusively within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, this flying tourbillon is the hallmark of the brand’s virtuosity in the field of contemporary High Watchmaking.

Louis Vuitton chose to feature an ethereal and innovative version of the most iconic watchmaking complication. Over 120 hours of work went into assembling all 168 parts of this calibre, which boasts an 80-hour power reserve.

The carriage of the iconic governor has been shaped into a capital V, which spins on itself in a minute. The V’s dynamic, coupled with the movement’s vertical positioning and the dial’s plique-à-jour motifs, bestows a truly unique personality to this tourbillon.

What is even more remarkable is that the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour bears the illustrious Poinçon de Genève seal. Established in 1886, The Geneva Seal attests to the utmost level of manufacturing and finishing of all the components that go into making a watch. Appearing at 9 o’clock, the seal shines clearly from beneath the enamelled dial.

Through the union of skilled artistry taken to its pinnacle, an exceptional mechanical calibre and a Poinçon de Genève seal, the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour is a true watchmaking masterpiece, infused with the visionary spirit that has fuelled Louis Vuitton since its founding in 1854.

The post Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève” Plique-à-jour appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

We knew immediately that we wanted to collaborate  for a special edition for the club that will be the first of its kind in our region- hence the 1858 Geosphere O oxygen AWC edition is born

At first we had high ambitions to be able to replicate the case back engraving on the dial side but we knew this would be far fetched because the dial has little room for manoeuvre so we opted for a different design direction to make it more achievable.

1-Design

It was clear from the start that we wanted the case to be in bronze : first, it would be the club first bronze watch since inception and second the contrast of colors we had in mind specially for the case back would work best on bronze

The dial had to be reworked entirely to reflect all consistent eastern Arabic numerals on all subdials, hemispheres dates and indexes.It was a fully customized dial. The color was chosen to be fume grey to reflect more the warmth color of our region with hints of Golden/Yellowsh colors around the numerals, hemispheres and out ring, and a small touch of orange on the dual time hand.

This would be the first edition will full Eastern Arabic numeral on such model by Montblanc – the consistency on the dial was very important for us to achieve as many brands tend to miss out on that in their Middle East editions.

2- Case back

Now let’s talk about the most interesting element in the watch- the case back is the art scene of the watch using the proprietary technique of engraving on titanium created by MB.

Ou initial design was different because we wanted to include a scenic view of all iconic buildings in our region however lP rights for each building made this hard to achieve, so we switched to our current design and I am glad we did as it turned out to be even better.

The current design is the topographic map of the Arabian peninsula viewed from above showing the different terrains we live in as members of the club -the map includes all the countries we live in currently – the case back colors have a certain warmth to them with the oceans breaking in between and most important the arabic falcon flying over with his shadow on Saudi Arabia.

Surrounding the titanium on the side of the case, the cities of the club members residences are written in Arabic and each member’s name is engraved on the top left side -the bottom side has the name of the club and the number of the watch out of 40.

3 – Delivery

All watches have been allocated to the club member however for the first time we have kept 15 watches to MB VIP lists for them to participate in the project -we wanted to share the success and joy with the hardcore Montblanc fans that would enjoy and appreciate this unique design.

All watches are prepared and delivered to all collectors in a private event in Dubai to celebrate in October 2023 – the delivery of the project was relatively fast for about 8 months from first booking to delivery

The prototype of the watch has been showcasing in the Dubai  mall boutique for anyone to check it out and try it.

The post AWC Geosphere 0 Oxygen LE appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

It has been almost 5 years since we first approached Cartier with our idea of creating a club special order and opened the pandora’s box for many more clubs to do the same.

In 2023, we have worked together with Cartier on an edition from the Privee family and one that could not be more classier than the Asymetrique – The new Tank Asymetrique for AWC has several elements and details that position it as a very unique piece in the watch world!

Al Khawarzimi Numerals

IF you haven’t read about Al Khawarizmi, now is a good time to do it! He is a Muslim MAthematician who is the father of Algebra and the first one to bring the Arabic-Hindu numerals to the Western World. These numerals now considered Western numerals are actually the original Arabic numerals at that time and they were designed by him in a very smart and particular way.

Look closer at each number and how it is written… it is all in the ANGLES!!! Every number corresponds to the total of angles in its own shape.

We adopted these numerals that have never been used before in Horology and decided to make them the basis for our Edition.

In order to keep the right spacing on the dial and also not overcharge it, we opted to include even numbers only – the result was mesmerising.

The case and dial

There are only 2 cases available for this watch : Yellow Gold or Platinum, each offers a very distinct contrast with the Green dials.

