The hottest watches launched at Dubai Watch Week 2025 (so far)

It’s November, and that can only mean one thing: Dubai is turning into the world’s biggest watch playground for Dubai Watch Week.

This year’s edition didn’t disappoint. The big names showed up, the independents brought their quirks, and there was plenty on show to lust after.

I’ve spent hours trawling through press releases, picking out the hottest watches launched at Dubai Watch Week 2025. Here are the launches that stood out to me…

TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1

TAG Heuer used Dubai Watch Week 2025 to show off something seriously ambitious: the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1.

The whole watch leans into the idea of speed and airflow, inspired by Formula 1 (which TAG Heuer sponsors). The case is built from Grade-5 titanium using an aerospace-style 3D-printing process, which gives it that sculpted, hollowed-out look. It’s light, at just 85 grams, but still has plenty of presence, thanks to the honeycomb structure and flashes of gold and black DLC.

Inside, you get the TH81-00, a movement TAG Heuer developed with Vaucher. It’s the most complicated chronograph the brand has put into a Monaco, complete with a split-seconds mechanism and a 65-hour power reserve. Most of the components are titanium, again keeping things light but strong.

TAG Heuer is making just 30 examples of the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1.

Tudor Ranger 36mm

Tudor has added a 36mm Ranger to its lineup, along with a new “Dune white” dial option, and the result feels like the watch many people quietly hoped the modern Ranger would become.

The design stays true to the familiar formula – big Arabic numerals at the cardinal points, painted markers, and that clean, no-nonsense layout that made the 39mm model so charming – but the smaller case is more wearable, and it suits the whole vintage expedition-watch vibe perfectly.

Tudor has always pitched the Ranger as the practical, go anywhere, do anything watch. The new model keeps that spirit alive with its brushed steel case, reliable chronometer-certified movement, long power reserve, and that handy T-fit clasp.

You can get it on a bracelet or a fabric strap, and both keep things simple and tough.

Read more: Tudor Ranger shrinks and gets a new dial option – now I think it’s perfect

Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Beige

To celebrate its fifteenth anniversary, Laurent Ferrier reveals a new interpretation of its foundational model: the Classic Origin. For the first time within the collection, the Classic Origin Beige brings a new warmth and radiance thanks to 5N red gold paired with a beige dial. The result is this beautifully warm-toned watch.

Beneath the sapphire case back lies the manually wound LF116.01 calibre. It forms the beating heart of the Classic Origin Beige, crafted with the same uncompromising refinement and finishes that Laurent Ferrier reserves for all calibres.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Three Gold Bridges

Girard-Perregaux celebrates two of its most iconic designs in the new Laureato Three Gold Bridges, uniting the 1867 Three Bridges with the 1975 Laureato in a single 41 mm masterpiece.

It’s limited to just 50 pieces and combines heritage and modernity with a purpose-built in-house calibre GP9620, featuring a tourbillon, platinum micro-rotor, and three white-gold openworked bridges aligned on a single axis.

Every detail is hand-finished, from 418 polished bevels to 362 inward angles, while arrow-shaped bridge ends and floating luminescent indexes aid legibility.

The integrated white-gold and steel case is paired with a domed-link bracelet featuring tool-free micro-adjustment.

Want more bling? A diamond-set version adds 32 baguette-cut stones.

Uylsse Nardin x Urwerk UR-FREAK

The UR-FREAK is a 2025 limited-edition watch born from the first collaboration between Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk, two of modern watchmaking’s most inventive independent brands. It fuses Ulysse Nardin’s iconic Freak, which rotates the entire movement to display time, with Urwerk’s signature wandering hour satellite system, creating a single, fully integrated in-house calibre.

Over 150 new components were developed to craft the three-hour rotating carousel, jumping hour discs, and satellite hands, all powered by the UN-241 movement with a 3Hz silicon oscillator and 90-hour power reserve.

The watch also features Ulysse Nardin’s Grinder automatic winding system and DIAMonSil technology, a silicon-diamond material that enhances durability and efficiency.

