aghnam is an independent watch brand driven by a fascination with the unique and the unexpected. It bears the name of its founder, Sohaib Maghnam, reflecting the deeply personal nature of this venture for the Palestinian-Jordanian designer and engineer.

For Sohaib Maghnam, founder and designer, the fascination with watches dates back to his student years in London: “London is where I first became acquainted with what a proper timepiece should be. I clearly remember seeing a very hefty price tag on a watch and wondering what could possibly justify such an amount for a wristwatch. Only then did I flip it over and discover a micro-city of engineering perfection through the caseback. What began as curiosity turned into a hobby, then a passion, then an obsession, and eventually into a career.”

That said, watchmaking is not a dramatic departure from his original path. Trained in automotive engineering, Sohaib sees many parallels between watches and cars. Both domains revolve around machines, where engineering, mechanical performance, artistic expression and — above all — emotions fuse together.

This vision shapes Maghnam’s approach. The brand’s watches are conceived as dynamic, sculptural objects, much like automobiles, rather than as static objects rendered from two-dimensional drawings.

After completing his bachelor’s degree, Sohaib set out to create his first watch. What began as a modest project evolved into a two-year journey. This first piece would ultimately never be commercialized — it did not yet fully bear his signature. Two additional years of development followed, culminating in “Makina,” the first Maghnam watch launched in 2020.

Sohaib’s work reflects a strong cultural sensibility. It merges his Arab heritage with the technical rigour of Swiss watchmaking, acquired over years of study and experience. From this encounter emerged a distinctive language, at the crossroads of two worlds.

As a tribute to these roots, every Maghnam watch carries an Arabic name: Makina (ماكنة – ‘Machine’), Madar ( مدار– ‘Orbit’), Mohareb (’Gladiator’ – محارب)or Noor (نور – ‘Light’) — anchoring these avant-garde creations in the language and culture that inspire them.

Today, Sohaib is based in Doha, Qatar, where he leads Maghnam while also serving as Creative Director and CEO of Beda’a Watches, a Qatari brand whose aesthetic approach is far more classical.

In 2025, the Beda’a Eclipse 1 was selected at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), recognising his work among the most promising independent designers on the watchmaking scene.

“I simply love watches — old or new, classical or contemporary. Designing watches at both ends of the spectrum allows me to explore every facet of watchmaking, and for that I’m deeply grateful. Ultimately, my greatest wish is that one day a grandchild inherits one of my creations and loves it as much as their grandparent did. Good design is timeless. I hope Maghnam watches will be appreciated for generations.

Maghnam unveils the new generation of Mohareb, a watch whose name derives from the Arabic word meaning “fighter” or “gladiator.”

Imagined by independent watch designer Sohaib Maghnam, the Mohareb watch portrays a mythical fighter whose armour adapts to circumstance. Its helmet-inspired case is surrounded by interchangeable modules that alter the watch’s shape and character, allowing the wearer to transform the piece in seconds. Presented in Argent Crimson and Deep Blue, these new versions highlight the watch’s sculptural architecture while offering two distinct aesthetic identities.

The design of Mohareb draws directly from the world of armour and weaponry. The watch’s architecture is built around a central case housing the time display, protected by sculptural extensions reminiscent of blades or protective plates. In its original configuration, the architecture combines two polished steel blades framing a sandblasted central module, with engraved patterns symbolising a warrior’s battle scars. It is an evocative image that channels the eternal duality at the heart of every warrior, light and darkness, honour and necessity – giving meaning to the visual contrast between polished surfaces and matte textures.

Mohareb’s modular construction allows the wearer to modify the piece’s visual identity to suit the mood or circumstance. The modules — Blades (the original configuration), Halo (a classic round case) and Wings (an oval expression) — attach to the central body through a secure locking system in the caseback.

The transformation is a matter of seconds, allowing the watch to shift from a boldly avant-garde piece to a more restrained or sculptural interpretation. The engraved motif on the top of the case enhances the fluidity of the lines and evokes the scars every warrior is destined to bear – a symbolic reference to the marks left by battle and to the duality between strength and vulnerability.

At the heart of the Mohareb watch lies the MCR01-B, a bi-retrograde movement that introduces a dynamic reading of time. The hours sweep across a 120-degree arc at the front of the watch, before instantly jumping back to their starting point. Meanwhile, the minutes are displayed on a vertical linear counter positioned toward the top of the case, visually underscoring the helmet motif.

The MCR01 module is built on the reliable Swiss SW210 hand-wound movement and enhanced with a proprietary retrograde module developed by Sohaib Maghnam. Protected by a sapphire crystal, this arrangement reinforces the architectural dimension of the watch and highlights its distinctive visual identity. The calibre offers a comfortable 42-hour power reserve while enabling the distinctive retrograde animation that defines Mohareb.

Despite its bold and sculptural appearance, Mohareb remains remarkably wearable — a key objective from the project’s outset. The watch measures 39.5 mm in diameter, with a maximum thickness of 8.6 mm, tapering to edges as thin as 3.5 mm — proportions comparable to those of a classical dress watch.

Achieving this balance between dramatic design and ergonomic comfort represented a substantial technical challenge. In certain areas of the case, walls were CNC-machined to thicknesses less than 0.28 mm, a manufacturing feat that nevertheless ensures the watch remains light and comfortable on the wrist. And despite its 904L stainless steel construction, the watch weighs only around 43.5 grams, ensuring remarkable comfort for everyday wear The result is a piece that combines expressive design with everyday practicality — a warrior in an eminently agile armour.

“I come from a place that is not traditionally associated with watchmaking. Perhaps that is precisely what gives my watches their unique character.” Sohaib Maghnam, founder, designer and CEO of Maghnam

Sohaib Maghnam, founder of Maghnam, approaches watchmaking through a distinctive combination of engineering and artistic vision. Originally trained as a mechanical engineer at the Politecnico di Milano, he began his career in automotive engineering before dedicating himself entirely to watchmaking. For Sohaib, watchmaking represents an almost perfect form of art — capable of uniting technical ingenuity with emotional resonance. His work explores the meeting point between the codes of classical watchmaking and unconventional contemporary design, seeking a balance between the familiar and the unexpected. Each generation of Maghnam watches — known as a “Form” — focuses on a particular aspect of the wearing experience, from aesthetic experimentation to functional innovation. With Form-4: Mohareb, Sohaib Maghnam pushes this philosophy further by introducing modularity as a central design principle, allowing the wearer to actively participate in defining the watch’s identity.

Since 2023, he also serves as CEO and Chief Designer of Beda’a, a watchmaking house based in Doha, founded with the ambition of positioning the Middle East as a new centre of watchmaking creativity.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Case

• 904L stainless steel
• Diameter: 39.5 mm
• Height: 8.6 mm at the thickest point

Movement

• Manual-winding mechanical MCR01-B
• Retrograde hours / vertical linear minute counter
• Power reserve: 42 hours
• Colourways
• Argent Crimson
• Deep Blue

Water Resistance

• 1 ATM (approximately 10 metres)

Strap

• Alligator / sailcloth / bespoke

Price

• CHF 7,200 (excl. VAT)