Main Facts
Independent British horology has found a new, culturally resonant frontier. Studio Underd0g, the whimsical and color-obsessed independent watch brand founded by Richard Benc, has partnered with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons—the preeminent luxury watch retailer in the United Arab Emirates and the organizational powerhouse behind Dubai Watch Week—to introduce a deeply localized masterpiece: the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES "Chan3ad".
Limited to just 100 individually numbered pieces, the Chan3ad is a monopusher chronograph that pays direct homage to the chan3ad (the Arabic term for the kingfish). Revered as one of the most culturally significant, highly prized, and historically embedded fish species in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf region, the kingfish serves as an unexpected yet brilliantly executed muse for independent watchmaking.
Priced at AED 9,600 (approximately EUR 2,300 / USD 2,600), the watch is available exclusively through Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons boutiques starting September 17, 2026. It combines a 38.5mm stainless steel case, a bespoke Swiss-made hand-wound Sellita monopusher movement with ruthenium anthracite finishing, and a striking two-layer dial featuring Eastern Arabic numerals. True to Studio Underd0g’s reputation for tactile storytelling, the timepiece ships with both a Milanese mesh bracelet and a strap crafted from genuine black salmon leather sourced from Iceland.
Chronology: The Evolution of Studio Underd0g and the Path to Dubai
To understand the weight of the 03SERIES Chan3ad, one must look at the meteoric trajectory of Studio Underd0g. Since its inception, the British microbrand has systematically upended the traditional, often overly serious landscape of mechanical watchmaking.
The Early Days: The 01SERIES and Seagull Roots
Studio Underd0g first caught the global collector community’s eye with its inaugural 01SERIES chronographs. These watches featured bold, fruit-inspired colorways like "Watermelon," "Mint," and "Desert Sky." Powered by the hand-wound Chinese Seagull ST-1901 column-wheel chronograph movement, these pieces proved that exceptional design and mechanical engagement did not require a five-figure price tag. As the brand’s popularity surged—and as global supply chains for the ST-1901 faced constraints—Benc began looking toward higher-end Swiss mechanical infrastructure.
The Swiss Pivot: The 02SERIES and 03SERIES
The brand’s evolution matured with the introduction of the 02SERIES field watches, which relied on the robust, manually wound Sellita SW210-1, followed quickly by the 03SERIES monopusher chronographs. The 03SERIES platform was first teased via high-profile, ultra-exclusive collaborations, most notably the breathtaking Passi0n Fruit perpetual calendar and chronograph pairing co-created with high-horology independent titan H. Moser & Cie.
This set the stage for standard-production and localized iterations, beginning with the widely praised Salm0n edition in 2024. Following Studio Underd0g’s successful exhibition and cultural engagement at Dubai Watch Week 2025, the brand deepened its ties with the Middle Eastern market, culminating in this exclusive partnership with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons.
Supporting Data: Specifications and Engineering
The Studio Underd0g x Ahmed Seddiqi 03SERIES "Chan3ad" (Reference: 02KIB-EA) is far more than a simple dial color swap; it is a meticulously detailed horological tribute.
Case and Dimensions
The watch adheres to the refined proportions of the core 03SERIES architecture:
- Diameter: 38.5mm
- Thickness: 13.6mm overall (reduced to 10.8mm when measuring exclusively the metal case without the box-type sapphire crystal)
- Lug-to-Lug: 44.5mm
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Material: 316L stainless steel, utilizing a three-part case construction
- Caseback: Screwed display caseback with a sapphire exhibition window revealing the movement
- Crown & Pusher: Signed crown accompanied by a neatly integrated rectangular monopusher at the 2 o’clock position, controlling all chronograph functions (start, stop, and reset)
- Water Resistance: 50 meters (5 ATM)
The Dial: A Culinary and Cultural Canvas
The dial is where the "Chan3ad" narrative truly comes alive. Built on a complex two-layer construction, it mimics the visual textures of its namesake fish:
- Upper Layer: Features a striking blue-grey dégradé finish, designed to evoke the iridescent, shimmering scales of a fresh kingfish.