The dial of the watch is a combination of British Green color on a Rosette guillochee that is very particular to Cartier with a seconds chemin de fer around the inner dial bringing back some vintage hints to the overall design.

The movement used is the Manufacture Manual Calibre 1917 MC with a closed case back and special engraving of the club and each owner’s name on it.

Very few pieces will be produced – this edition is the most limited ever produced from this model and we wanted to keep it very exclusive even with the club itself.

www.cartier.com

The post Unveiling the Third AWC Special order with Cartier: Tank Asymetrique appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Our Journey with Cartier started as you know in 2019, when we decided to create for the first time globally, a special order for Arab Watch Club redesigning the Santos Dumont and Santos de Cartier -> you can read about it here: Cartier

During our event at the beginning of the year, we sat down with the Cartier team and discuss a second project we wanted to collaborate on – this time using the iconic Pasha de Cartier. The twist was to make the design closer to the region and with attention to tiny details from numerals, dates, calligraphy and even pushing the boundaries to add an exclusive element to the offering.

We love to be the first to introduce such projects and we always thrived in all our collaborations to open the doors to our region and explore the unexplorable – for that matter, Cartier agreed to produce a very limited Stylo Santos SM pen for this project in only 100 pieces exclusively for Club members. This would count as the smallest pen edition ever made by the brand.

Let’s talk about the watch first.

The Pasha de Cartier comes in a steel case with a diameter of 41mm. It is 9,55mm thick and has a very unique Cartier red flinque dial with “Hindu Arabic” numerals for 12,3,6, and 9. Unlike the current Middle East edition, the AWC Pasha has also a arabic date wheel with the same dial color and numerals in silver to reinforce the contrast on the dial.

The fluted crown cap and crown are set with synthetic spinels, blued-steel diamond-shaped hands, steel bracelet with “SmartLink” adjustment system, second Cartier red alligator-skin strap, interchangeable steel deployant buckle. Both bracelets are fitted with the “QuickSwitch” interchangeability system. Water-resistant to 10 bar. The movement used is mechanical movement with automatic winding, caliber 1847 MC.

Looking on the left side of the watch we can observe a very unique calligraphy done in collaboration with young syrian calligraphy Hazem Kurdali, who has worked on our LIFE Hoffman edition before. The sentence says “الوقت معلم من لا معلم له ” and is an expression of how time is master of all no matter who you are and where you are from – it is a statement that keeps you humble and mindful of how precious time is.

Only 50 individually numbered have been produced and each owner has his initials/name engraved on the watch.

Now what about the pen

As I mentioned earlier, this project brings another first to the world of Horology and collaborations – we are proud to have crossed the boundaries and designed a special Stylo Santos SM with Cartier that reflects the same elements as our watch – the pen has a red laquer body and a Mashrabya pattern all over its silver parts that is quiet prevalent in our design and architecture in the region. the pin/ screw on the pen is in blue sapphire similarly to the crown on the watch. – both together complement each other in perfect harmony. Only 100 pens have been produced, individually numbered and allocated to the watch owners and club members.

Both watch and pen will be delivered towards summer 2022. Meanwhile, the club members are going on a manufacture visit to the heart of Cartier to explore their wonders and craftsmanship. We will report back to you shortly on our visit. Stay tuned.

The post Our Second Collaboration with Cartier: Pasha for Arab Watch Club appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

When we first approach Michiel to start brainstorming on a unique project, we wanted the brief to be very much influenced by our heritage, Arabic culture and strong nuances we have picked up from our local architecture, design and calligraphy.

The idea of the “الحكمة” project was to produce a very limited edition not more than 10 pieces to be offered to hand picked collectors that appreciate the art of combining new technology and modern design with local heritage – hence the result is our first unique edition with Holthinrich

The Dial Concept

The whole focus of the dial is the remarkably unique and captivating hand set. These hands will be produced by forming stainless steel and giving them a brushed finish to make them “pop” off the dial and take command, demanding attention like a famous actor on centre stage.

The supporting role of the dial background can not be underestimated. The green oxidized titanium colour scheme that is formed on a subtle relief based on the mashrabiya pattern offers a two dimensional pattern that provides an additional light play and charm.

The frosted finish on the dial surface brings a sense of romance and refinement to the overall aesthetic. Further to this there is a subtle but dramatic reference to the “15” market at 3 O’clock. The mashrabiya pattern is carefully positioned to present “15” in one of the stars.

The final feature of the dial is the delicate pad printing of the minute and seconds tracks with provides contrast and balance.

