Part of our complete guide to Fashion in the UAE. The next Dubai Watch Week is scheduled for 17–21 November 2027 at Dubai Mall, Burj Park. The organiser has announced those dates on its official channels. There is no separate 2026 edition: Dubai Watch Week is biennial. The seventh edition took place on 19–23 November…
Part of our complete guide to Fashion in the UAE.
The next Dubai Watch Week is scheduled for 17–21 November 2027 at Dubai Mall, Burj Park. The organiser has announced those dates on its official channels. There is no separate 2026 edition: Dubai Watch Week is biennial. The seventh edition took place on 19–23 November 2025, marking ten years of the event and 75 years of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. This guide separates that completed edition from what is confirmed for the next one, then explains how to plan a useful visit.
The dates and location are the planning anchors for 2027. Participating brands, detailed session times, masterclass booking rules and special releases must come from the new programme when it is published. The 2025 examples below explain the event’s format; they are not a confirmed 2027 lineup. Use the official event website and organiser’s announcements when making travel or registration decisions.
Our advice is to plan around access to people and craft, rather than a shopping checklist. Pick the brands you want to understand, leave space for smaller independent makers, and reserve sessions you genuinely want to attend. A display can show a watch’s finish; a conversation with its maker can explain why it was built that way. Neither a guide nor a ticket can guarantee access to an exclusive release or a private appointment.
The 2025 Milestone and the Next Edition
Founded in 2015 by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Dubai Watch Week was created as an educational platform for sharing watchmaking knowledge and connecting collectors, brands and craftspeople. Its organiser describes the event as biennial. The tenth-anniversary milestone therefore belongs to 2025, not a supposed 2026 edition. That distinction is important when comparing announcements, exhibition images and older guides: the same event name can appear beside different venues and years.
The completed 2025 edition brought more than 90 brands to Burj Park. That gives a sense of scale, not a forecast of 2027 attendance or exhibitors. Avoid building a visit around a brand’s presence in an old programme. Our preference is to shortlist several makers or topics so the day remains worthwhile even if a specific session, person or timepiece is not available.
Burj Park: The Venue and Planning Context
The move to Burj Park was part of the 2025 edition, replacing the event’s earlier DIFC setting. It is not a new relocation taking place in 2026. The organiser’s 2027 announcement again identifies Dubai Mall, Burj Park. When you plan the next visit, use its new site map and access instructions rather than relying on gate names, workshop locations or parking information from a previous edition.
The New Epicenter: Navigating the Burj Park Location
The Burj Park setting places the event in Downtown Dubai, beside The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. The 2025 edition used a purpose-built campus for exhibitions and educational programming. That gives visitors a useful reference for the environment, but the layout can change. Confirm the entrance, accessibility arrangements and session location from the programme for the edition you are attending.
Plan your route to the announced entrance, not merely to a map pin for the mall. If arriving by Metro, account for the walk from the station through the Downtown area; if using a taxi or car, check the event’s designated drop-off and parking information. Build a gap between booked sessions so a queue or a conversation does not make the rest of the day impossible. Evening plans should also allow for traffic around the mall.
The Collector’s Edge: Must-See Debuts and Limited Editions
The watches are a reason to visit, but specific 2027 launches are not established by this guide. Use announcements from each brand to distinguish a new reference from a different dial, a regional edition or a prototype. Ask whether the watch on display is available to order, how allocation works and what its confirmed price includes. An exhibition appearance is not a promise that every attendee can buy one.
Headline Releases from the Major Maisons
The 2025 programme included established houses and independent makers, with displays spanning many watchmaking approaches. For 2027, wait for the published exhibitor list before making brand-specific plans. Use your shortlist to compare finishing, case dimensions, movements and design choices across makers, rather than spending the whole day chasing whichever launch has the loudest publicity. A technical question often makes a better conversation opener than a request for an allocation.
For Audemars Piguet, distinguish the Royal Oak “Jumbo”, chronograph and Concept families before comparing anniversary pieces. Different models have different movements and functions; a familiar case shape does not establish that a watch combines a flyback chronograph and a flying tourbillon. Start with the exact reference on display and its official specifications. Our 150th-anniversary guide provides separate collection context.