- Lower Layer: Peeks through with a soft, pale pink tone reminiscent of the fish’s flesh.
- Typography: In a nod to its regional exclusivity, the tachymeter scale and subdial markers are rendered in crisp Eastern Arabic numerals.
- Subdials: Features an oversized 30-minute counter at the 3 o’clock position and running seconds at 9 o’clock.
- Accents: The central chronograph seconds hand and subdial indicators are tipped in a vibrant yellow—a direct, playful reference to the fresh lemon wedge traditionally served alongside kingfish dishes across Gulf dining tables. Super-LumiNova coats the primary hour and minute hands for low-light legibility.
Movement Architecture
Powering the Chan3ad is a heavily customized, manually wound, cam-operated monopusher chronograph movement: the Sellita SW510-M (derived structurally from the architecture of the legendary Valjoux 7750 family).
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Jewels: 23
- Power Reserve: A robust 63 hours when fully wound
- Finishing: Regulated to an Élaboré grade (-5/+5 seconds per day), the movement is visually elevated for Studio Underd0g via bespoke ruthenium anthracite-finished bridges adorned with traditional Côtes de Genève.
Strap and Presentation
True to the brand’s irreverent material choices, the Chan3ad comes outfitted on a 20/16mm black salmon leather strap crafted by specialist artisans at The Strap Tailor, utilizing ethically sourced skins from Iceland. The strap is equipped with quick-release spring bars and fastens via a signed stainless steel pin buckle. For collectors looking for a dressier aesthetic, an additional 20/16mm Milanese mesh bracelet is included in the presentation box.
Official Responses and Industry Perspectives
The collaboration bridges two vastly different worlds of horology: the ultra-traditional, multi-generational luxury retail empire of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, and the agile, digital-first, community-driven ecosystem of modern independent watchmaking.
Representatives for Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons emphasized that the partnership underscores Dubai’s growing status as a global epicenter for independent watchmaking appreciation. While mainstream luxury institutions have long dominated the Gulf retail landscape, the appetite among younger, highly educated regional collectors for creative, design-forward microbrands has exploded over the last half-decade.
Richard Benc, founder of Studio Underd0g, noted that working alongside a retailer of Seddiqi’s pedigree presented an incredible opportunity to push the brand’s design language into deeply localized cultural territories. Rather than resorting to superficial regional motifs, the choice of the chan3ad allowed the design team to dive into local culinary culture and coastal heritage, transforming a local delicacy into a sophisticated wrist-bound conversation piece.
Implications: What the Chan3ad Means for Independent Horology
The launch of the 03SERIES Chan3ad carries several significant implications for the watch industry at large:
- The Maturation of Microbrands: Studio Underd0g has firmly graduated from a quirky Kickstarter-style microbrand into a globally respected independent studio capable of partnering with top-tier retail giants like Seddiqi and haute horlogerie houses like H. Moser & Cie.
- Hyper-Localization as a Luxury Currency: Global watch collectors are increasingly fatigued by mass-produced "regional special editions" that merely change a dial color or add a minor caseback engraving. By building a narrative around a culturally hyper-specific subject (the kingfish, paired with Eastern Arabic numerals and lemon-yellow accents), Studio Underd0g demonstrates how regional storytelling can be executed with authenticity and charm.
- The Rise of the Independent Retail Partnership: Traditional retail monoliths are shifting their focus toward independent watchmakers. By giving a microbrand prime boutique placement during Dubai Watch Week season, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons signals that the future of luxury retail belongs not just to legacy conglomerates, but to agile, creatively daring independents who can capture the imaginations of a younger, dynamic demographic.
Limited to 100 pieces and grounded in a rich blend of British design wit and Emirati cultural appreciation, the Studio Underd0g x Ahmed Seddiqi 03SERIES Chan3ad is destined to become one of the most sought-after collector pieces of 2026.
