The prize-winners of the 17th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) were revealed yesterday on the stage of Geneva’s Théâtre du Léman. Watchmaking excellence, innovation and expertise were saluted by an international jury that handed out 16 prizes and awarded the “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix to Chopard for the L.U.C Full Strike Watch.
The Zenith, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Voutilainen, Ulysse Nardin, Tudor, Parmigiani, Longines, Greubel Forsey, Chanel and Bvlgari brands were also rewarded at this 17th prize-giving ceremony, presented by Edouard Baer and Lauriane Gilliéron.
The 72 competing watches, including the 15 prize-winning models, are still on show at the Musée d’art et d’histoire in Geneva (MAH) until November 12, as part of an original exhibition dedicated to the contemporary art of watchmaking. The winners will also be exhibited from November 16-20 during the 3rd Dubai Watch Week.
2017 Prize List
“Aiguille d’Or” Prize: Chopard, L.U.C Full Strike
Innovation Prize: Zenith, Defy Lab
“Revival” 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: Bvlgari, Octo Finissimo Automatic
Special Jury Prize: Suzanne Rohr and Anita Porchet
With the Defy Lab, Zenith introduces a completely newly developed movement called the ZO 342. The automatic movement (with a diameter of 32.8mm and an overall thickness of 8.13mm) reveals its revolutionary feature at first glance, since the single 0.5 mm high Zenith-Oscillator is revealed beneath the dial. Instead of using the conventional means of regulating a mechanical watch by means of a balance and hairspring assembly with its more than 30 individual parts and a thickness of about 5 mm, the R & D Department of the LVMH Watch Division invented the monolithic regulating organ for the Defy Lab which consists of only two components with considerably optimized functionality. The Zenith-Oscillator is an all-of-a-piece organ without mechanical linkages that replaces 31 ordinarily assembled, adjusted, regulated and controlled parts. The absence of conventional mechanical couplings eliminates contact, friction, wear, slack, lubrication, assemblies and dispersions. The wheel replacing the escapement wheel has a specific design and its cycle does not correspond to the academic behavior of a Swiss lever escapement. It is made of silicon showing superficial oxidation.
Getting off to a good start. This is precisely the purpose of this groundbreaking regatta chronograph with a patent to prove it equipped with a sweep countdown timer that can be set from 1 to 10 minutes. Victory comes down to those crucial minutes before the starting gun goes off while maneuvering to cross starting line with optimal positioning and perfect timing. Following the countdown, the bi-directional seconds hand starts moving in a clockwise direction and begins timing the race. Clear, intuitive and accurate functionality from Ulysse Nardin, with the support of Artemis Racing, the company’s official partner for the 35th America’s Cup.
The Fine Watchmaking firmament welcomes a bright new star: the unique twin-dial Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 combines astronomy and the watchmaking art in a celestial white gold composition. Twenty-three essentially astronomical complications appear on the front and back dials of the watch, providing a reading of time in three modes – civil, solar and sidereal – each driven by its own gear train. Embodying the height of technical sophistication, its new fully integrated 514-part caliber measures a mere 8.7 mm thick, while six barrels guarantee three full weeks of autonomy.
The Toric Hémisphères Rétrograde is the ultimate traveler’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. Featuring a knurled bezel, the signature feature of the Toric family, the case of this timepiece was the first creation designed by Michel Parmigiani in 1996. This founding model is now bringing its elegant and classic aesthetics to the world of modern travel.
After seven years of research, the assembly of no fewer than 624 parts, three patents, and the combination of two inventions – Greubel Forsey revolutionizes 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: this enabled ergonomics and readability of the various functions to be simplified, and for all corrections – including days – to be made rapidly by turning the bi-directional crown.
To mark its 20th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier is unveiling the Tonda Chronor Anniversaire, its new integrated chronograph movement, a feat of watchmaking that very few of today’s manufactures are capable of achieving. With its first Anniversary model featuring a gold movement, Parmigiani Fleurier pays tribute to the tradition of the chronograph.
