Prestige issue 287-288, Dec-Jan. 2017-2018

 

Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Watchmaking excellence, innovation and expertise were saluted at Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). This annual ceremony created in 2001 on the stage of Geneva’s Théâtre du Léman celebrates contemporary horological through the selection of 16 watches by an independent international jury comprising 28 multi-disciplinary experts from diverse backgrounds. The prestigious «Aiguille d’Or» was awarded to Chopard for the L.U.C. Full Strike Watch. The brands Zenith, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Voutilainen, Ulysse Nardin, Tudor, Parmigiani, Longines, Greuble Forsey, Chanel and Bulgari also won prizes at this 17th ceremony of  GPHG. Hereafter the winning watches of this year with the list of prizes given in different categories.

 

Photo souvenir of the prizewinners at GPHG 2017. © GPHG 2017

 

 

«Aiguille d’Or» Grand prix

Chopard, L.U.C. Full Strike

 

As the crowning point of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Chopard Manufacture, Chopard launches its first ever minute repeater: the L.U.C. Full Strike, Striking the hours, quarters and minutes on sapphire gongs. Almost 15,000 hours of development have been lavished on the development of calibre 08.01-L, which is subjected to three pending patents. This distinguished 42.5 mm-diameter watch in Fairmined rose gold with an openworked dial houses a substantial number of technical solutions that make it one of the most innovative minute repeaters on the market. © Chopard

 

 

Mechanical Exception Watch Prize

Vacheron Constantin, Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600

 

Unique timepiece, customizable upon client’s request. 514-part caliber measures a mere 8.7 mm thick, while six barrels guarantee three full weeks of autonomy. Displaying 23 complications: Hours, minutes, perpetual calendar, day/night indication, precision moon phase, age of the moon, running equation of time, sunrise and sunset time, day and night length, seasons, solstices, equinoxes and zodiacal signs, tide level indicator, Sun-Earth-Moon conjunction, opposition and quadrature, transparent sky chart of the northern hemisphere with indication of the Milky Way, of the ecliptic and celestial equator, hours and minutes of sidereal time, tourbillon, 3 weeks of power reserve (6 barrels), power reserve indication. © Vacheron Constantin

 

 

Men’s Watch Prize

Bulgari, Octo Finissimo Automatic

 

The Octo Finissimo Automatic is the slimmest ultra-thin self-winding watch on the market to date, with a total thickness of just 5.15mm, while its self-winding movement, the Calibre BVL 138, is just 2.23mm thick for a 40mm diameter. © Bulgari

 

 

Chronograph Watch Prize

Parmigiani Fleurier, Tonda Chronor Anniversaire

 

The Tonda Chronor Anniversaire, is in limited edition to mark the 20th anniversary of the brand. Case in pink gold, the dial feature «grand feu» enamel in deep blue «Bleu Roi», limited to 25 exemplaires. Manual-winding mechanical movement. Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date, Split Second Chronograph. © Parmigiani Fleurier

 

 

Tourbillon and Escapement Watch Prize

Bulgari, Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton

 

The Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Skeleton is driven by an ultra-thin, openworked tourbillon comprising 253 parts, featuring 13 jewels and eight ball bearings serving to reduce the overall thickness of the calibre. Beating at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, the movement delivers a 52-hour power reserve. © Bulgari

 

 

Calendar Watch Prize

Greubel Forsey, QP à équation

 

The assembly of no fewer than 624 parts, three patents, and the combination of two inventions – Greubel Forsey opens new horizons after seven years of research. Revolutionizing one of the oldest watchmaking complications, the perpetual calendar, by incorporating an equation of time. To create this watchmaking complication it was first necessary to develop a Mechanical Computer. © Greubel Forsey

 

 

Travel Time Watch Prize

Parmigiani Fleurier, Toric Hémisphères Rétrograde

 

The Toric Hémisphères Rétrograde is the ultimate traveller’s timepiece. With its two time zones, it allows any two locations to be paired, and correct to the nearest minute. It even allows those locations with a half-hour or quarter-hour difference to be paired with full hour times set from the Greenwich meridian. © Parmigiani Fleurier

 

 

Artistic Crafts Watch Prize

Voutilainen, Aki-No-Kure

 

This bespoke watch has been inspired from late autumn scene with the spirit of circle of life. This symbiosis of Japanese tradition with the Swiss haute horlogerie creations of Kari Voutilainen represents an all-embracing mechanical and visual work of art that unites the East and West in perfect harmony. © Voutilainen

