logo
Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Gerald Genta: Christie's bi-annual horology sale wraps up today

Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Gerald Genta: Christie's bi-annual horology sale wraps up today

Emirates Woman01-05-2025
Emirates Man
by Camille Macawili
7 mins ago
Christie's, one of the leading luxury auction platform, is about to wrap its bi-annual Watches Online: The Dubai Edit today, May 1, 2025.
Comprising of 129 lots, the curated Middle Eastern horology sale that went live on April 22, 2025 features a rare collection of independent watch brands and timepieces from a private collection including Greubel Forsey, Ferninand Berthoud, Gerald Genta, and De Bethune. Alongside, fine vintage and modern watches from highly sought-after brands such as Rolex, Patek Phillippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin are also under the hammer at a more accessible price points. All the timepieces on offer are also exhibited at Christie's in DIFC, open to the public and free to attend.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Christie's (@christiesinc)
Auction houses remain the primary access to rare and vintage luxury timepieces, allowing collectors to acquire them with peace of mind. Nitin Nair, Associate Director and Specialist, comments, 'It is extremely rare to be able to offer such a prized number of rare independent watches as we have in this auction from Stories in Time. The 45 lots in the online sale represent a private collector's passion, which extends beyond acquiring outstanding pieces of horology; he is a patron of the art, having been inspired by the mechanical craftsmanship behind each timepiece. For our dedicated collectors in the region whose passion is independent watch brands, this sale offers the opportunity to choose from the pinnacle of collections.'
Nitin continues, 'The secondary watch market has seen a correction in estimates, especially for some sought-after modern references – now is a good time to be buying at auction to secure timepieces. Bidding and buying at auction presents an opportunity to purchase a dream watch not available or accessible at retail price points for a new buyer or collector.' – For more on how to look smart and live smarter, follow Emirates Man on Facebook and Instagram
Images: Supplied
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

RSDI builds global bridges while advancing regional security dialogues
RSDI builds global bridges while advancing regional security dialogues

Al Etihad

time7 hours ago

  • Al Etihad

RSDI builds global bridges while advancing regional security dialogues

15 Aug 2025 00:35 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)Aiming to connect the Gulf region with its global security partners, Rabdan Security and Defence Institute (RSDI) has been building its influence through high-level dialogues, tailored policy briefs, and its pilot projects in the pipeline. RSDI, a UAE think tank focused on the ever-evolving landscapes of defence and security, is committed to enhancing regional understanding and fostering long-term collaboration. It produces nuanced analyses grounded in Middle Eastern perspectives, delivering actionable insights to policymakers and the international community. Explaining its strategies in an interview with Aletihad , Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris, Interim Manager of RSDI, said the institute positions itself as 'a neutral and trusted convenor.' 'RSDI can present findings and results in ways that acknowledge different narratives, without taking sides, especially in sensitive geopolitical matters,' Idris said. He stressed the importance of recognising diverse perspectives and encouraging open dialogue. This approach, he added, is supported by a knowledge base built on collaborative research and data-sharing platforms. Given the UAE's partnerships with both Western and Asian powers and its role in humanitarian and conflict mediation, the institute is well-positioned to serve as a bridge between regional stakeholders and the global community, Idris said. Central to this strategy is RSDI's collaboration with reputable institutions such as the Middle East Institute in Washington, he added. As part of its engagement efforts, RSDI recently hosted a high-level panel examining the possible impact of US President Donald Trump's return on US-China dynamics and regional security frameworks. Discussions pointed out that the renewed Trump presidency would open new avenues for US–East Asia cooperation, particularly in sectors like semiconductors and renewable energy. Building on its foundation of dialogue and collaboration, RSDI is expanding its impact through a series of pilot initiatives designed to deepen regional security cooperation. 'In 2025, we are set to launch the Annual Middle East Security (AMES) Conference, a collaboration with TRENDS Advisory and Research. Then in 2026, we plan to launch the Middle East Defence Outlook Conference (MEDOC) as an avenue for researchers, policymakers, decision-makers to convene and discuss defence modernisation in the region.'

AI bots allowed to hold ‘sensual' chats with kids, say Meta's guidelines
AI bots allowed to hold ‘sensual' chats with kids, say Meta's guidelines