The Movement 

We are using latest movement finishing specifically for this collaboration – the finishing on the bridges includes the signature bridge design and clearly highlight the elevated edge of the plates with a contrasting polished bevels. In the higher end finishes the screw holes will be polished and create inward angles to highlight black polished screws.

The true highlight of this movement finish will be the appearance of the mashrabiya pattern on the plates between the embossed edges. There will be more depth and character to this unique casebook design – Finished with 14k gold plating.

3D printed Case

We will add a few words in Arabic along the cavity of the case with the name of each owner – the size of the case is 38mm and is made of Surgical steel 316L

The Hands

The most important feature on this design will be the hands expressly created for this project. The hands are cut out of extra thick hard en rust resistant spring steel with a satin brushed top finish and selectively bevelled by hand to make them stand out and to reflect the contrasting surfaces of the 3D printed case of the watch.

The watch has been pre-booked and is now in production with planned delivery by Dec 2021 – SHop

For more information about Holthinrich

The post Our 15th Special Edition – the new Holthinrich “الحكمة” appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

It was the first time the Cartier Middle East CEO and the club members meet over a dinner organised by Cartier for the Arab Watch Club. It is during this dinner that the seed for this edition have been planted!

2 years later and here we are releasing the first ever collaboration between Cartier and a Watch Club worldwide. The project was supposed to be completed in June 2020 but of course COVID19 had another plan for us. 7 months later, we are back and this time, we can say : We did it!

The idea of a special edition with a luxurious and reputable brand such as Cartier is a goal we have had for several years before we started our serious discussions in 2019. The club has been involved in over 13 special editions throughout its 5 years since inception and it was the right time to collaborate with the Maison.

We drew our inspiration for this project from the Santos Dumont 90th anniversary that was made from platinum with a very light salmon dial – classy, elegant and timeless.

This is exactly what we wanted for the Cartier project: A gentleman’s watch , an expression of classiness , an unforgettable statement piece – but most importantly, a FIRST in the watch community: First Watch Club and First one to achieve this in the region.

You might ask yourself why is this so important for us? the answer is simple: we always want to be the club that breaks the barriers, open doors, create opportunities and lead by example! It is our mark that we would like to leave in the Horological world.

The choice of the watch was also strategic: the Santos is the first men wrist watch to be ever created in 1904 by Louis Cartier; it is an icon in the watch industry and among collectors; there is not better choice than the Santos to commemorate such partnership between Cartier and AWC.

AWC Santos de Cartier

The first two models of this special edition are from the Large Santos family; both Rose Gold and White Gold, with a ADLC coated steel bezel with white gold or rose gold screws. Case width: 39.8 mm, thickness: 9.08 mm. Water-resistant to 10 bar

The dial is a unique salmon shade designed for this edition with blue steel hands. 7-sided crown set with a facetted sapphire. The strap is alligator or calfskin (both options provided), with interchangeable buckle.

The movement is mechanical movement with automatic winding, calibre 1847 MC. Close caseback with engravings including “Arab Watch Club” , every collector’s name and his number of the edition.

AWC Santos Dumont 

The third model of this special edition is the Extra Large Santos Dumont in Rose Gold with a ADLC coated steel bezel with rose gold screws. Manufacture mechanical movement with manual winding, calibre 430 MC. 18K rose gold case,

Case dimensions: 46.6 mm x 33.9 mm, thickness: 7.5 mm. Water-resistant to 3 bar (approx. 30 metres).

The dial is a unique salmon shade designed for this edition with blue steel sword-shaped hands, sapphire crystal, beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon.

Grey alligator-skin strap and 18K rose gold ardillon buckle. Close caseback with engravings including “Arab Watch Club” , every collector’s name and his number of the edition.

This is only the beginning of a long relationship with the Maison; so stay tuned for what’s coming next!

The post Santos de Cartier Special Edition for Arab Watch Club – 14th Special Edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

A spirit of collaboration

In hard times, being resilient and forging collaborations to become stronger and to help out those in need is key. This belief is strongly instilled in the mindset of Czapek & Cie as the Geneva-based independent brand of haute horlogerie is well-known for its collaborative spirit, as reinforced by its motto “We Collect Rare People”.

Relaunched via crowd-funding, Czapek has always promoted the names of its manufacturing partners and involved them, along with its shareholders and collectors throughout every creative process. It also sustains a range of good causes, such as Only Watch or the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, by donating its timepieces to help raise funds.

Now, Czapek has teamed up with one of the most prominent group of collectors in the Arab region, the Arab Watch Club, to support Emirates Foundation. To help raise funds for the volunteer organisation, Czapek has crafted a unique piece for the Place Vendome collection, the most exclusive collection within its portfolio. Named “Al Kanz”, or “The Treasure”, in Arabic, the unique piece will be auctioned by Christie’s.

