I was at Dubai Watch Week in 2023, and it was good but small. This year? Completely different league. The Seddiqi family built what I can only describe as a watch village — right by the water, directly across from Burj Khalifa. They weren't just hosting a fair. They were making a statement.

I came on two assignments. The first was Jacob & Co — content manager duties, photographing their new releases. The second was something new for me: walking the fair as a reporter, meeting brands, building editorial content for this site. Less Instagram, more storytelling.

The highlights just kept coming. Konstantin Chaykin launched "The Rabbit" — it can sit on a chain around your neck or on your wrist as a watch. More because it can than because it's practical, but that's exactly what I love about what he does. Louis Vuitton showed a collaboration with Votaline that was genuinely impressive, and Frederique Constant presented a limited edition box that showed how far they've come — I really like that team. And the Jacob & Co Billionaire rainbow watch — I managed to create one of my best viral videos ever with that one. A customer experience kind of feel — someone walks into the boutique, gets the watch on their wrist, and you get to see the reaction. It just worked.

But the most important moment, looking back? Meeting Collectors Gallery for the first time. I showed up, introduced myself, showed them what I could do. Four months later, they became a client. That's how this business works — you deliver, and things happen.

I stayed at the Paramount Hotel in Business Bay — they gave me a suite where a small family could've lived comfortably. Fantastic views over Burj Khalifa, great pool, top-level service. Dubai just does hotels at another level. I also ran into the Davidoff Brothers — Roy and Sasha from their vintage shop in Geneva — and we went out for dinner. Always a good evening when those guys are in town. And the Menta Watches guys were there too, who I'd end up visiting in Miami a couple of months later.

Overall? One of the best fairs I've been to. I hope they keep flexing like this — they showed the whole industry that you can build something serious outside Switzerland. AP took the prize for best booth, and honestly, it was powerful to see what they'd done. But the whole thing was impressive.