Press release
Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix:
the supreme distinction for Vacheron Constantin
The world’s most complicated wristwatch, the Tour de l’Ile, is honoured by the Grand Prix de l’Aiguille d’Or (Golden Hand) award
The prize-giving ceremony of the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, which was held on November 10th 2005 in Geneva’s Grand Théâtre, rewarded some of the year’s most noteworthy horological creations. A multidisciplinary Jury, composed of watchmaking experts, had the daunting task of choosing between the many watches competing in the different categories. The Grand Prix de l’Aiguille d’Or, an overall prize superseding the various category differentiations, was awarded to the Tour de l’Ile created by Vacheron Constantin for its 250th anniversary.
Vacheron Constantin is celebrating its quarter of a millennium in 2005. The world’s oldest watch Manufacture in uninterrupted activity since its founding in 1755, naturally developed a dedicated collection to mark this exceptional occasion. This imposing sum of experience, accumulated through its 250 years of existence, is expressed through 5 models including four watches, Tour de l’Ile, St-Gervais, Métiers d’Art and Jubilé 1755 and L’Esprit des Cabinotiers, a one-of-a-kind mysterious clock sold for 2.2 million Swiss francs at the Antiquorum auction on April 3rd 2005.
In awarding the Grand Prix de l’Aiguille d’Or, the jury of experts of the Geneva Watchmaking Prix was undoubtedly paying homage to the extreme sophistication of a watch that is the world’s most complex to date. Moreover, it is also honouring a brand enriched by 250 years of existence, which is in itself a tribute to the entire range of professions within the art of watchmaking.
The quarter-millennium anniversary of Vacheron Constantin is an unparalleled milestone in watchmaking history. From 1755 to 2005 or, expressed in more striking terms, from the Age of Enlightenment to the Third Millenium, the brand has faithfully accompanied the entire development of watchmaking, from its first steps to the contemporary era. Throughout this unique odyssey, Vacheron Constantin has been closely associated with all the watershed developments in the measurement of time, the quest for precision, technical innovation, the systematic exploration of materials and alloys and the artistic embellishment of horological objects by the professions and crafts involved in the decorative arts. The Tour de l’Ile is a perfect embodiment of this peerless wealth of skills and tradition.
