Ahmed Seddiqi, the Dubai-based watch retailer, is bringing 24 independent watchmakers to Abu Dhabi this month. Mavericks of Time 2026, organised in partnership with Abu Dhabi Retail, is scheduled to take place at Space42 Arena on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, according to the event’s official page.
The line-up reads like a list of the names collectors usually travel to Geneva to meet. Several have watches among this year’s finalists for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, whose winners are due to be named in Geneva on Saturday 7 November, a week after the Abu Dhabi event closes. Others were at Geneva Watch Days in September. For collectors in the UAE and the wider Gulf, it is a chance to see in one place what normally means a flight to Switzerland.
This guide covers the practical details, what to expect and the makers worth seeking out. The details below come from the official event page; check it again before you go, as programmes can change.
When and where
- Dates: Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026
- Thursday: 12:00 to 22:00
- Friday: 15:00 to 22:00
- Venue: Space42 Arena, Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi
- Organisers: Ahmed Seddiqi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Retail
- Registration: through the event page at seddiqi.com/mavericksoftime/register
The official page does not list ticket prices, so register in advance and read the confirmation for entry details. Space42 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor venue on Al Raha Beach, with a main hall that can hold up to 3,000 guests, according to SatellitePro Middle East.
What to expect
The organisers describe a programme built around the makers rather than a row of conventional stands. The event page promises interactive reveals inside a space called the Seddiqi Vault, personal styling sessions, and what it calls gamified moments built around each maker. It does not yet give a timetable of talks or reveals, so look again at the page closer to the date.
The format suits independent watchmaking, where the person behind the watch is often part of its appeal. Many of these makers produce small numbers each year, and an event like this is one of the few chances to see several of their watches side by side and ask questions in person.
The line-up
Twenty-four makers appear under the heading Meet the Mavericks: Ressence, De Bethune, Ulysse Nardin, Rexhep Rexhepi, Vyntage Horology, Daniel Roth, Urwerk, Gerald Genta, Girard-Perregaux, Gerald Charles, Laurent Ferrier, Chronoswiss, Speake-Marin, HYT, Vanguart, Konstantin Chaykin, Logo24, Norqain, Studio Underdog, Nivada Grenchen, Atelier Wen, Kollokium, Keris and Singer.
A separate section, At the Cutting Edge of Watchmaking, features four more houses: Greubel Forsey, H. Moser & Cie., Bovet and Universal Genève.
The list mixes larger houses, such as Ulysse Nardin and Girard-Perregaux, with small workshops and revived names such as Daniel Roth. Some of the watches are unusual even by independent standards: Ressence shows the time on turning discs rather than conventional hands, Urwerk is known for its wandering hour displays, and HYT tells the time with coloured liquid moving through a fine tube.
Makers to seek out
This autumn’s news gives a few clear reasons to stop at particular tables.
Rexhep Rexhepi. The Geneva-based independent’s Chronograph Flyback is a GPHG 2026 finalist in the Chronograph category. A flyback lets the wearer reset and restart the stopwatch with a single press.
Laurent Ferrier. The house has two finalists: the Classic Origin Beige in Time Only and the Sport Traveller Slate Grey in Sports.
Konstantin Chaykin. His Thinking Mystery is a finalist in Mechanical Exception. In September, a unique piece of his was the top lot at the Geneva Watch Days charity auction, selling for CHF 24,000.
Daniel Roth. At Geneva Watch Days the brand launched the Extra Plat Rose Gold Gilt: a 38.6 x 35.5mm case in 5N rose gold, the hand-wound calibre DR002 and 65 hours of power reserve, priced at CHF 55,000 at launch. Its Extra Plat Rose Gold Skeleton is a finalist in the Essential category.
Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk. Both are on the list, and their joint UR-FREAK is a finalist in Complication. Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato Fifty Three Gold Bridges is another finalist, in Tourbillon.
In the Cutting Edge section, Bovet has three GPHG finalists, the Récital 23, the Récital 31 and the Monsieur Bovet Tribute to Edouard Bovet, and H. Moser & Cie. has three more.
Planning your visit
- Register early. Entry is through registration, and the page gives no ticket prices.
- Choose your day. Thursday is the longer day, open from midday; Friday opens at 15:00.
- Make a short list. With 28 names across both sections, decide in advance which tables matter most to you.
- Ask the makers. Questions about servicing, availability and how a watch is finished are exactly what an event like this is for.
- Follow the prize. The GPHG ceremony is due to take place on 7 November at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva and will be streamed live on gphg.org.
Why it matters for the Gulf
Ahmed Seddiqi runs more than 50 boutiques across the UAE and carries more than 100 brands. In October 2025, during its 75th anniversary, it opened its first boutique outside the UAE, on Tahliah Street in Riyadh. The group founded Dubai Watch Week in 2015.
Mavericks of Time takes that role to the capital, and its timing is well judged. It falls in the week before the GPHG, when attention on the finalists is at its height. Dubai Watch Week’s own website lists no 2026 edition, which makes this one of the rare opportunities this autumn to meet many of these makers in the UAE.
For a few days in October, the names collectors usually fly to Geneva to meet will be within easy reach.
Sources: Ahmed Seddiqi, WorldTempus, SatellitePro Middle East, Wallpaper, The Hour Markers, WWD