Piece unique by Arab watch club

Ahmed Talib Al Shamsi, Acting CEO of Emirates Foundation, said that he welcomed the collaboration between the Arab Watch Club and world-renowned watchmakers, Czapek & Cie, calling it a fine example of how mutually beneficial relationships can arise when the private sector applies its social responsibilities to good causes.

He said, “As a national UAE organisation set up as a public-private partnership to focus on community development and crisis resilience through volunteerism, we rely on partnerships such as this to help us fullfil our commitments to the community. Considering the current pandemic and the tremendous affects it had on all members of our society, the need for highly qualified and trained emergency responders has increased exponentially.

As such, we must be prepared to scale our reach In order to train volunteers to be more prepared for any adversity in the future. The proceeds from the Christies watch auction are very welcome, and will be channeled towards growing an emergency relief fund to develop specialised training courses tailored to train and qualify our volunteer forces.”

Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie, said, “The idea of this collaboration came to our friends at the Arab Watch Club. They always had the wish of creating an exceptional piece for the benefit of a worthy cause linked to the region, and we chose to become partner of this club’s project.”

Hassan Al Akhras, known as Arab Watch Guide in the watch community and the founder of the Arab Watch Club said, “ Our club members, who are originally from all across the region , have always been conscious of their social responsibilities and always wanted to contribute through their passion of Horology to a greater cause supporting their community; this project with Czapek & Cie and Emirates Foundation is a true realization of our vision”

The Place Vendôme “Al Kanz” 

The Place Vendôme “Al Kanz” 43.5mm titanium Grade 5 case hosts Czapek’s proprietary, manually wound SXH2 movement beating at 21,600 vph (3 Hz).

The single barrel spring delivers a solid 60 hours of power. The movement finish includes satin-brushed bridges and open worked ratchet. Czapek’s signature subdials at 7:30 and 4:30 carry a one-minute suspended tourbillon and a second time zone indication.

The tourbillon and GMT rings are made of steel and covered with a green nanometrical layer. This process, originally invented for the medical industry, is a variant of the chemical vapor deposit, called ALD. It is executed by Positive Coating, in La-Chaux-de-Fonds.

The ring displaying hours and minutes at 12 o’clock is made of Zoïsite, a very special green semi-precious stone with an irregular dark grey speckling, a world’s first in watchmaking.

“With our partner GT Cadrans, in Lonay, we were looking for something green, but most of the options had already been extensively used. When I saw the Zoïsite, it was literally love at first sight!” explains Xavier de Roquemaurel. “So far, only the center ruby part of this stone has been utilized for dials, while the green part was overlooked and considered too fragile. Instead, we decided to have a sustainable approach to dial making and reveal one of the unknown treasures on Earth. This is the reason behind the timepiece’s name ‘Al Kanz, The Treasure’.”

All the details in the Al Kanz have been object of a meticulous research. The small center dial is engraved with an Arabic pattern reinterpreted by Czapek’s head designer Adrian Buchmann, inspired by the beautiful motifs of the Arabic Mosques and other legendary regional buildings.

The engraving has been made by hand by Le Locle-based Michèle Rothen-Rebetez, one of the most famous and talented Swiss hand-engravers. The very rare aubergine hue has been achieved by electroplating by Comblemine, in Saint-Sulpice, renown for collaborating with a number of Swiss fine watchmaking firms.

Emirates Foundation

Emirates Foundation is an independent organization set up by the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to facilitate public-private funded initiatives to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE and encourage them to embrace the concept of volunteerism.

Through grants and operational projects aligned with the nation’s vision, Emirates Foundation has journeyed over the past 15 years, impacting the lives of people positively and permanently.

The Foundation’s National Emergency Response Volunteering Programme, known as SANID, is the first volunteering program specialised in Emergency Response and Disaster Management in the Middle East. It draws on the strengths of proven international models to build teams of trained volunteers who can cope with national and international emergencies, thus demonstrating the UAE’s readiness to manage any crisis situation and reduce risks to society, the economy and the environment.

More than 5000 SANID volunteers have played a pivotal role in the national efforts to combat Covid-19 across all Emirates. Volunteers are supporting the relevant authorities in screening centers, hospitals, clinics, international borders, airports, quarantine facilities, and hotels.

