Courtesy of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, one of the largest watch retailers in the United Arab Emirates, and The House of Bovet have partnered to create a 19Thirty Dimier timepiece, limited to just 50 pieces. Designed exclusively for the multi-brand purveyor in celebration of its 70th anniversary in the region, the blackened dial in Côtes de Genève decoration features Arabic and Hindi numerals on two canary yellow subdials. And while it was, technically, created for the Middle East, it will be available for purchase to collectors worldwide. “The only issue is they end up selling very quickly,” Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, chief commercial officer of the family-owned business, told Robb Report.
Despite the partnership, the watch features zero branding save for the Seddiqi tagline, “Curators of Time Since 1950” and the Bovet logo instead of its name. It is called Dimier in reference to one of Bovet’s manufactures, which sometimes creates pieces under that name for other clients. “I decided to baptize my facilities, Dimier, not Bovet,” Pascal Raffy, owner of Bovet, told Robb Report. “Two hundred years ago, Dimier was a famous brand in Asia. Why Dimier? Because I had very important, beautiful watchmaking brands as clients for the movements. I didn’t want to call it Bovet, because people don’t like to say, ‘I buy my movements from Bovet.’” It is the first time The House of Bovet (which encompasses both its Dimier and Bovet manufactures) has used a tagline from an external company on one of its dials.
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons x Bovet Limited Edition Watch Courtesy of Ahmed Seddiqi & Son
“The relationship with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons and The House of Bovet has been very strong for many years and Mr. Raffy has always been a key partner in creating a few unique timepieces for Seddiqi, its clients and the region,” says Seddiqi. “Clients are always looking for something different, and by placing their trust in us to create special pieces for them, they are always excited to see what’s coming next.”
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons x Bovet Limited Edition Watch Strap Courtesy of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
The 42 mm by 9.55 mm piece, which is equipped with an in-house movement and a 7-day power reserve located at 6 o’clock, comes with two other notable firsts for Seddiqi clients—the premiere of a DLC coated case and a yellow cabochon stone for the crown. These features, along with the highlight of color on the subdials, offer a rare collectible for fans of Bovet. And as an added bonus it comes in a wooden presentation box with black onyx and yellow jade Misbaha prayer beads, as well as an extra yellow rubber strap in a woven pattern, for those looking for an extra pop on the wrist.
Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons x Bovet Limited Edition Watch Courtesy of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Seddiqi says other limited editions with its clients are in the works for next year, so stay tuned.
