The GCC has long had an appetite for fine things. Architecture, cars, calligraphy, couture. It is no surprise then that watches have quietly joined that landscape. In recent years, timepieces in the region have stepped out of the margins and into open admiration, creating a space where collectors, creatives and newcomers are all part of the same conversation.
At the centre of that conversation is a growing cadre of watch influencers. What are watch influencers, you ask? They are the experts who decode a world rich in technical language and translate it into something people want to engage with. What makes this group compelling is not only the pieces they wear but the way they speak about them. Some treat horology with the seriousness of something to be deciphered and studied. Others see it as part of personal style. Each, in a different way, has shaped how the region sees watches today.
Below is an original guide to some GCC-based names shaping the conversation.
Hassan Akhras / @arabwatchguide
Hassan Akhras is widely regarded as one of the region’s most influential voices in watch collecting. Long before “watch influencer” became part of the lexicon, he built a platform dedicated to makers, stories and the small details that define serious horology. His strength lies in the way he engages both brands and collectors. He has created communities, spotlighted regional collectors and championed independent watchmakers alongside major maisons. His content leans toward thoughtful explanation rather than surface admiration, earning him a following that stretches well beyond the Gulf.
Misha Daud / @watch_fashionista
Misha Daud approaches watches the way a stylist approaches a wardrobe. Her account rests on the belief that a watch should claim its place in a collection and stand its ground in an outfit. She treats timepieces as part of a visual language, pairing them with jewlery, color, texture and mood in a way that feels personal. Her influence comes from making serious watches feel wearable. She collapses the boundary between horology and daily life and shows how a single piece can shift the tone of an entire look. Many women in the region discovered collecting through her lens.
Ladies Watch Club / @ladieswatch.club
Based in Dubai, this community has turned watch appreciation into a shared experience. Created to give women a space to learn, compare notes and explore the craft, the club highlights wrist shots, new releases and snapshots from its gatherings around the city. Its greatest achievement is accessibility. For many collectors, it becomes an entry point into a world that can feel exclusive or opaque. It has helped build a culture in which women collectors are visible, informed and engaged.
Dubai Watch Club Girls / @dubaiwatchclubgirls
From informal meet-ups to a feed that reflects what women in the city are actually wearing, Dubai Watch Club Girls offers a mix of vintage finds and modern favorites in an intentionally understated tone. The appeal lies in its realism. Instead of curated brand imagery, followers see watches in everyday settings such as coffee shops, gatherings and boutiques, offering a ground-level view of what the city’s collectors value.
Katia Jundi / @katsbling
Katia Jundi brings a broad cultural lens to watches. Her commentary links timepieces to design, craftsmanship, history and, at times, red carpet moments. Her posts combine close attention to detail with an instinctive sense of which pieces resonate in the region. She speaks to a wide audience of seasoned collectors, occasional buyers and anyone curious about the story behind a watch.
Dr Caliber / @dr.caliber
For anyone who has ever wanted a clear and patient explanation of how a watch works, Dr Caliber delivers. His content is technical yet accessible, breaking down complications, materials, proportions and movement architecture into language newcomers and seasoned collectors can appreciate. His account has become a learning space for audiences in the Gulf who want depth without being overwhelmed.
Bader Belselah / @bader_belselah
Bader Belselah is a collector whose feed reads like a personal diary of his horological life. The watches he features range from classic references to more idiosyncratic choices, photographed with clarity and accompanied by brief reflections on why each piece matters to him. The charm of his account is its sincerity. It does not impress through scale but through taste, offering an intimate view of how one collector builds a collection over time.
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