They are assisting patients and families with their needs and supporting frontline workers in their daily duties. They also took part in the National Sanitisation Programme that was launched by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and the Ministry of Interior as a nationwide cleansing campaign in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

___________________________________________________________________________________

The Place Vendôme “Al Kanz” by Czapek & Cie and Arab Watch Club will be exhibited in Dubai from 19th to 25th October and at the Four Seasons Hotel de Bergues in Geneva on 7th and 8th November, as part of Christie’s Luxury Week.

Christie’s will offer this spectacular piece in the Watches Online: Geneva Edit sale which will take place from 5th to 19th November, 2020.

All the proceedings from the Al Kanz sale will be donated to the Emirates Foundation.

More information on the sale can be found at: https://www.christies.com/salelanding/index.aspx?salenumber=19729&saleroomcode=gnv&lid=1&saletitle= 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Read more about it from our friends on SJX:

Czapek and Arab Watch Club Introduce the Place Vendôme “Al Kanz”

Read more about it at Watch I Love:

https://watchilove.com/czapek-place-vendome-al-kanz

Read more about it on Horobox

https://www.horobox.com/haber-detay/czapek-cie-al-kanz-

Read more about it at Timekeepersclub:

https://timekeepers.club/en/chat/czapek_cie_x_awc_place_vendome_tourbillon_al_kanz_unique_piece/

Read more about it at Wristwatchnews:

https://wristwatchnews.com/czapek-introduces-the-place-vendome-al-kanz-for-charity/

Read more about it at WorldTempus:

http://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/people-and-interviews/czapek-an-unseen-treasure-to-benefit-those-in-need-29214.html

-End-

https://www.emiratesfoundation.ae/ef/

The post Czapek & Arab Watch Club- our 13th Special Edition – A Unique Piece to support Emirates Foundation appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

In 2018, during Baselworld, strolling around the majestic booths of the big brands, I encounter one of my good friends from Zurich wearing a K Chaykin original Joker however with a special case back engraved for him and a piece unique written on its case back.. I asked him, does the brand custom make special orders to collectors – and the answer was Yes.

The idea stuck to my head and a few months later I contacted the company asking them for a piece unique for myself – however  I wanted to change the face of the Joker and his expressions. When I received the first render, I decided to share it with some of the collectors of the club – not really knowing whether this is something that would interest them or not – I just wanted their opinion about my piece unique – the reaction was very unexpected as they all decided they wanted to be part of this project.

I got back to Chaykin, this time  asking for 5 watches and a totally different facelift of the Joker with the colors Green. Purple and black dominating the look – since these are the colors of the Real Joker after all.

One thing was bothering me; the fact that most of Chaykin Joker at that time were either in Steel or Titanium; I wanted the case to look different and not been produced before. So I asked him to propose something different to us; this is when we came up with the black coating on the steel case that supports the newly designed black dial and complements the full colors of the joker.

From there, the special edition started to shape up – we were 5 at the time and decided to share the entire project with the rest of the team; little did we know, we will reach 20 in the next hour.

As a final design tweak, we asked Chaykin to engrave our logo at the case back with everyone’s initials, or name. This is as personalized as it gets.

Only one issue – our contract stated that we will need to wait for a full year to receive the watches! that was like giving a candy to a kid and then taking it right away!! but since we were very excited with the project, we decided to get on with it and hope the excitement remains the same until 2019.

A year later, May 2019, we started receiving pictures and videos of the final work in progress of our watches; the project was shaping up and we seemed very close to the end.

However, we have faced one major hik up that we didn’t expect at all!!! Our watches were hostages in Moscow and there was no way to get them back home without us flying there in person to collect the watches – seems there was some difficulties with shipping abroad as we were advised by the brand.

Would you imagine we had to spend almost 2 months coordinating the pick ups of our 20 watches and finding the time for several collectors to travel to Moscow and have their watches collected. It was the most difficult project logistically for the club since inception.

But eventually we received the watches and started enjoying them after the excitement around them was almost going to fade away from all the hassle and struggles to have them on our wrists.

With this final release, we close our Special Editions for 2019 .. however, we will soon have a mega announcement of the most exciting and unique project ever made to date from any watch club worldwide, with one of the most prestigious brands in the industry today!!

Stay tune, this is going to be big!!!

The post The Real Joker – Arab Watch Club 12th Special edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The post The Peregrine – Arab Watch Club 11th Special Edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The exhibition set top by Cartier was to celebrate 100 years of Santos where they have recreated the story of how the legendary watch came about to creation. If you are not aware of the story, let me shed some light on its in a quick summary.

In 1906, Brazilian-Franco Albert Santos Dumont flew from Paris’ Château De Bagatelle in an aircraft fitted with a wheeled undercarriage and made a controlled landing – no crash, achieving history. Whilst celebrating his achievement, he met his friend Louis Cartier and complained about having to reach out to his pocket watch during the flight- Booom!! the Santos Dumont Cartier was born! First Pilot wristwatch to be ever created.

