Prince Faisal bin Saad bin Saud bin Mohammed inaugurated the fine watchmaking exhibition Salon des Grandes Complications in Riyadh on April 15. The annual event, which is open to public, is being held once again at Al-Faisaliah Hotel and runs through Thursday.
Designed to celebrate watch culture in the Middle East, the exhibition offers the watchmaking community in Saudi Arabia an exceptional setting in which to enjoy new timepieces and groundbreaking technologies. A new addition to this year’s event, the “Arabian Connoisseurs Majlis” is a gathering place for collectors and brand representatives to convene, converse and enjoy informative talks on a variety of watchmaking subjects.
Taking place for the third time in Riyadh, the event underlines the importance of Saudi Arabia to watchmakers.
“The Middle East in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular, have undoubtedly become an area of the world where recognition and appreciation for Swiss high-end watchmaking tradition have become an established reality,” said Teresa Garin Ruiz de Mendarozqueta, general manager, Middle East and India, Ulysse Nardin.
“In a world where the pace of high-tech advances is hard to keep up with, the exquisite beauty and precision of a hand-made watch movement is a value to hold on to, and the increasing number of watch connoisseurs in this region is testament to it,” de Mendarozqueta added.
In addition to 12 participating Maisons from around the world, four leading Saudi watch and jewelry retailers are also participating in the event.
Dive theme highlights include the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Green Bronze, which taps into the strong khaki and bronze trend, Breitling’s retro-inspired Superocean Héritage II Automatic 44 and Ulysse Nardin’s contemporary classic Diver 42mm.
“Great Escapements” is another key theme, ranging from the futuristic high-speed oscillator technology of the Zenith Defy Inventor, to the more traditional Blancpain Villeret Tourbillon 12 Jours with its exceptionally long power reserve.
The event is taking place alongside the 10th annual Jewellery Salon 2019, a well-established jewelry exhibition in the Kingdom.
Both events are being held in partnership with Bentley Motors and with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Saudi Arabia.
