Yesterday evening at the Théâtre du Léman, Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele was called on stage twice to receive the distinctions awarded by the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
The ‘Jewellery Watch Prize’ was awarded to the Laguna secret watch, a feat from the Maison’s Haute Joaillerie workshops that thrilled the jury with its fine arrangement of 116 multicoloured shells. Composed of ethical gold, coloured sapphires and topaz, it reveals time as well as a natural pearl beneath a magnificent shell-shaped cover.
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele mentioned: “Jewellery watches have been a speciality of our family Maison for many years. It is a great honour to receive this award, not only for our artisans, but also for my sister, Caroline, who is Co-President and Artistic Director. This watch, which creation took more than 1,000 working hours, makes us dream, is filled with emotions and takes fine craftsmanship to the highest level.”
The L.U.C Qualité Fleurier model crafted in Lucent Steel™ enabled the Manufacture to stand out in the ‘Eco-innovation’ category. The jury hailed the family Maison’s ongoing dedication to responsibly managing its sourcing of precious materials and steel: Chopard now uses 100% ethical gold for the production of its gold watches and jewellery, as well as producing its own Lucent Steel™, with a recycling rate of at least 80%, for its steel timepieces. It also became the first luxury Maison to join the Climate Group’s SteelZero initiative. The L.U.C Qualité Fleurier model was awarded the ‘Eco-Innovation Prize’ in recognition of this commitment.
As Karl-Friedrich Scheufele pointed out: “The Eco-Innovation Award is important, not just for us, but more so for the visibility it gives to a global cause. While Chopard has been a pioneer in sustainable luxury, what really matters to us is seeing other industry stakeholders respond to this approach by following in our footsteps.”
These accolades add to an already extensive list of awards received by Chopard since the competition was created in 2001. In 2017, the Manufacture had the privilege of receiving two prizes, notably winning the highly prestigious ‘Aiguille d’Or’ Grand Prix for its innovative L.U.C Full Strike minute repeater model.
The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève represents an annual opportunity to highlight and reward the excellence of contemporary watch production, in order to help promote horology around the world. Each year, this unifying cultural endeavour sees several hundred watches compete and awards the most sought-after prizes in the field, thereby helping to promote the traditions, skills and values of the Swiss and indeed universal watchmaking heritage. Often referred to as the watchmaking ‘Oscars’, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is a not-to-be-missed fixture in the watchmaking calendar and one of the industry’s most famous yearly events.
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