Since then many variations and developments have surrounded this successful line leading us to where we are today and our private exhibition with Cartier.

Cartier recreated the 14bis flew by Santos in his first flight and installed it on top of our dinner table :).. Now that’s what I call dining in style.

During the evening, we had the chance to go over an animated history of the Santos flight and also have a look at some historical pieces of the famous line – of which the wonderful 90th anniversary Santos Dumont in platinum and salmon dial

Before moving on to our dinner with Christophe Massoni, we also had a look at the latest models introduced by Cartier in 2018 and 2019 – unfortunately the SIHH pieces were not yet in Dubai – however this will be left for another day to explore.

What also made this dinner quiet special is the fact that our members have flown from KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain to be with us in Dubai. For the club, it is quiet a proud achievement to be able to partner up with one of the most luxurious brands out there and have a very private and unique experience offered to our club members exclusively. It has also followed a special visit to the Cartier Manufacture in La Chaux De Fonds that I have had right after SIHH – however this needs another article to discuss the mesmerizing world of Cartier watchmaking.

You cannot have a  collectors dinner without the usual wrist shots poses that we are all known for by now. It was a surprise I believe for Christophe when he saw 20+ arms being stretched to the max to reach each others fists in the most awkward yet traditional watch geeks shots – professional photographers were on alert mode and trying to find the best and longest chairs to support them in taking this marvelous aerial wrist-shot.

With this, I leave to enjoy our gallery and will be back soon to tell you more in depth about the Cartier manufacture experience and many many nitty gritty details that blew my mind in La Chaux de Fonds.

The post Dinner with Cartier under Burj Khalifa appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

In June 2018, I set up my first meeting with the Gshock team in Dubai , discussing the possibility of breaking all rules and creating a  one off edition of a small run that will be only sold to the Arab Watch Club members.

The idea was so well taken by the team and with much enthusiasm, we have started together developing the first project of its kind where we took an original 35th anniversary GMW-B5000D-1JF and decided to re-customise it to have an AWC feel.

I have commissioned a Saudi calligrapher to write for us a sentence in his own unique way ,which we will later on use as the main design for this edition – that sentence is printed on the rubber dial of each watch saying ” لا تغيب عني طويلاً ثم تسأل عني فالحكايات تموت مع الوقت “.

You will notice also that on the bezel of the watch  we have engraved on the top our club name and on the bottom “One of 50”.. that engraving was one of the most challenging task of the project as all of these Gshock models have Bluetooth in them and it is very important to keep it intact from any engraving work. Which required us to dismantle the cases and bezels from the original watches , laser engrave them and then reassemble the watches.

The second tricky element of the project was the calligraphy printing on the rubber strap. As this was the first time to explore such design, the team had to commission several suppliers to test which output is up to the required standards and will not fade away after a few washes or dips in the sea!!!

Luckily we were able to get the right suppliers on time before our launch in Tokyo… Ahh well you are wondering what I am talking about!!!

Well that was the cherry on the cake as this was the primordial part of the project where we decided to launch our edition in Tokyo-Japan whilst inviting the members to visit the manufacture and meet the founder of Gshock IBE San.. but you will hear all about this in another article 🙂

This is the first of several collaborations we are launching with Gshock Middle East – our next project is a Charity project that remains one of our yearly pillars in the club – as you know we started last year with a collaboration with Zayed foundation in Abudhabi, where we designed and sold 50 special edition watches to the public and donated the proceeds to the charity foundation.

This year , we will go even bigger and create a larger special edition watch in collaboration with Gshock with the same concept of raising awareness and funds to a local charity in Dubai.

Stay tuned as there is a lot to share with you on that front and also don’t miss out on the AWC experience in Tokyo with Casio team.

The post Revealing the first of its kind: the Gshock AWC edition- our 10th Special edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

1 month later, we had our first draft renderings of our 26 watches representing 6 countries and 12 cities – of which almost 10 piece uniques

When we saw the rendering we were ecstatic – I couldn’t believe that this project was going to happen and Nomos really did it for us. I went to Baselworld to meet with the team and to see their first prototype of the watch – I still remember them asking me: ” Hassan, are you sure this is the Green you want? everyone in the manufacture was starring at this dial, they have never thought Nomos would push its boundaries this far” – it was perfect: the right shade of green that pops, you cannot Not notice it, with a very light yellow font for the cities and the strong Red color for the HomeTown city. The watch was exactly what I have envisioned it in my head 3 months earlier.