The innovative movement is packaged in a 44mm sandblasted titanium case, and features deep anthracite grey and electric yellow accents on the dial.

Limited to 100 pieces.

Mattar Bin Lahej x Bulgari Octo Finissimo

The limited-edition Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo is adorned with laser-engraved Arabic calligraphy across its titanium case, bracelet, and dial.

It draws inspiration from the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai – “The future will be for those who can imagine, design, and implement it. The future does not wait, but it can be designed and built today.”

Limited to 70 pieces, the Mattar Bin Lahej x Octo Finissimo features a 40mm case that measures just 5mm thick. Inside is the BVL 138, an ultra-thin automatic movement with micro-rotor, decorated by hand with Côtes de Genève, chamfering and perlage finishing.

Biver Automatique Collection

Biver isn’t slowing down. The Automatique started life as the brand’s stripped-back idea of what a modern high-end watch should be, and this new wave of references shows just how far that idea can stretch.

There are nine new models this year, including a fresh two-tone option, two Lavender Jade dial variants, an intricate Clous de Paris guilloché dial, a few Blue Quartzite models, an Oeil de Fer dial, and, my personal favourite, a Mahogany Obsidian dial with Rose Gold case.

Instead of chasing complications, the focus here is on materials, texture, and old-school craft used in unexpected ways. You get metalwork pushed to extremes and stones chosen for their personality rather than prestige.

It’s all still recognisably Biver (which is impressive, considering the brand is just three years old), just with a wider variety.

Louis Vuitton Escale

Louis Vuitton has introduced two limited-run Escale models that lean hard into ornamental stonework. One uses turquoise, the other malachite, and each watch is capped at 30 pieces.

The stones aren’t just on the dial, the 40mm case carries a full ring of the same material, with platinum used for the lugs, bezel, crown and caseback to keep everything stable and sharp-looking.

Because every slice of turquoise or malachite behaves differently, the team at La Fabrique du Temps had to rethink how the Escale case is built. Each stone is cut, shaped and polished by hand, with workers reacting to quirks in the material as they go.

Both watches come on textured Saffiano leather straps that pick up the colours of the stones. Inside, you get the LFT023 automatic calibre with its rose-gold micro-rotor on show through the caseback.

Daniel Roth Tourbillon Platinum

Daniel Roth’s latest creation, the Tourbillon Platinum, brings the brand’s signature double-ellipse case back in a precious metal that collectors have been waiting for. It follows the yellow and rose gold models that relaunched the brand in 2023, but this one has a cooler, more modern presence thanks to its platinum case and anthracite dial.

The metal adds heft and scarcity, but it also makes life harder for the watchmakers, because machining platinum takes far longer than gold (which is partly why it’s so rarely used).

The dial keeps things traditional: solid white gold, hand-cut linear guilloché and separate sterling-silver elements that are engine-turned one by one. It’s slow work. A single dial can take days, and the slightest slip means starting over.

Inside sits the DR001, a shaped, hand-finished movement with the sort of details you normally only see under a loupe. It’s slimmer and stronger than the original, with an 80-hour reserve and finishing that stretches from black-polished steel to thin Geneva stripes.

Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour Aventurine

I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan of the original Bremont Terra Nova Jumping Hour, but this new model, with an Aventurine dial, has changed that.

Limited to just 50 pieces worldwide, this new model brings a striking new material to the Terra Nova collection, pairing a deep blue Aventurine glass dial with a delicately grained 904L steel case and blue leather strap.

Each Aventurine dial is cut using diamond tools and then patiently polished to a bright finish before being mounted to a metal backing plate for added strength and stability. Complementing the dial is Bremont’s first delicately grained 904L steel case, with a sparkling, textured appearance, resembling countless tiny diamond-like facets across the metal.

Hermés Slim d’Hermés Hippocampe

Created in 2015, the Slim d’Hermès is a slim, relatively simple watch designed to highlight artisanal skills. Two new versions have been launched at Dubai Watch Week 2025, both highlighting the art of engraving and leather marquetry. The dials feature a seahorse designed by London-based illustrator Stuart Patience.

