Press Release: The Hour Glass is proud to be the choice retailer to a host of triumphant brands, at the recently concluded 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve.

SINGAPORE, 30 OCTOBER 2015 – The Hour Glass is proud to be the choice retailer to a host of triumphant brands at the recently concluded 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. With a rich 36-year history in Singapore, The Hour Glass prides itself as the world’s leading cultural retail enterprise; pioneering the promotion and appreciation of contemporary luxury and horological culture within the region.

BEST LADIES’ WATCH PRIZE: HUBLOT BIG BANG BRODERIE

What an incredible year 2015 has been for Hublot. The tenth anniversary of the iconic Big Bang, the timepiece that was awarded for best design at the Grand Priz d’Horlogerie de Geneve in 2005 has now come to a full evolution with the Big Bang Broderie being lauded as victors for the ladies’ watch prize category this year.

The Big Bang Broderie - Sexy and glamourous, an ode to the ultimate in femininity. Advocating the philosophy of fusion, the Big Bang Broderie is the perfect illustration of Hublot’s watchmaking stance, connecting the past with the future, combining respect for Swiss tradition with 21st-century creativity and technology. It bridges artisanal craftsmanship in its own distinctive way, here paying homage to the memory of a craft that dates back to the time of our mothers’ and grandmothers’ needlework. Featuring the fine embroidery of  Bischoff, the leading Swiss Maison of St. Gallen embroidery, an ancestral art which is 100% Swiss Made, this exquisite timepiece is fused with Hublot’s watchmaking expertise, giving this fine crafta new lease of modernity.

The creative teams from both companies have come together to develop an exclusive pattern in order to create a fusion with the Big Bang's iconic design. It shows a rebellious spirit, with its skull pattern on a dial studded with 11 diamonds, and soft arabesques on the bezel and strap – a technical feat which took several months of Research & Development.

“We are proud to be recognized today in the "Ladies" category with our iconic product Big Bang. The Big Bang Broderie is a perfect illustration of the Swiss innovation, combining two crafts of Swiss tradition,” declared Jean-Claude Biver, President of LVMH Watch Division and Chairman of Hublot, who was present at the Grand Théâtre de Genève to receive the award.

“This prize is also recognition of our work and our ever-growing watchmaking expertise. What a long way we have come in 10 years! This prize motivates us even more since it’s a great sign of encouragement for everyone, as much in house as for our loyal suppliers, partners and clients. Many thanks to my teams and to the Jury of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève,” Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot.

BEST TOURBILLON WATCH PRIZE: ULYSSE ANCHOR ESCAPEMENT BY ULYSSE NARDIN

Driven by the unending quest for innovation that makes it one of the most dynamic Manufactures, in 2015 Ulysse Nardin dropped a new marker buoy on the capricious ocean of fine watchmaking.

An undisputed world first, the Ulysse Anchor Tourbillon is the quintessence of avant-garde mechanical technology. The outcome of eight years of research and development, the constant Ulysse Anchor escapement, made entirely of silicium, displays hitherto unknown architecture based on the principle of flexible mechanisms exploiting the elasticity of flat springs. This device, the culmination of the development work on the prototype version presented in 2014, represents the height of timekeeping sophistication today: first, no longer constrained by a pivoting staff, the pallet fork moves entirely without friction; second, the geometrical improvements made to the pallet fork, the escape wheel and the flat springs have resulted in a constant-force escapement; and to crown all of this, this new coinage in watchmaking is brought aboard in a tourbillon cage, the peak of traditional expertise. 

To top it off, this astonishing construction is housed in a 60-seconds tourbillon, whose cage comprises 35 components but weighs no more than 0.4 grams. With its constant amplitude, irrespective of how much the two series-mounted spring barrels are wound, this exceptional oscillating mechanism is a major step forward in the field of chronometric accuracy. Visible through a large opening in the dial at 6 o'clock, it is encircled by the indication of its power reserve of at least 7 days on a 140° arc.

This exquisite timepiece is housed in a white or rose gold case set with traditional lines enhanced with a white Grand Feu enamel dial, yet another feature that is synonymous with the mechanical creations of Ulysse Nardin.

