News – GPHG 2019 Finalists Announced (Full List)
Every year, the watchmaking industry celebrates creativity and ingenuity with the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) or the so-called “Oscars of the Watchmaking Industry” – see the report for the 2018 edition here. The most advanced, the most innovative and the most creative timepieces will be awarded prizes at the GPHG 2019. Before the ceremony takes place (November 7, 2019), we’re bringing you, hot off the press, the complete list of finalists selected by the Jury. Only six watches remain in each of the 14 categories and here they are.
Bob Hawke’s estate auction offered a chance to reflect on a man known equally well for his capacity to skol a pint of beer in record time (he broke a beer drinking Guinness World Record in 1954) and being a past Prime Minister of Australia. The auction took place in a venue that could only be described as aptly representative of our country’s cross-sectional majority – an RSL in inner Sydney. It was an appropriate venue to celebrate the collected objects of one of Australia’s most fondly remembered leaders, as it grounded you in a sense of not taking it all too seriously, a reminder offered by the noise and flashing lights of the pokies room. Upon arrival there was an immediate sense of the man we were all here for. A crowd of close to 300 Sydney-siders filled the space, leaving standing room only. But there was no joy or excitement in the air. Instead, it was a state of respectful sobriety (yes, strange for an RSL), with people silently flicking through their catalogue or murmuring to their neighbour. There was a recognition that we were not gathered for an auction, but a memorial which offered insights into a…
On Wednesday night, Omega held a black tie bash in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing (and the small but significant role the Speedmaster played in it). It was one of the most impressive events I’ve attended in my time covering watches. But the ‘wow factor’ wasn’t due so much to the cavernous setting at Fox Studios, or the darkly moody, evocative set dressing, with giant, dramatically lit moons and an even more gargantuan, golden astronaut overseeing proceedings. The reason this event stands tall (even taller than the aforementioned big gold guy) had everything to do with the well-dressed, polite man sitting one table to my left. I’ve attended events with Presidents and royalty, and never have I seen a person simultaneously so pivotal and so unassuming. It helps that that man, Charles Duke, is a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in the world — people who have walked on the moon. Charlie Duke was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1966 after a career as a fighter interceptor and test pilot. He served in the support crew of the Apollo 10 mission. But he — or rather his distinctive South Carolina…
TAG Heuer is a brand that has always sat fondly in the hearts of Australians, with shared values of an active lifestyle spent outdoors. This week we were lucky enough to celebrate the launch of TAG Heuer’s latest novelties, including the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph and the exciting Autavia Isograph. Both releases are significant because of the technology housed in them, which the crowd was fortunate enough to get a very close look at under the guidance of the TAG Heuer Master Watchmaker Shalen Gokoolparsadh. Hosted at TAG Heuer’s flagship boutique in Melbourne, a strong crowd gathered out of the windy weather to share canapés and conversation. Once the champagne flutes were firmly in people’s grasp, Time+Tide Founder Andrew McUtchen addressed the crowd with his best explanation of a rather technical topic. In most social circles, the mention of a tourbillon carriage would cause eyes to glaze over, but not this group. Point by point, Andrew navigated the story of the micromechanical marvel to illustrate how over time the tourbillon travelled from the pocket watch into the modern wristwatch. Aside from the lengths of technical prowess demonstrated in the watches on display, they were also tremendous value offerings…
Last weekend, Omega treated their faithful VIPs to a night with eyes trained to the stars, and the moon, in their lush boutique at Chadstone, the Fashion Capital. It was to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of humankind touching down on the moon – and the fact that this defining moment in the history of our species had an Omega watch at the centre of the action. And not just to look back on the epic Calibre 321 Speedmaster Professional that has looked down on earth from the moon, but also the watch that is commemorating the anniversary, the equally epic 50th Anniversary Limited Edition. We were honoured to be invited to speak at the event. The story went pretty much as follows. Omega was the first brand to offer Time+Tide a truly special event opportunity in our very early days, way back in 2014. It was ‘A Night of Omega Firsts’ – and it involved the Museum Manager (at the time; he now enjoys the loftier title of Brand Heritage Manager), Mr Petros Protopapas, bringing 12 irreplaceable Omega Watches to Vue de monde in Melbourne to tell their stories. One of those watches was a pre-moon Cal 321 Speedy. While…
Wednesday night saw Time+Tide invite Jaeger-LeCoultre into our office, along with some of our most die-hard fans (you have to be a little die-hard to make it out on such a cold evening), for an evening of watch-related entertainment. There is no doubt that the guests of honour were a brace of brand new Master Ultra Thin watches, with stunning enamel guilloché dials in white gold cases. These were the watches first on show at SIHH 2019, and it was great to see them closer to home. And while our readers were keen to debate the merits of tourbillon versus perpetual on a one-to-one basis, there were some other dazzling stars on offer. There was the astonishing (and astonishingly complex) Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Zodiaque, and — I have to say, these are perhaps my favourite JLC releases of the year — the gorgeous new Dazzling Rendez-Vous, which sees some serious weight of diamonds, set using the very complementary griff setting. The resulting watch is a stunner. But the Jaeger-LeCoultre presence wasn’t just limited to the display cases, there were plenty of Reversos and Master collection pieces in the room – including a Tribute to Reverso 1931, with a very…
Tuesday night in Melbourne was quite chilly, and rainy to boot. But that didn’t stop our watch-loving readers from assembling at Fitzroy’s Cutler & Co for something truly special. And that something was a selection of Breguet’s latest and greatest watches, unveiled in Australia for the first time. And for all that Breguet is known for their distinctive Classique and Tradition lines, those families were barely represented (though the new blue-dialled Classique was present, and indeed a favourite). No, instead the heroes of the night were the new additions to the sporty Marine line, and the feminine Reine de Naples. And after the obligatory introductions from Sandra Moser (Breguet Australia’s General Manager), Andrew and myself, we all got down to the serious business of inspecting watches. And while the queue for the Marine Équation Marchante (which, though it was released a few years ago, still manages to wow) was a strong indicator that people wanted to get up close and personal with a watch that embodies all of what Breguet is capable of, as the night progressed, people started noticing fine details, like the quality of the new titanium bracelet options on the men’s Marine models, and just how stunning…