A significant 75-year anniversary is a major milestone for any organization, and for Ahmed Seddiqi, the influential luxury watch and jewellery retailer in the Middle East, it presents an opportunity to celebrate a long-nurtured legacy. To mark this occasion, the company has partnered with Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin to create a highly exclusive timepiece: the Diver [AIR] 75th Anniversary Seddiqi Edition. This collaboration builds on one of Ulysse Nardin's most ambitious recent creations, the world's lightest mechanical diving watch, and adapts it with design codes that honor the retailer's heritage.
The release is strictly limited to only 30 pieces, immediately establishing it as a rare item for dedicated collectors. The watch is a commemorative piece, but it is also a technical statement, pushing the boundaries of what a professional-grade dive watch can be. It leverages a deep well of material innovation to achieve its record-setting lightness, weighing in at an astonishing 52 grams, including its strap. This project merges Ulysse Nardin's history of marine-focused instruments with Ahmed Seddiqi's modern regional identity.
Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin
For 75 years, Ahmed Seddiqi has been a foundational pillar in the development of watch appreciation and culture within its region. Founded in 1950, the company has grown from a single shop to a sprawling network of over 50 locations, representing more than 100 brands. Its reputation is built on curating a vast collection of luxury timepieces and jewellery, but also on fostering a deep expertise in horology and providing a high standard of service, playing a pivotal role in introducing and establishing many of the world's finest watchmaking names to a new audience.
This 75th-anniversary edition is therefore a celebration of that enduring presence. It's a collaboration that reflects the retailer's dedication to exceptional craftsmanship and its journey in elevating the luxury retail landscape. As stated by Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, the CEO, the timepiece is seen as a tribute to both innovation and heritage, honoring the company's legacy while continuing to push standards.
The choice of Ulysse Nardin as a partner is fitting, given the watchmaker's own deep and legitimate history connected to the ocean. Founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland, the Maison quickly established itself as a premier producer of marine chronometers. These high-precision instruments were not fashion accessories; they were critical tools for navigation, trusted by navies and explorers around the globe for determining longitude at sea.
This legacy of creating robust, reliable instruments for marine use provides a solid foundation for the brand's modern dive watch collections. Ulysse Nardin's exploration of water-resistant timepieces is not a recent development. The company created its first waterproof instrument way back in 1893 and produced its first dedicated dive watch in 1964. This history continued with pieces like the 2001 Aqua Perpetual, a unique watch that combined a 200-meter water-resistant case with a perpetual calendar.
Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin
In more recent years, Ulysse Nardin has focused on merging its high-horology, skeleton-working skills with its dive watch credentials. This "hybridisation" was crystallized in 2021 with the launch of the Diver X Skeleton, a watch that broke convention by applying open-working to a professional dive watch, a category usually defined by solid, robust dials for maximum legibility. This set the stage for the Diver [AIR], which took that concept to a new extreme by focusing on ultra-lightweight materials.
The Diver [AIR] 75th Anniversary Seddiqi Edition is a direct evolution of that 2025 "talking piece." It is a skeletonized sport watch that fully exposes its mechanical movement, blending architectural beauty with the rugged performance specifications of a true diving instrument. The challenge is immense: create a watch that is water-resistant to 200 meters, resistant to impact, and legible in the dark, all while removing as much material as possible to achieve a feather-light profile.
The 44 mm case is a complex construction of advanced, sustainable materials. The central case middle is crafted from 90% recycled titanium, which provides the lightweight, hypoallergenic, and corrosion-resistant core. This is then flanked by side parts made of Nylo®-Foil, an innovative composite made from 60% recycled fishing nets and 40% upcycled carbon fibers, directly tying the watch's construction to ocean conservation.
The watch's most striking visual element, aside from the open-worked dial, is its concave unidirectional rotating bezel. This component is forged entirely from 100% upcycled CarbonFoil. This material is not a simple uniform black; it possesses a dynamic, swirling, marbled pattern of light and dark grays, a byproduct of the forging process. This layered, organic look gives the watch an aggressive, high-tech appearance and ensures that the pattern on each of the 30 pieces is unique.
Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin
This special edition for Seddiqi is defined by its use of a specific "vibrant blue" color, chosen to evoke the spirit of the Gulf. This electric, almost cyan-blue is applied strategically to create a sharp, powerful contrast against the monochromatic grays and blacks of the carbon and titanium. It appears on the crown protectors, the indexes on the bezel, and key components of the dial, unifying the entire design.