  

MEN’S WATCH PRIZE: KARI VOUTILAINEN GMR

For the third year consecutive, complicated watch virtuoso, watchmaker Kari Voutilainen once again receives acclamation at what is considered the Oscars of the watchmaking industry. In 2013, Kari Voutilainen’s V-8R was awarded the Best Men’s watch and this year, his newest novelty – the GMR – does not go unnoticed.

   

The GMR is equipped with a 24-hour second time zone and retrograde power reserve indicator. The movement is completely designed and handmade in the master workshop, in the tranquil village of Môtiers. Crafted in German silver, this mechanical topflight consists of no less than 250 components and 28 jewels. Ingeniously, it allows you to adjust the second time zone by the crown, which then advances by jumping an hour each time rather than rotate freely, thus avoiding any loss of accuracy compared to local time. While the sapphire crystal serves to admire the traditional finishing of the movement with Côtes de Genève decoration and hand chamfering, the dial also distills a more refined elegance. The GMT embraces the small second at the 6h; retrograde power reserve indicator set to 12h.

BEST STRIKING WATCH PRIZE: GIRARD-PERREGAUX MINUTE REPEATER TOURBILLON WITH GOLD BRIDGES  

Deeply attached to its origins and to watchmaking traditions since 1791, Girard-Perregaux regularly shows in its watch creations to what extent innovation can contribute to the dynamism of the watch industry. By giving a totally new dimension to the mechanical structure of the striking mechanism, the Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges watch underlines the Swiss Manufacture's constant determination to advance technically while respecting the aesthetic conventions and time-honoured expertise that are so close to its heart. 

The mechanical structure of this Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges offers an original opportunity to simultaneously observe on the dial side both the components of the striking-mechanism and the hammers that produce its sound by striking the wires of the gongs. In a major innovation, this positioning of the components facilitates optimum sound transmission when the watch is on the wearer's wrist. This underlines a desire not only to create a mechanism that is as attractive as it is efficient, but also to place it clearly on display for the enjoyment of one and all.

The highly unusual structure of the striking-mechanism, together with the adoption of a number of subtle technical solutions for this complication that has allowed the Minute Repeater Tourbillon with Gold Bridges to perform so exceptionally well and thus emerge victorious amongst its competitors.

HOROLOGICAL REVELATION PRIZE: LAURENT FERRIER GALET SQUARE

An optional prize within the staple of Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve award categories, this prize rewards a mechanical creation by an innovative brand as long as it is deemed of receiving an accolade. This appreciation can only be attributed to Laurent Ferrier’s passion for the purity of watchmaking values and designs for devotees of classic mechanical watchmaking. The House develops movements crafted in harmony with the finest traditions, while enriching them with high-performing and genuinely innovative technical attributes. Designed for devotees of pure values, it updates horological fundamentals – a renewal of origins that positions Laurent Ferrier as a well-respected member of the exclusive circle of mechanical Haute Horlogerie.

Hunter-type, cushion-type, tonneau-shaped: these words are all part of the shared vocabulary of watchmaking, but the term Galet (pebble) is inextricably entwined with the world of Laurent Ferrier. Galet is the name of the brand's first collection, unveiled in 2010. Five years later, polished by time and shaped by experience, the ‘pebble’ is being reinterpreted. At Baselworld 2015, Laurent Ferrier unveils its new model: the Galet Square.

Its evolution has been gentle and gradual, like the curves of minerals polished by the waves. The pebble, stemming from centuries of the incessantly repeated work of nature, embodies the purest expression of gentle shapes. For Laurent Ferrier, the Galet is the perfect integration of all parts of a case, as if one were holding a pebble in one’s hand. The whole challenge lay in preserving the spirit of the Galet, and of interpreting this new shape into the initial project without making a break with the past.

Laurent Ferrier humbly decided to approach his original Galet by starting with a blank page. Purpose and design met and mingled under the swift strokes of his pencil, until a whole new shape was reached that is a first in the brand’s collections. The Galet Squareis not a culminating point, but instead a new step in the ongoing affirmation of the Laurent Ferrier style.