Roger Dubuis La Placide Hommage Sukoon Al-Layl

The Hommage Sukoon Al-Layl is the final chapter in Roger Dubuis’ “La Placide” series. It’s a quiet, one-off tribute to the Maison’s founder, unveiled at Dubai Watch Week.

It’s supposed to mirror the softness of a desert night and reflect the calm temperament that earned Mr Dubuis his “Placide” nickname. The watch leans into themes he loved: astronomical complications, poetic storytelling, and the blend of heritage with contemporary craft.

The 38mm piece is forged entirely from platinum, from case to buckle. Even its Astral Blue calfskin strap is stitched with rare platinum thread.

The dial is a layered composition: mother-of-pearl tracks and calendar windows, guilloché waves inspired by shifting sand, a deep blue plate that catches light like dawn, and a moonphase made of blue aventurine with twin gold moons. Four Arabic numerals anchor the Middle Eastern influence, connecting the watch directly to its launch location.

Inside beats the RD1472, a revived blend of the 1999 RD72 biretrograde Perpetual Calendar module and the 2004 RD14 automatic calibre. Many components have been remade from scratch, and the movement carries the Poinçon de Genève seal, complete with 307 parts and a new pink-gold rotor.

Norqain Wild One Meteorite Special Edition

The new Wild One Meteorite Special Edition is the very first timepiece crafted with authentic iron meteorite and marks a significant milestone for Norqain, combining cutting-edge engineering with a cosmic twist that elevates the Wild One collection to new heights.

Each dial is completely unique, showcasing the distinctive Widmanstätten pattern, naturally occurring crystalline structures formed by the extremely slow cooling of metallic asteroids over millions of years.

The 42mm burgundy Norteq case provides a bold and striking frame for this extraterrestrial centrepiece. It’s made from an ultra-light yet robust carbon-fibre material developed exclusively for Norqain.

Inside beats the Norqain Manufacture Calibre NN20/1 by Kenissi, a COSC-certified chronometer visible through a sapphire crystal caseback.

Doxa SUB 300β Ceramic

Doxa has marked Dubai Watch Week with a special-edition Sub 300β Ceramic, limited to just 11 pieces and available only through Ahmed Seddiqi.

It’s the boldest take yet on the Beta series, pairing a matte black ceramic case with a cherry-red dial and matching bezel markings. It’s still every bit a Sub at heart, with 300 metres of water resistance, the signature dual-scale bezel for no-deco dives, and a pressure-proof titanium inner container, but the slimmer 11.95mm profile gives it a cleaner, more refined shape that wears well beyond the beach.

The dial pops with a sunburst finish, crisp white lume, and that familiar Doxa geometry. The watch comes on a black FKM rubber strap, plus a grey NATO in the box.

Gerald Charles Maestro GC39 Remaster Diamond Baguettes

Gérald Charles is marking its 25th birthday with a showpiece built to turn heads at Dubai Watch Week. The one-off Maestro GC39 25th Anniversary Edition gets a bezel packed with 60 baguette-cut diamonds (2.66ct in total), giving the anniversary model a brighter, more theatrical edge.

The dial is the real party trick. It debuts a new “meta-guillochage” process, where layered micro-engravings create a starburst pattern that shifts as the light moves across it. The large jump hour display is a neat nod to Genta’s love of clever mechanics.

Bell & Ross BR-X3 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor

Bell & Ross has taken its signature square case and pushed it into full Haute Horlogerie territory with the new BR-X3 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor, limited to 25 pieces.

It’s a transparent, architectural watch built from steel and large sapphire elements, so the movement isn’t just visible, it’s the only thing to focus on. The case and calibre are structurally linked, turning the watch into a single mechanical sculpture.

Inside sits the BR-CAL.389, a slim movement that pairs a flying tourbillon at 5:30 with a micro-rotor to keep the watch automatic while staying just 9mm thick. Time is shown off-centre, leaving most of the dial open for the grid-like bridges and ruby markers.

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