 

 

«Petite Aiguille» Prize

Tudor, Black Bay Chrono

 

Remaining faithful to the Black Bay aesthetic with the famous snowflake hands –a brand signature since 1969– date aperture is positioned at 6 o’clock, steel case with a 41-millimetre diameter, fitted with pushers inspired by the first generation of TUDOR chronographs. © Tudor

 

 

Sports Watch Prize

Ulysse Nardin, Marine Regatta

 

Regatta chronograph. Chronograph with a yellow-tipped seconds hand and 12-hour and 60-minute subdial with the date displayed in a round aperture at the 6 o’clock position. At the same time, the two-way seconds hand of the chronograph ticks away the seconds – in a counterclockwise direction – until the countdown comes to an end. When the countdown reaches zero signaling the start of the race, the seconds hand instantly starts moving in the clockwise direction and begins timing the race, measured by an hours and minutes subdial at the 6 o’clock position. © Ulysse Nardin

 

 

Jewelry Watch Prize

Chopard, Lotus Blanc Watch

 

Embodying the encounter between the watchmaking know-how and the jewelry expertise cultivated by the Maison, the Lotus Blanc watch unfurls to reveal the secret of its exceptional beauty: infinite beauty matched by perfectly mastered execution. Set with 25.66 carats of white diamonds, this precious timepiece reflects the meticulous work of the in-house artisans. © Chopard

 

 

Ladies Watch Prize

Chanel, Première Camélia Skeleton

 

The watch Première Camélia Skeleton, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Premiere watch, is equipped with the second in-house CHANEL movement, the Caliber 2, whose ethereal geometry sketches out the shape of a Camellia flower. This skeleton movement in deepest black, unique in its genre, thus incarnates one of the iconic symbols of the House. © Chanel

 

Ladies High-Mech Watch Prize

Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Papillon Automate

 

Case in white gold, diamonds in serti-neige style setting, diamond-set bezel. Dial: round and pear-shaped diamonds, blue, mauve and violet sapphires, mother-of-pearl, champlevé, paillonné, plique-à-jour and curved plique-à-jour enamel, miniature painting. Self-winding mechanical movement with a random automaton and on demand animation module. © Van Cleef & Arpels

 

 

Revival Watch Prize

Longines, The Longines Avigation BigEye

 

The Longines Avigation BigEye is inspired by a chronograph whose aesthetic is typical of the great age of aviation. True to the spirit of pilots’ watches, this model displays a very readable dial with a focus on the minute counter and impressive push buttons. Its semi-glossy black dial is decorated with Arabic numerals coated with SuperLuminova©, and displays a small second hand at 9 o’clock as well as a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. © Longines

 

 

Innovation Prize

Zenith, Defy Lab

 

New Revolutionary oscillator, special oscillation weight with circular satined motif. Case in Aeronith. Automatic movement with a power reserve of 55 hours. © Zenith

 

 

Special Jury Prize:

Suzanne Rohr and Anita Porchet: Grand Feu enamellers

 

Anita Porchet and Suzanne Rohr. © GPHG 2017

 

 

Prize list 2017:

«Aiguille d’Or» Grand prix: Chopard, L.U.C. Full Strike

Innovation Prize: Zenith, Defy Lab

Revival Watch Prize: Longines, The Longines Avigation BigEye

Ladies Watch Prize: Chanel, Première Camélia Skeleton

Ladies High-Mech Watch Prize:Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Papillon Automate

Men’s Watch Prize: Bulgari, Octo Finissimo Automatic

Chronograph Watch Prize: Parmigiani Fleurier, Tonda Chronor Anniversaire

Tourbillon and Escapement Watch Prize:Bulgari, OctoFinissimo Tourbillon Skeleton

Calendar Watch Prize:Greubel Forsey, QP à equation

Travel Time Watch Prize: Parmigiani Fleurier, Toric Hémisphères Rétrograde

Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Vacheron Constantin,

Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600

«Petite Aiguille» Prize: Tudor, Black Bay Chrono

 Sports Watch Prize:Ulysse Nardin, Marine Regatta

 Jewelry Watch Prize:Chopard, Lotus Blanc Watch

 Artistic Crafts Watch Prize:Voutilainen, Aki-No-Kure

 Special Jury Prize:Suzanne Rohr and Anita Porchet

 

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