Hands-On: Beda’a Eclipse II Watch
Photos by Ripley Sellers
We already know that the Middle East is a hot spot for watches, and particularly luxury timepieces. What it’s not known for is producing such watches — not even for brands that source from outside the region. Beda’a seeks to change that. As the sole Arabic watch brand at almost any show it attends, the Qatari brand seems set on establishing itself in the entry-level luxury space, with watches priced under $5,000. Like many brands, things started off with a simple quartz timepiece. I’d argue Beda’a is still finding its way, but it’s on the right path with the new Beda’a Eclipse II.
Looking down at the Beda’a Eclipse II on the wrist, the most notable thing about the case is the long curved lugs. But reducing this case to “long curved lugs” is a bit of a disservice. It’s not just the concave bezel (a common feature of high-end watches), but the way the entire case profile looks. Measuring 37mm in diameter, the watch is just 9.55mm thick, but even that is misleading. The lugs are dramatic and large, pinched as they approach the middle of the case flank, and descend well below the caseback. This creates a bit of a wrist hug, meaning it can wear well on a wide range of wrists, including Ripley’s 6.5-inch wrist seen herein. But several colleagues of varying wrist sizes all tried it on and found it comfortable and visually pleasing on the wrist. If it weren’t obvious, this watch is not meant for adventure: while it has a sapphire crystal, it’s rated to just 30 meters of water resistance.
The slim crown at 6 maintains a clean look, but it does sacrifice ease of use. To get at it, you almost always have to take the watch off, use the very tips of your fingers, and then rotate it with one thumb. It might be a good idea to keep this on a winder. The watch is completed with the buyer’s choice of a 19mm alligator (seen here) or ostrich strap with a steel pin buckle closure. I’ll admit that I was expecting a folding clasp with a design that matched the somewhat avant-garde case, so the pin buckle — which will wear out the strap faster — was a small let down, but I suppose keeps the profile slim around the wrist.
While the sophistication of the case cannot be overstated, the dial is what will draw the most eyes. For my part, I was immediately reminded of the high-end Citizen Campanola dials, which often feature sweeping curves, multiple colors, and offset time displays. The Eclipse II is more refined than many of those watches, though. Beda’a describes it loftily as a “celestial canvas.” I suppose anything can be anything with the right words and the right mindset. It describes the aventurine dial with it’s jumping hour window and minute hand as a “star-strewn night sky;” I think it’s nice that it did its best to match the hour wheel to the dial, but that the minute hand gets lost in the wrong light. It describes the crescent-shaped inserts on either side as capturing “sunlight in motion;” I think they look like satin-finished fans and are closer to moonlight, which jibes better with a starry sky. It describes the small seconds display as evoking “the windswept sands of Qatar’s majestic deserts;” I think the spear hand’s polished finish against the circular grain of the subdial is perfect, but that model name is misplaced, undersized, unnecessary, or all three. But while I always take issue with aspirational marketing nonsense, what I can’t deny is that the dial is something I immediately fell for. On top of the case, it really sells the watch for me.
The sample we handled at Watches and Wonders 2025 didn’t have the finalized caseback/rotor, so we didn’t bother shooting it. The Eclipse II builds upon the original Eclipse, adding a module developed by the brand with Dubois Depraz to deliver the jumping hour display. The module is mounted on the same automatic SW300 that was used in the first Exclipse, but delivers 52 instead of 56 hours of power, likely due to the added mechanical demands of the module. What we missed at the show was the 360º skeletonized rotor. It features an eight-blade design, each engraved with interlocking B’s against a sandblasted surface.
The Eclipse collection elevates Beda’a from a brand with a quartz model and some admittedly derivative designs to one with a timepiece that I think has that special combination of being unique, attractive, and relatively affordable. The sub-$5,000 segment is incredibly challenging, as you have to convince people not to save just a bit more for a more recognizable name, and not to spend a little less for a more affordable timepiece. Many brands in this segment lean on tried and true designs with some added flair; Beda’a’s decision to offer such a dramatic case and dial is a riskier but more respectable route. For how well-executed and beautiful it is, it’s a pleasant surprise that it comes in under $5,000. The Beda’a Eclipse II is priced at CHF 4,000, with production limited to 100 pieces per year. For more information, please visit the Beda’a website.
