The results of 0024 European Watch of the Year Awards 2014 have been announced! The panel of five judges, consisting of expert and passionate watch aficionados and professionals Sid Vasili, Charlotta Eriksson, Kirsten Kilby, Lex Stolk and Chairman Harry Wijnschenk has chosen the following watches.
Category 1: Men’s watches up to £10,000
Winner: Van der Gang Watches Vlieger
Jury motivation: It is the perfect, plain manufacture case of the Van der Gang Vlieger that is the deciding factor in this category. With a date indicator, second time zone and AM/PM indicator there is nothing wrong with the functionality either and what’s more, the chronograph, derived from a Norwegian pilot’s watch, looks fantastic and avoids the trap of the clichéd shape of pilot’s watches.
Category 2: Men’s watches £10,000 – £25,000
Winner: Christiaan van der Klaauw Real Moon Joure
Jury motivation: The Christiaan van der Klaauw is the convincer with the most accurate moon phase indicator in the world, which only deviates from the true moon phase by a single day every 11,000 years (!). And it also has an astonishingly designed three-dimensional moon that appears to float in a universe of sparkling aventurine. An astronomical complication that is part of a rich tradition and that, according to the unanimous judges, will continue to charm in the future.
Category 3: Men’s watches £25,000 – £100,000
Winner: TAG Heuer Carrera MikroPendulum 100
Jury motivation: With the world’s only chronograph regulated by magnetism it is possible to display the measured time with an accuracy of up to 1/100th of a second. A frequency of 360,000 vph is astonishing, as is the use of three different alloys for the tiny magnets. And finally, the look of the watch is also groundbreakingly different.
Category 4: Men’s watches £100,000 and up
Winner: Chopard L.U.C Perpetual T
Jury motivation: Chopard is the ultimate winner because of the presence, among other things, of four spring barrels that provide a 9-day power reserve in this movement, which was developed entirely in-house, bears the seal of Geneva and is also COSC-certified. The extremely delicate and carefully balanced dial deserves a mention as well.
Category 5: Ladies’ watches up to £10,000
Winner: Frédérique Constant Ladies Automatic World Heart Federation
Jury motivation: The winner was the Swiss watch with the Dutch DNA because feminine sometimes can’t be feminine enough. Diamonds, a very delicate dial of shiny mother-of-pearl and a satin strap are über-feminine. The presence of the mechanical movement that is visible through the heart-shaped aperture added weight to the decision.
Category 6: Women’s watches £10,000 and up
Winner: Bovet Récital 9 Tourbillon Miss Alexandra
Jury motivation: These are the winning aspects; technical watch technology and artisan aesthetics of the highest calibre. The tourbillon floats between two graciously curved bridges with delicate decorations and the moon phase indicator at 12 o’clock is intoxicating. The oval watch is a unique and purely feminine design and not a derivative of a men’s model. The 7-day power reserve shows that Bovet operates with respect for watch traditions and for women with a heart for watches. Passed with flying colours!
Winner Excellence Award for Design
Winner: Halda Watch Co. Sweden Race Pilot
Jury motivation: This Swedish watch was developed in conjunction with NASA and ESA to enable astronauts to use it in space. And of course it can be used on earth by mere mortals as well. What they see is a modular, highly versatile watch with an interchangeable case that houses a Zenith Elite calibre and a case in which a quartz movement designed in-house offers a multitude of functionalities, including a light sensor, but also a sub-menu with lap times for different tracks. The original idea and the ultimate design are more than worthy of a special distinction.
Winner Excellence Award for Technology
Winner: Pequignet Royal Grand Sport
Jury motivation: Pequignet applied for an amazing nine patents. The patents apply to the extremely beautifully designed Calibre Royal movement, which was designed and built entirely in the company’s own manufacture. This design stands out with its smart touches. For example, in the construction of the movement Pequignet took into account and left space for future complications. The Pequignet is a beautiful watch with a very imaginative movement which, furthermore, does not live in rarefied atmospheres but makes distinctive haute horlogerie accessible.
Winner 0024 Reader’s Award
Winner: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince”
Motivation: The readers of 0024 Horloges and 0024 WatchWorld chose IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” as their favorite watch. With its winning limited edition – only 270 of these watches were built – IWC has realised a winning mix of fantasy, technology, colour, masculinity and luxury. Haute horlogerie has triumphed!
