News The Watch of the Year 2005 combines two names which, in themselves, sum up perfectly the watchmaking of yesterday, today, and no doubt tomorrow: Abraham-Louis Breguet and Nicolas G. Hayek.
In 2003, the Watch of the Year Prize awarded by the magazines Montres Passion and Uhrenwelt overturned tradition by crowning, after a long line of mechanical timepieces each more masculine than the other, a ladies’ quartz watch: the Déclaration from Cartier. This year tradition returns to the fore, in fact doubly so, since it was the Tradition model from Breguet that came out top, ahead of the LUC Twist from Chopard and the Chronomètre Souverain from François-Paul Journe. Featuring an original movement for which Nicolas G. Hayek, the CEO of Breguet, drew his inspiration from the company’s founder, the Tradition model quickly won over the majority of judges for its general technical and aesthetic qualities, its originality and even its price (21,700 francs).
Chaired by Philippe Dufour, the panel of professional judges unveiled its list of prize winners on 2 November this year in Lausanne. They made their choice from among 42 shortlisted models out of the hundreds of new products appearing on the Swiss market between September 2004 and August 2005. A condition of eligibility was that at least 200 of each model had to be produced with a retail price not exceeding 35,000 francs.
And for all that tradition came out on top again this year, the judges did not overlook fashion and the fair sex by naming the Kucha from Charriol as Ladies’ Watch of the Year 2005. With its African overtones and a name that means "claws" in Swahili, this steel quartz model with calfskin wristlet and panther motif retails at 6,430 francs.
The panel also rewarded with its Special Prize a model that does not meet the aforementioned price and production criteria: the Opus V from Harry Winston. Meanwhile the public, more precisely readers of the magazines L'Hebdo, Cash and Edelweiss called on to give their opinion, voted for the Golden Bridge by Corum.
Next year, Montres Passion and Uhrenwelt will be published four times a year instead of twice, will feature jewellery for the first time and will be presented in a new format. The Watch of the Year Prize however will once again be on the agenda for the autumn of 2006.
November 08, 2005
