Since 2016, Beda’a has been a name to watch among collectors. Initially part of the Qatari luxury group Albidaa, the brand gained independence in response to growing demand.
Today, it stands as a fully-fledged watchmaking house with proprietary collections and a fiercely independent creative vision.
Key Takeaways:
• The next chapter for Beda’a marks its ascension as a true independent watchmaking force.
• A new addition to the Eclipse collection—following the Eclipse I’s spectacular sell-out of 200 pieces in three hours.
• A refined design, featuring quality finishing and a custom module by Dubois Dépraz.
• Limited to 100 timepieces per year.
• Priced fairly, offering collectors quality craftsmanship at exceptional value.
Beda’a was born from the vision of Qatari entrepreneur Hader Al Suwaidi, who aimed to create a horological brand that would position the Arab region not just as a market for fine watches, but as a contributor to the global watchmaking industry. Serendipity played a role in making this vision become reality: with the recruitment of engineer-designer Sohaib Maghnam – whose passion defies convention – to shape the brand’s trajectory. Entrepreneurial and cosmopolitan, Sohaib moves seamlessly between the watchmaking capitals of Switzerland, London, Milan, and Doha—yet his journey into horology was anything but ordinary…
Not one fortuitous call, but two
Just weeks before leaving Milan, his Master’s degree in his pocket, Sohaib received a call from Qatar. It was Hader Al Suwaidi, the president of luxury group Albidaa, who wanted to purchase one of his Maghnam watches. A few days later, he called again – this time, with an offer to head the group’s watch division. Albidaa was in the early stages of establishing a fully independent watch brand as part of its portfolio of luxury companies. It was the beginning of Beda’a –and he had the perfect profile.
“It was a complete surprise—yet also an incredible opportunity. I would be designing, building a team, managing suppliers, sales, and marketing, while building a team and a brand. It was a chance I couldn’t pass up. A few months later, I left for Doha to begin the Beda’a adventure—and never looked back,” Sohaib recalls.
A Brand on the Rise
Maintaining the momentum, Beda’a quickly established itself, winning over new clients and taking part in major exhibitions: Watches and Wonders, Geneva Watch Days, Wind Up Watch Fair (NYC), and The Horology Club anniversary (HK). The watch collections take shape, forming the brand’s four foundational pillars: Attrayant, assertive and elegant; Fortress, with its Art Deco accents; Angles, the unclassifiable best-seller whose limited New York series sold out in hours; and, finally, as the ultimate statement – Eclipse.
Eclipse is the most elemental of Beda’a creations, as it is the only round watch in Beda ’a’s portfolio. It is also the most ambitious, as it enters the fiercely competitive realm of fine Swiss Made watchmaking. Yet, he succeeds in capturing the two key elements that are of compelling appeal to true collectors: an unconventional hours-and-minutes display and a price that is uncompromisingly fair.
Eclipse II : An Astral Revelation
When the first Eclipse debuted, all 200 pieces vanished in a mere three hours – with thousands still on the waiting list. Their patience is now rewarded with an unprecedented creation, an evolution tellingly named Eclipse II.
At its heart beats a movement with a specifically designed module that uniquely embodies the spirit of Beda’a, marking a watershed moment for the fledgling Maison. Eclipse II opens the second chapter, deepening the celestial narrative: a horological tribute to the cosmos that reminds us that timekeeping was born from humanity’s fascination with the stars.
Design remains paramount. The timepiece orchestrates a perfect dialogue between linear precision and orbital grace.
A singular vertical axis connects three elements: the off-center hours and minutes at twelve, an independent small seconds display, and a crown positioned at six o’clock – a bold departure from convention in Haute Horlogerie, yet intrinsic to the commitment of Beda’a to pure alignment.
Within the round case – itself a departure for a house known for its shaped collections – two seamlessly integrated dials form a majestic figure-eight. Symmetrical crescents, finished with a distinctive linear motif, challenge Swiss tradition.
The dial itself becomes a celestial canvas:
• Polished and satin-finished cream motifs capture sunlight in motion;
• Aventurine hour and minute counters mirror a star-strewn night sky; and
• The spear-shaped small seconds hand at 6 o’clock, gliding over a deeply textured circular satin counter, evokes the windswept sands of Qatar’s majestic deserts.
The dreamlike vastness of Doha’s great deserts is never far…
Eclipse II is Beda’a’s vision of time itself: precise yet poetic, technical yet transcendent. It doesn’t just tell time; it tells a story…
Beda’a – The First Complication
Heeding collectors’ voices, Beda’a has enhanced the technical value of Eclipse II, while carefully avoiding the price inflation often seen in haute horlogerie.
As Sohaib Maghnam emphasizes, “The price is exactly where it should be. No less, but certainly no more.”
The Eclipse II movement combines two variables to find the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, between accessibility and exclusivity. First, there’s a Sellita SW300 foundation. It is a proven caliber that Beda’a knows well – it was already present in Eclipse I.
For this second chapter, Beda’a adds a module developed with specialist workshop Dubois Depraz. The family business, famed for its complications, was born in 1901 in the Vallée de Joux. It possesses an undeniable historical legitimacy, coupled with unparalleled technical expertise. It is they who enabled Beda’a to design an Eclipse II of only 37 mm in diameter, perfectly balanced by a thickness under 10 mm (9.5 mm precisely).
A Celestial Rotor
The celestial theme extends to the openworked rotor, a rarity in itself.
• Eight three-dimensional blades, satin-finished in a radiant motif;
• Each engraved at its center with Beda’a’s stylized “B”; with
• Each polished emblem set against a laser-sandblasted background, echoing the refined alternations seen on the steel case.
Here, Beda’a has designed an openworked rotor of rare sophistication
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