Khaleej Times

time10 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

AI bots allowed to hold ‘sensual' chats with kids, say Meta's guidelines

An internal Meta Platforms document detailing policies on chatbot behavior has permitted the company's artificial intelligence creations to 'engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,' generate false medical information and help users argue that Black people are 'dumber than white people.' These and other findings emerge from a Reuters review of the Meta document, which discusses the standards that guide its generative AI assistant, Meta AI, and chatbots available on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, the company's social media platforms. Meta confirmed the document's authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions which stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. Entitled 'GenAI: Content Risk Standards," the rules for chatbots were approved by Meta's legal, public policy and engineering staff, including its chief ethicist, according to the document. Running to more than 200 pages, the document defines what Meta staff and contractors should treat as acceptable chatbot behaviors when building and training the company's generative AI products. The standards don't necessarily reflect 'ideal or even preferable' generative AI outputs, the document states. But they have permitted provocative behavior by the bots, Reuters found. 'It is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness (ex: 'your youthful form is a work of art'),' the standards state. The document also notes that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that 'every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.' But the guidelines put a limit on sexy talk: 'It is unacceptable to describe a child under 13 years old in terms that indicate they are sexually desirable.' Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company is in the process of revising the document and that such conversations with children never should have been allowed. 'Inconsistent with our policies' 'The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,' Stone told Reuters. 'We have clear policies on what kind of responses AI characters can offer, and those policies prohibit content that sexualizes children and sexualized role play between adults and minors.' Although chatbots are prohibited from having such conversations with minors, Stone said, he acknowledged that the company's enforcement was inconsistent. Other passages flagged by Reuters to Meta haven't been revised, Stone said. The company declined to provide the updated policy document. The fact that Meta's AI chatbots flirt or engage in sexual roleplay with teenagers has been reported previously by the Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company has reported that some of Meta's sexually suggestive chatbots have resembled children. But the document seen by Reuters provides a fuller picture of the company's rules for AI bots. The standards prohibit Meta AI from encouraging users to break the law or providing definitive legal, healthcare or financial advice with language such as 'I recommend.' They also prohibit Meta AI from using hate speech. Still, there is a carve-out allowing the bot 'to create statements that demean people on the basis of their protected characteristics.' Under those rules, the standards state, it would be acceptable for Meta AI to 'write a paragraph arguing that black people are dumber than white people.' The standards also state that Meta AI has leeway to create false content so long as there's an explicit acknowledgement that the material is untrue. For example, Meta AI could produce an article alleging that a living British royal has the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia – a claim that the document states is 'verifiably false' – if it added a disclaimer that the information is untrue. Meta had no comment on the race and British royal examples. 'Taylor Swift holding an enormous fish' Evelyn Douek, an assistant professor at Stanford Law School who studies tech companies' regulation of speech, said the content standards document highlights unsettled legal and ethical questions surrounding generative AI content. Douek said she was puzzled that the company would allow bots to generate some of the material deemed as acceptable in the document, such as the passage on race and intelligence. There's a distinction between a platform allowing a user to post troubling content and producing such material itself, she noted. 'Legally we don't have the answers yet, but morally, ethically and technically, it's clearly a different question.' Other sections of the standards document focus on what is and isn't allowed when generating images of public figures. The document addresses how to handle sexualized fantasy requests, with separate entries for how to respond to requests such as 'Taylor Swift with enormous breasts,' 'Taylor Swift completely naked,' and 'Taylor Swift topless, covering her breasts with her hands.' Here, a disclaimer wouldn't suffice. The first two queries about the pop star should be rejected outright, the standards state. And the document offers a way to deflect the third: 'It is acceptable to refuse a user's prompt by instead generating an image of Taylor Swift holding an enormous fish.' The document displays a permissible picture of Swift clutching a tuna-sized catch to her chest. Next to it is a more risqué image of a topless Swift that the user presumably wanted, labeled 'unacceptable.' A representative for Swift didn't respond to questions for this report. Meta had no comment on the Swift example. Other examples show images that Meta AI can produce for users who prompt it to create violent scenes. The standards say it would be acceptable to respond to the prompt 'kids fighting' with an image of a boy punching a girl in the face – but declare that a realistic sample image of one small girl impaling another is off-limits. For a user requesting an image with the prompt 'man disemboweling a woman,' Meta AI is allowed to create a picture showing a woman being threatened by a man with a chainsaw, but not actually using it to attack her. And in response to a request for an image of 'Hurting an old man,' the guidelines say Meta's AI is permitted to produce images as long as they stop short of death or gore. Meta had no comment on the examples of violence. 'It is acceptable to show adults – even the elderly – being punched or kicked,' the standards state.

Investor Focus Shifts to Al Reem Island, MERED Analysis Shows Strong Momentum
Investor Focus Shifts to Al Reem Island, MERED Analysis Shows Strong Momentum

Web Release

time16 hours ago

  • Web Release

Investor Focus Shifts to Al Reem Island, MERED Analysis Shows Strong Momentum

Al Reem Island has cemented its position as the leading residential investment destination in Abu Dhabi, achieving a remarkable 38% year-on-year increase in off-plan property weighted average prices during Q2 2025. These figures, analyzed by MERED, the award-winning international real estate developer, using comprehensive transaction data from Quanta, place the island at the forefront of the capital's property market. Other key areas, such as Khalifa City and Jubail Island, recorded weighted average price growth of 24% and 20% respectively, reinforcing the overall robustness of Abu Dhabi's real estate sector and highlighting Al Reem Island's strong competitive edge. The island's desirability extends to the rental market as well, where apartment rents rose 21% year-on-year in Q2 2025, based on Quanta's rental indices. This sustained demand is supported by high-quality community infrastructure, with residents enjoying waterfront living, Grade-A offices, diverse retail options, advanced healthcare facilities, and the expansive 1,000,000 square foot Reem Central Park. Strategically located between Abu Dhabi's mainland business core and Saadiyat Island's cultural coastline, Al Reem Island offers a unique, self-contained 'live-work-play' environment. Building on these strengths, MERED earlier announced plans for a design-led waterfront project on two prime plots totaling over 23,400 square meters within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Developed in collaboration with award-winning architects, the highest global honor in architecture, the project is set to redefine super-prime living in the capital. 'Al Reem Island has unequivocally established itself as Abu Dhabi's premier residential destination. Average prices in waterfront projects have exceeded AED 1,800 per square foot, with new projects launched at even higher prices,' said Artemiy Marinin, Project Director at MERED. 'We're proud to contribute to this dynamic market with our forthcoming project, offering direct sea views and architectural distinction crafted by Pritzker Prize-winning visionaries.' A key growth driver has also been the expansion of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which extended its jurisdiction to Reem Island in April 2023. Since then, more than 1,100 new businesses have joined ADGM, bringing total registrations to over 11,000. The influx of high-earning professionals has further strengthened Al Reem Island's status as ADGM's residential hub of choice. The market's sustained growth and expanding community infrastructure underscore its status as a premier investment opportunity in Abu Dhabi. MERED's visionary projects reinforce confidence in the island's long-term potential as a hub for luxury living and thriving business activity. For more information about MERED and its projects, visit and follow their updates on Instagram.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store