The award ceremony for the Watch of the Year prize, an important award instituted by our magazine to honour the most loved and appreciated models by the public of enthusiasts and admirers, is taking place right now at Vicenzaoro.
The formula, as usual, has seen the pre-selection of 36 watches, chosen by the editorial staff of L'Orologio among the major market trends and divided into 12 distinct categories: Time-Only, Chronograph, Underwater Watch, Tourbillon, Complicated Watch, Design, Savoir-Faire, New Materials, Calendars, Women's Watch, New Technologies, Quality/Price Ratio. In addition to these awards, this year there was also the special prize awarded by the members of L'Orologio Club, who were invited to cast their vote on the model that absolutely deserves to win the title of Watch of the Year.
Collecting the trophies are the managers of the companies whose timepieces took first place in their respective categories.
SOLOTEMPO
H. Moser & Cie.
Pioneer Centre Seconds Mega Cool
High-level mechanics for a minimalist and refined solotempo, which finds its strong point in the beautiful dial with its turquoise-hued smoky effect with maximum readability ensured by the Globolight inserts on the hands.
Accepting the award Jacopo Corvo, Distributor H. Moser & Cie. for Italy
CHRONOGRAPH
Zenith
Chronomaster Sport
The public rewards a savoir-faire of historical tradition and a symbol such as the legendary El Primero calibre in an updated version that sets new standards of precision, ensuring an extremely accurate tenth of a second reading.
Accepting the award is Paolo Cappiello, Brand Director Zenith South Europe
DIVER'S WATCH
Omega
Seamaster 300
Victory goes to one of the most famous diver's watches in history, in vogue for over 60 years. With a new sandwich dial, a first for the company, and a Master Chronometer movement, resistant to magnetic fields of up to 15,000 Gauss.
Accepting the award Matteo Convenevole, Omega Press Office
TOURBILLON
Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Automatic
The winner is the class of a timeless timepiece that interprets the great tradition of the tourbillon by redesigning the geometry of the guillochage on the dial, with the characteristic Tapisserie motif radiating around the cage. Not betraying, but rather enhancing, an iconic design.
Accepting the award Simone Benvenuti, Retail Manager Audemars Piguet
COMPLICATED WATCH
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Reverso Hybris Mechanica Quadriptyque Calibre 185
Highest step on the podium among multi-complicates for the most complicated Reverso ever made. 12 patents, 11 sophisticated complications affixed to its 4 faces, including a first for a wristwatch: the affixing of the three lunar cycles, synodic, draconic and anomalistic.
Accepting the award Luca Marengo, Sales Manager Jaeger-LeCoultre Italy
DESIGN
Girard-Perregaux
Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Aston Martin Edition
A modern vision of haute horlogerie: the three bridges, an iconic signature of the house, have been revisited to radically alter the architecture of the movement. All this in an innovative case, the result of a partnership with one of the most prestigious automobile manufacturers.
Accepting the award Julia Kranzelmayer, Marketing Manager Girard-Perregaux
SAVOIR-FAIRE
Grand Seiko
Heritage Collection Series 9 Shirakaba
The prize goes to the craftsmanship and savoir-faire of Japanese tradition, evoking symbolic values that are an integral part of the culture of the Rising Sun. Expressed in this case by a dial with a complex texture, inspired by Japanese forests. Plus a sophisticated mechanism equipped with the new proprietary Dual Impulse escapement.
Accepting the award Davide Cova, Area Manager Italy Grand Seiko Europe
NEW MATERIALS
Panerai
Submersible eLAB-ID
A big step in the commitment to sustainability. The winner is a watch in which 98.6% of the weight comes from materials incorporating a high proportion of recycled elements. An unprecedented achievement in the history of the watch industry.
Accepting the award Valentina Gastaldo, Marketing Coordinator Panerai
CALENDARS
Patek Philippe
Online Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5236P
A watch destined to set the standard, as is the brand's tradition in this type. Astonishing the in-line display of day, date and month, simple and at the same time extraordinarily complex to incorporate into a wristwatch. With a movement featuring three new patents.
Accepting the award is Stefania Belloli, External Relations Manager Patek Philippe
WOMAN'S WATCH
Bulgari
Snakes Spike
The prize goes to a watch that in the collective imagination is one of the greatest expressions of Bugari's great tradition as a goldsmith. The rich detailing of the intricate matelassé motif of the bracelet with its modular construction is enhanced by the preciousness of gold and diamonds.
Accepting the award Federica Lo Vasto, Marketing Global Director Watch Business Unit Bulgari
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Frederique Constant
Slimline Monolithic Manufacture
A great success, in this category, for a relatively young company that has been able to demonstrate great technical capabilities in a short time. Winning with a revolutionary oscillating system, an alternative to the balance-spring, with an integrated escapement. The new oscillator vibrates at a frequency of 40 Hz, ten times that of a 28,800 vibrations per hour mechanical movement.
Accepting the award Enrico Bolletta, Sales Director Italy of Citizen Watch Italy
VALUE FOR MONEY
Tudor
Black Bay Ceramic
A competitive price for Tudor's first Master Chronometer-certified watch, which makes precision and anti-magnetism its trump card. By adding a black ceramic case, which not only affirms its robustness but also accentuates its aesthetic value.
Accepting the award Renato Scloza, Brand Manager Tudor
THE CLOCK CLUB
Blancpain
Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No Rad
The Club's choice falls on one of the diver's that made history, established as the first modern professional diver's watch. Appreciating the vintage charm and original style of the 1960s, complete with the words 'no radiations' on the dial.
Accepting the award Roberto Castagna, Brand Manager Blancpain