When we saw the rendering we were ecstatic – I couldn’t believe that this project was going to happen and Nomos really did it for us. I went to Baselworld to meet with the team and to see their first prototype of the watch – I still remember them asking me: ” Hassan, are you sure this is the Green you want? everyone in the manufacture was starring at this dial, they have never thought Nomos would push its boundaries this far” – it was perfect: the right shade of green that pops, you cannot Not notice it, with a very light yellow font for the cities and the strong Red color for the HomeTown city. The watch was exactly what I have envisioned it in my head 3 months earlier.

6 more months passed by and the watches were ready – I decided to pay Nomos a visit in Glashutte with some of the collectors from the AWC to have a tour of their facilities and finally get to see our watches being assembled and completed.

I won’t tell you the details of how we made it to Glashutte!! just because it was an utter nightmare flying from London on British Airways to reach Berlin only with 6 hours delay and drive to Dresden for another 2.5 hours.

However, we made it , did a tour around the factory, met the watchmaker who assembled all our watches and even had the chance to witness the assembly of the last piece of AWC Nomos.

The post Unveiling Arab Watch Club 8th Special Edition: Nomos Zurich Mint Green appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The idea of this collaboration imitated when we first saw the release of the Sinn 556 Anniversary piece and we decided it is a perfect fit for our next summer edition. The watch size is perfect, small and classy; the MOP dial we have worked on is very unique as every watch would have its own shade.

So the adventure began early 2018, when we got in touch with the Sinn team with our proposed idea- initially we had a totally different dial colors in mind – an MOP more tending towards a pinkish shade then the one with settled for after over a month of back and forth with the manufacture designing the dial.

The aim was to produce a Limited edition of 50 watches for all club members with a very minimalistic design that is wearable in all occasions but also subtle and unique as most MOP dials ares. However , we decided to add a small twist to the dial at 6 o’clock where we wrote the name of our club in arabic as it appears on our logo – same font, same writing and same size.

The movement on this 556 is impressively finished and well taken care of by the brand; it is an ETA 2824-2, self winding mechanism with a special engraving of “Arab Watch Club” and the number of each watch out of 50 – the movement has also the second stop function , shock resistance and Anti-magnetism.

The case is a stainless steel case in 38.5mm with a satinized finishing – the dial is covered by a sapphire crystal glass with anti reflective coating on both sides. The transparent case back has also anti reflective coating on the interior. The pressure resistances is up to 20 bar.

The indices on the dial are coated with luminescent color and hour the hour and minute hands coated also. The case thickness is only 11mm and the watch weights 65 grammes without straps

As for the straps, we have had several options so we decided to let every collector decide on his own choice of colors and materials that fit his own taste.

The watches have been released in July 2018, however their delivery will be around September once everyone is back from summer break and factories operational again.

We are very thrilled of this collaboration as it has opened our eyes to many possibilities in the future in the non-swiss watchmaking world and the uniqueness and precision of these underrated brands.

The post Introducing the 7th AWC edition in partnership with Sinn Uhren appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Since we launched our Laureato yellow edition in 2017 we have received several requests from our ladies club members to create a similar edition for them however using the Laureato Ladies Royale watch instead.

The iconic Laureato collection was chosen to create a 34mm timepiece adorned with 54 diamonds and available in three different versions: full pink gold, two-tone pink gold and steel, and full steel.

The AWC Ladies Limited Edition Laureato is graced with a mesmerizing purple dial that expresses the supreme femininity of Arabian women, while the date is naturally displayed with Arabic numerals.

Bearing the mention Limited Edition and the individual edition number, the case-back is fitted with a transparent sapphire crystal revealing the famous Girard-Perregaux quartz movement.

The latter’s 32,768 Hz oscillation frequency was discovered by the brand in 1971 and has since become the universal industry standard.

The watch is limited to only 8 pieces in the three different material and has been only sold to club members from the Gulf region. It is an extremely limited and unique pieces that we hope we will kick off a long trend of ladies special editions whether from our club side or other clubs that decided to follow our foot steps – what matters is we paved the way for the rest 🙂

The post AWC first ladies Edition in collaboration with Girard Perregaux appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

We started our journey with our bahraini friends at Projekt8 who have been our facilitators with HYT team to make this stunning project come true. As a team, we have given the brief to the HYT team around what we wanted to achieve from this editions – specially the sandy colors, the damascus steel feel patterns on the dial and the entire look and feel of the edition.