Celebrating 75 Years: The Seddiqi & Sons Exclusives
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons’ 75th anniversary was celebrated in 2025. The region-specific watches associated with that milestone belong to the completed programme and should not be advertised as upcoming 2026 releases. They remain useful examples of why local collectors follow the event: a retailer relationship can produce a particular edition, dial or allocation that differs from a brand’s standard international collection.
When studying a retailer-exclusive watch, check the exact reference, edition size, case material and movement. A small production run does not make every example a sound investment. Ask where it can be serviced, whether accessories and papers are included, and how any allocation or order process works. Historical Seddiqi anniversary releases are context for that comparison, not evidence that the same pieces will be available in a 2027 Collector’s Lounge.
From Spectator to Participant: Mastering the Workshops and Talks
This is where Dubai Watch Week truly sets itself apart. The event offers an unmatched opportunity to go beyond the glass and immerse yourself in the art and science of horology. By taking advantage of the educational programming, you can transform your experience from passive observation to active participation.
The Horology Forum: Gain Insights from Industry Titans
The Horology Forum and other conversations are part of the event’s educational appeal. Speaker names and opening-keynote details from 2025 should be treated as archive information, not promises for 2027. Read the new session description before choosing: a talk about craft, collecting or business can answer very different questions. Choose the topic that will add to what you already know rather than simply the most famous name.
Panel formats and roundtables can bring several viewpoints into one room. For the next edition, confirm who is speaking, whether the session is open to general visitors and whether a booking is required. Leave time to arrive before the published start. Our recommendation is to take one specific question from a talk into a later exhibitor conversation; that makes the programme useful beyond collecting photographs of the stage.
Hands-On Horology: A Guide to the Best Masterclasses
Masterclasses provide a different kind of access from walking past display cases. The completed 2025 programme included practical craft sessions, but it does not establish the next edition’s subjects, instructors or capacity. Read any 2027 booking conditions closely: the session duration, age requirements, materials, access arrangements and cancellation rules all matter. A public event can still have separately booked workshops with limited places.
Previous workshops covered technical and decorative watchmaking topics. Treat those as examples of the format rather than a schedule you can book today. Choose a session whose task you want to understand, and check whether it is introductory or assumes prior experience. If two workshops overlap, prefer the one that teaches something you cannot learn simply by reading a product page or watching a launch film.
Workshop registration must follow the organiser’s instructions for the relevant edition. Joining a mailing list is useful for announcements, but it is not a booking and does not reserve a seat. Once a programme is published, save your confirmation and session details. If a session is full, choose another relevant activity rather than assuming admission can be arranged at the door.
Dubai Watch Week: Questions Answered
When and where is the next Dubai Watch Week?
The next announced edition is 17–21 November 2027 at Dubai Mall, Burj Park. The previous edition ran 19–23 November 2025. There is no separate 2026 edition.
Is Dubai Watch Week open to the public? How do I get tickets?
Dubai Watch Week describes itself as a public educational event. The 2025 edition offered free general admission with registration; do not assume identical booking rules for 2027 until its registration instructions are published. Check general admission and individual workshops separately.
What is the dress code for the event?
There is no strict, formal dress code for the daytime events. However, given the luxury context, a ‘smart casual’ or ‘business casual’ approach is recommended. Think stylish separates, blazers, or elegant day dresses. For evening events or private dinners, the dress code may be more formal.
Conclusion
The next visit should start with the confirmed 2027 dates and location, then the programme when it becomes available. The 2025 edition is valuable context for the event’s scale and educational approach, but its anniversaries, brands and talks are not a new schedule. For collectors, the useful work is comparing actual references and speaking with the people behind them. For newcomers, a well-chosen introductory session can be more rewarding than chasing a limited edition.
Keep a short list of what you want to learn and a flexible route around it. Check exact reference numbers, ask about the movement or finishing, and take notes so your later comparison is based on more than a first impression. Preserve time for an unfamiliar maker; the event’s value is also discovery. If your aim is a purchase, distinguish an exhibition discussion from a confirmed order and its written terms.
Follow the organiser for programme and registration announcements, then make travel and session plans from those confirmed details. There is no live 2026 countdown to catch and no reason to rush into a booking based on an old guide. The strongest preparation is a clear question, an accurate date and enough time to explore the craft.
For current programme and access details, use Dubai Watch Week’s official website. The historical examples above refer to 2025; they are not a confirmed exhibitor or speaker list for 2027.
