Founder and creative mind Raúl Tena unveiled at the Dubai Watch Week his inaugural Art to Watch opus, The Pearl Diver. This three-dimensional me sculpture seamlessly blends engineering mastery, artistic expression, and the ancestral savoir faire of Swiss horology
Conceived over five years ago, this enigmatic project came to life through Raúl’s imagination and perseverance, with invaluable contributions from key Master Watchmakers and artisans like Olivier Kuhn, Atelier Miniare, Télôs workshops, Atelier du bracelet, Comblémine, and Kari Voutilainen.
Crafted entirely in Switzerland, The Pearl Diver pays homage to the Gulf’s ancestral pearl-diving tradition and the Seddiqi family, long-standing custodians of fine watch culture in the Middle East. It harmonizes traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, offering a novel interpretation of Méers d’Art in a three-dimensional format. This exclusive edition is limited to five pieces, while subsequent creations in the Art to Watch collection can be meticulously tailored, developed individually with each collector through a bespoke creative process.
At the core of The Pearl Diver is a hand-engraved gold sculpture by Olivier Kuhn, patinated to mimic the aged bronze of deep-sea artifacts. Nestled within the composition is a natural pearl from the Gulf, carefully selected for its size and color, paying tribute to the ocean’s mysteries and the profound bond between human craftsmanship and nature.
The enamel dial, crafted by Atelier Miniare, features a luminous background adorned with intricate miniature paintings, each detail meticulously hand-rendered. Surrounding the dial is a steel minute ring adorned with Eastern Arabic numerals, a subtle cultural homage to the Middle East and a nod to the watch’s world premiere in Dubai. Deep-black inscriptions contrast with the circular-brushed metal surface, while satin-finished edges shimmer like ripples on the ocean’s surface.
Swiss excellence permeates every dimension of The Pearl Diver, showcasing the pinnacle of watchmaking artistry.
Cradled by Voutilainen-Catin, the 44 mm case—available in steel, titanium, gold, or platinum—reveals beneath its double anti-reflective sapphire crystal the RT01, a hand-wound mechanical movement meticulously developed and assembled by Télôs Watch SA in collaboration with Raúl Tena. This caliber boasts jumping hours and retrograde trailing minutes, offering a refined choreography of timekeeping and providing a power reserve exceeding 60 hours.
Hand-finished by Comblémine, its decoration is visible through the sapphire case back, which features a double anti-reflective coating and a double metallization treatment. This process conceals screws and the O-ring while creating a subtle text effect reminiscent of fine engraving, achieving the desired purity of design.
The watch is fitted with a hand-stitched alligator strap crafted in Geneva by Atelier du Bracelet and comes with a five-year guarantee.
From Engineering to Emotion
A former aeronautical engineer, Raúl Tena transforms engineering into poetry. His creative philosophy, “Art to Watch,” transforms the act of measuring time into an act of self-expression. Each of his creations is co-conceived with master artisans and collectors, blending technical mastery with emotion to form sculptural masterpieces that transcend their functional purpose.
“Engineering taught me precision; art taught me emotion. In my watches, these two coexist: one provides structure, the other imparts meaning,” Raúl Tena explains.
An Independent Voice in Swiss Haute Horlogerie
The Pearl Diver marks the official launch of the Raúl Tena brand—a new niche voice in independent watchmaking that embodies collaborative creativity, bespoke exclusivity, and Swiss savoir-faire. Each creation is envisioned as a dialogue between creator, craftsman, and collector—a personal artwork that measures more than time: emotion.
