Celebrating 10 years of Horology Forum

With the 2024 instalment of Horology Forum marking 10 years of the institution, what better time than now to look back on some of the biggest highlights and greatest moments over the years? From inside jokes to incredible insights, here are the 10 greatest moments of Dubai Watch Week’s Horology Forum. 

The CEO of Breitling South Africa 

Sometimes, the greatest successes can be found through adversity, and that’s certainly the case when, in 2021, Lisa Rony inadvertently introduced Georges Kern as the CEO of Breitling South Africa. This harmless gaffe led to renowned wags Nick Foulkes, Wei Koh and others all claiming the title of ‘CEO South Africa’. 

Stephen McDonnell bares his heart on stage

‘I never thought I’d cry at a watch fair’ is one of the most common responses to people lucky enough to see Stephen McDonnell speak in 2023. Because while McDonnell is a very respected watchmaker, best known for his work with MB&F, few people suspected the depth of his passion. Within minutes of this panel, messages flew, telling everyone to come and see this remarkable discussion, which has over 12,000 views on YouTube.

Famous Faces at the Forum

It’s always cool when someone famous shares the same passion as you — so it was both validating and inspiring to see internationally recognised leaders like Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary, His Excellency Omar Al Olama and Her Excellency Hala Badri grace the Horology Forum stages. 

Old Verus New

In the New York installment of Horology Forum we pioneered a debate format, and when Moser’s Bertrand Meylan and Brew’s Jonathan Ferrer met to talk about the pros and cons of reviving old brands, there was refreshing lack of PR-spin, making for a passionate and insightful discussion. 

Horology Forum on the World Stage

In 2018 Horology Forum left its home in Dubai and headed to London, introducing the intellectually driven debate and discussion to a global audience, and bringing in a particularly British flavour, exploring Britain’s legacy of timekeeping, from Harrison to Daniels, as well as showcasing the British watchmaking renaissance. 

SecondHand brings post-match commentary to Horology Forum

Move over ESPN, DWW has its own post-match commentry session, as you see in this play-by-play analysis of famed internet watch reviewer Tim Mosso’s debating the importance of family values, up against a less-than confrontational Fiona Kruger. 

Horology Forum during Covid

2020 is a year that saw Horology Forum enter people’s homes as part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than pause our plans, we hosted an intimate online forum and became very familiar with the phrase ‘you’re on mute’.

The Waitlist for the Waitlist

In 2019 waitlists were the hottest topic in watches — a source of frustration for everyone from authorised dealers through to regular watch buyers. So, it was only appropriate that our panel on the topic had a waitlist of its own. But more than that, it was a refreshingly clear and transparent explanation of the waitlist process. 

Horology Forum’s first Arabic panel

For the first eight years of Horology Forum, everything was in english, and it wasn’t until 2023, when the panel ‘Honoring the Dividend of Trust’ explored the importance of family businesses in the UAE in Arabic, showcasing the global nature of the Horology Forum. 

271 speakers across 17 industries, with 94 panels.

Horology Forum is greater than the sum of its parts, but that sum is still very impressive. Over 10 years, the Forum has hosted 271 speakers across 17 industries (no surprise that the watch industry is dominating that breakdown) and a remarkable 94 panels. It’s a remarkable platform to create bridges and bonds with individuals with a shared passion for horology.