Tatler speaks to Hind Seddiqi, the chief marketing and communications officer at Seddiqi Holding and director general of Dubai Watch Week about her first watch, her favourite independent watchmakers and why she chose Hong Kong for the latest edition of The Horology Forum
This year, Dubai Watch Week hosted the 10th edition of the Horology Forum in Hong Kong from October 22 to 24, marking its debut in the city known for its deep-rooted connection to the luxury watch market. The forum serves as an intellectual hub for discussions on horology, featuring panel discussions, masterclasses, and networking events that engage both industry professionals and the public.
The Horology Forum has previously travelled to cities like London and New York, but its arrival in Hong Kong highlights the city’s status as a central player in Asia’s luxury watch scene. This edition, titled HF 10, explored critical topics related to the evolution of horology in East Asia and beyond. With a lineup of esteemed speakers and interactive workshops, the forum aimed to connect local watch enthusiasts with global trends and innovations in watchmaking.
During her visit, Tatler sat down with Hind Seddiqi, the chief marketing and communications officer at Seddiqi Holding and director general of Dubai Watch Week, to chat about watches, her vision for the future of horology and her commitment to championing independent watchmakers.
Hind Seddiqi addressing the audience (Photo: courtesy of Dubai Watch Week)
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Your family has built an incredible legacy in Dubai. How has that shaped your approach to work and leadership?
My leadership style is a mix of different family members—a little bit from my father, and a little bit from my uncle. I tend to admire characteristics within people’s personalities, not [emulate] per se the full personality. One of the [values] that all of my family members have is that they are very humble. I think that’s the most important thing, and it’s one of the key successes of Dubai Watch Week as well. We’re okay if we make a mistake or fail again. If we launch something and it doesn’t work, it’s okay. So I think the characteristic of being humble allows you to accept failures—things that don’t succeed more than anything—and to also accept feedback, of course. This combination is something that’s really helped Dubai Watch Week. We always take feedback from people in the industry and attendees on how they would like us to do things differently.
Can you share your personal connection with horology? When did you first become fascinated by watches?
Growing up in a household where my father would always come home with new watches had a significant impact on me. My father would show us what he had today, and I remember being fascinated when he brought home his Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso because it had another face for another watch. I remember sneaking into the drawers when he was napping, and playing with it on my own. Whenever he went to Geneva, he used to always come back with Flik Flaks. So that was really my first watch, but my first real watch was a Tag Heuer Link.