Looking at the watch, there is no traditional dial. The wearer peers directly into the heart of the machine. The movement itself, the Calibre UN-374, acts as the visual centerpiece. Its bridges and main plate, also made from 90% recycled titanium, are skeletonized into a bold, geometric 'X' structure, a signature of Ulysse Nardin's modern skeleton watches. This open framework allows a clear view of the gear train and other components.
At the 12 o'clock position, the open-worked barrel is on full display, allowing the owner to see the mainspring coiled inside, which provides the watch's energy. In direct opposition at 6 o'clock is the "flying" tourbillon, which showcases the oversized silicon balance wheel. This entire assembly appears to float, held in place by the intricate bridges, offering a captivating mechanical spectacle.
Despite the complex, open-worked background, legibility is maintained. The large, rhodium-finished indexes are applied to the minimal vibrant blue flange ring and filled with white Super-LumiNova®. The black hour and minute hands are similarly large and treated with lume to stand out against the mechanics below. The second hand is tipped in vibrant blue Super-LumiNova®, matching the accents and providing a clear indication that the watch is running, a critical check for a diver.
Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin
Powering this lightweight machine is the in-house Calibre UN-374, an automatic skeleton movement. This calibre was re-engineered from the Diver X Skeleton's UN-372 movement with an obsessive focus on reducing weight while increasing strength. It features 199 components and 21 jewels, and it beats at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 V/h).
Beyond its skeletonized titanium plates, the UN-374 is packed with high-technology. It features an oversized balance wheel and a balance spring, both made from silicon. The escapement wheel and anchor are also crafted from upcycled silicon. This use of silicon, a material Ulysse Nardin pioneered in watchmaking, makes the movement highly resistant to magnetism and temperature variations, improving its precision and long-term reliability.
The movement also boasts a substantial power reserve of approximately 90 hours. This extended running time, well over the industry standard, means the watch can be taken off for a long weekend and will still be running accurately when picked back up, adding a layer of practical convenience to its high-tech specification.
The caseback of the watch is crafted from 90% recycled titanium and features an open mineral glass window, offering a view of the skeletonised calibre from the rear. This view includes the rotor, which features a vibrant blue UN logo, and is personalized with a special "75" transfer to commemorate the Seddiqi anniversary, a subtle nod to the milestone.
This 30-piece limited edition is water-resistant to 200 meters, meeting the stringent standards for a professional dive watch. This rating is ensured by a screw-down crown, which is protected by the prominent, blue-accented crown guards, reinforcing its credentials as a genuine, high-performance sport watch.
Courtesy of Ulysse Nardin
The watch is delivered with two strap options to offer versatility. The primary strap is a vibrant blue elastic fabric strap with a simple scratch-closing system, perfectly matching the dial accents and contributing to the watch's overall lightweight feel. An alternative white rubber strap is also included, equipped with a black ceramic and black PVD titanium folding clasp, offering a different, high-contrast look.
As for pricing and availability, the Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] 75th Anniversary Seddiqi Edition is a celebration of an exclusive, long-standing partnership. With only 30 pieces being created worldwide, this is an extremely limited release. The watch is available exclusively through Ahmed Seddiqi boutiques. Given the rarity, the advanced materials, and the horological engineering involved, pricing is understandably reserved for serious inquiries made directly to the retailer.
Case: 44 mm diameter, 14.7 mm height. 90% recycled titanium middle case with Nylo®-Foil side parts (60% recycled fishing nets / 40% upcycled carbon fibre). CarbonFoil concave rotating bezel (100% upcycled carbon fibre). 90% recycled titanium open mineral glass caseback. Water-resistant to 200 m.
Movement: Calibre UN-374 Manufacture skeleton automatic movement. Features hours, minutes, seconds. Bridges and main plate in 90% recycled titanium. Oversized silicon balance wheel, silicon balance spring, and upcycled silicon escapement. Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 V/h). Approx. 90-hour power reserve.
Dial: Minimal skeleton vibrant blue dial. Rhodium finish indexes with white Super-LumiNova®. Black hour and minute hands; white second hand with vibrant blue Super-LumiNova®.
Strap: Vibrant blue elastic fabric strap with scratch closing. Includes an additional white rubber strap with a black ceramic and black PVD titanium folding clasp.
Price: Upon Request
Reference Number: 3743-170LE-3A-SED_0A
Notes: Limited edition of 30 pieces for the 75th anniversary of Ahmed Seddiqi. It is the world’s lightest mechanical dive watch, weighing only 52 grams with the strap. Features a personalized 75th anniversary transfer on the caseback.