From there, The H0 x Arab Watch Club was born as an exclusive, numbered limited edition, developed for Arab Watch Club members. Its design language whispers wind- sculpted sand dunes, golden light and sun-kissed metal surfaces. Expressing the soul of the H0, with its absorption of the fluidity of time, are liquids, detail and an additional rubber strap in the brightest blue. The dryness of the desert encounters the freshness of fluid time in a watch that welcomes the winds of change.

Liquid brings life and the H0 x Arab Watch Club accurately translates this truth into the passage of time. Its patented micro-fluidic module symbolizes the precious vitality of water. This is heightened by allusions to the planet’s driest territories. The juxtaposition of aridness and moisture merges ground- breaking technology with absorbing storytelling in a refreshing visualization of the recent past, the present and the immediate future.

An Arabian nights mood is created by a matt sand-colored dial with an intricate wave pattern and a matching beige strap. A titanium folding buckle on the strap adds a shimmering finishing touch.

Hindu Arabic digits and white Super-Luminova® markers mimic a mini-mirage in timekeeping terms. And, as if by magic, the striking fluidic capillary, pebble-shaped case and drop-like dial surface form a seductive oasis for the eye

Since the project was in partnership with Projekt8 in Bahrain, we have decided to do our first launch in Bahrain in the Capital Club in the presence of the HYT team and all the AWC members.

The post H0 x Arab Watch Club -5th AWC Edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Lyttlabs is a brand that has just started with their inception line and the design is very unique and cool. So we approached the brand to create a totally revamped and unique piece for the Club members. This time we wanted to have a the first bronze case created by Lyttlabs as well as the first hind numerals disks customized to the club as well.

The result was a phenomenal 60 watches all Sold out to Club Members only in a unique Bronze coated cases and special blue anodized disks on a custom made blue & beige strap.

The post AWC fourth edition was in partnership with Lyttlabs appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

This is when the Girard Perregaux Laureato AWC edition was born. We decided we wanted a color that is powerful, noticeable and sporty. Yellow was born 🙂

As you probably know, not many watches out there have a yellow dial mainly because you really need to have the guts to wear such a watch on a full steel bracelet and draw the attention of the people around you – because that is exactly what this edition did.

The whole focus is the yellow clou de Paris special dial developed by GP for us and only used on our Laureato with the small touch of hindi numerals date.

Every watch comes with a set of three straps; in steel bracelet, black leather and yellow stitching and black rubber.

The 19 pieces special edition has its case back engraved with the name of each collector, the name of the club and 1 of 19 special edition written on it.

The watches were delivered in Dubai with Al Fardan family in Hakkasan in a very special event where all collectors gathered from across the GCC to receive their watches as well.

The post Third Special AWC edition in Collaboration with Girard-Perregaux appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The HM perpetual Moon was a model that many club members have admired and were very interested in for a while; so we decided to do our own take on this model and make it AWC customized.

The main drive behind the customization was the fact that we all agreed we wanted to have a dressy watch with a salmon dial that contrasts with the second dial on the moon phase. This is where we started working on the salmon guilloche dial. To be frank that process was quiet long as we wanted to get the right shade of salmon not too pinky or not too orange – so we kept iterating on the colors of the dials for quiet sometime until we reached the correct shade we were aiming for.

The same happened for the blue guilloche dial for the moon phase – once both dials have been selected, the rest was more about personalization of case back and the personal engravings of each watch.

We did 21 watches in steel and one in Rose Gold for myself all numbered 1/22 and with our names engraved.

For the straps we had 2 options; one in navy blue and one in grey that we also had to select carefully with our partners at Jean Rousseau to get the right texture and proper colors that match our dials.

The post Introducing second AWC Edition in collaboration with Arnold and Son appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

My first project was in collaboration with Arminstrom and Dilusso; we have started chatting about the special edition in BaselWorld and from there it was just history.

The idea behind the watch was to create a small series inspired by beautiful art of the Arabic calligraphy that you see engraved at the case back with the saying “Time is Precious, Don’t Waste it”.

The dial is an open worked dial with a special blue color customized for us in a light shade. We decided to be the first in the region to change the numerals into Hindi Numerals on an Arminstrom watch. the rotor and barrels are in Gold very visible in the front and contrasting with the steel case and blue dial.

The watch as produced in a series of 10 watches all Sold out to club members only with their own numbers and personal engravings on each watch.

The watch comes with a DILUSSO Surprise Box :

100% Authentic designer goods sourced either from Authorized Dealers or direct from the brands;
All goods brand new with respective warranty (as provided by the manufacturer);
Solid Mahogany DILUSSO Box;
Hand Delivery*;
24×7 access to DILUSSO Customer Service;

The post Introducing the Arminstrom Gravity AWC 1st Edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.