ग्रांड प्रिक्स डी’ होरलोजेरी डे जेनेवे ने पेश की खूबसूरत घड़ियां

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The Soprano by Christophe Claret plays out the distinctive tune played by the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster, London. Time is money, time is art. Whoever doesn’t agree with the latter may please check out the 72 craftily-made timepieces selected by Grand Prix D’horlogerie De Geneve (GPHG), also regarded as the Oscars of the watch industry, for this year’s awards nominations. On display were a varied collection, ranging from jewellery to sport watches and chronographs to tourbillons. The Midnight Planetarium by Van Cleef & Arpels, for one, provides a miniature representation of the movement of six planets around the sun. Another attraction is Surya by Frederic Jouvenot. An ode to the sun, the watch has a flower display that shows the time with 12 jumping petals that change colour.

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La Ferrari by Hublot holds a world record for a 50-day power reserve. Blending art with history is The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz, while La Ferrari by Hublot holds a world record for a 50-day power reserve. The Soprano by Christophe Claret plays out the distinctive tune played by the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster, London. From unique technical aspects to striking designs, the 2014 selection packs it all in. This year’s Grand Prix holds significance for horology enthusiasts in India, as the annual event made its debut in the country with a symposium at the Swiss Embassy in the capital. “India is a fabulous country. We need to be coherent with our main objectives, while at the same time focus on markets that are key for the brands we represent,” says Carlo Lamprecht, president of the Fondation du Grand Prix D’horlogerie De Geneve, while commenting on choosing India for the preview.

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The Midnight Planetarium by Van Cleef & Arpels provides a miniature representation of the movement of six planets around the sun. But is the Indian market ready to receive such high-end watches? More than ready, says Lamprecht. “In just a few years, Indian consumers have developed an extraordinary ability to appreciate fine watchmaking, and have thus become more critical with regards to creativity, innovation and craftsmanship,” he adds. India is a market whose time has come, says Yashovardhan Saboo, CEO of Ethos, the hosts of the GPHG symposium in the country this year. “China experienced an annual growth of over 35% in the decade 2000-2010 in the watch business. It is now slowing down. Luxury is not new to India, but India’s GDP growth is creating a larger upper-middle-class and a more aspirational consumer base. The GPHG wants to engage with the Indian consumer and this symposium marks the beginning of the journey,” he adds.

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Hermes Arceau Temari, which is inspired by the traditional Japanese art Temari that combines skills of snow-setting and hardstone marquetry. As per some estimates, the market for high-end watches (at price points above R3 lakh per watch) is about R600 crore. The corresponding market for watches above the R10,000 price point is about R1,800 crore, adds Saboo. Talking about some of the best-selling watches in India, Saboo says it all depends upon the price point and segment. “At the price level below R5,000, Titan is by far the best-selling brand. As we go higher, Titan yields market share to brands like Fossil, Casio, Guess and Citizen. Around the price range of R25,000 to R50,000, Tissot, Seiko, Claude Bernard and Victorinox are popular. The next higher-price segment has Rado, Longines, Tag Heuer as best-selling brands, though niche brands like Louis Erard, Frederic Constant and Raymond Weil are also getting well-known. As we enter the luxury price range, not surprisingly, we see the domination of brands such as Omega, Cartier, Breitling and, of course, Rolex. Luxury watch buyers also prefer relatively niche brands like Breguet, Carl F Bucherer, IWC and Panerai, each of which have a few, very famous iconic models that make them very coveted,” he adds.

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The Bird Repeater by Jaquet Droz blends art with history. The GPHG exposition is held annually. Out of hundreds of craftily-made Swiss watches, the GPHG jury carefully selects 72 to be nominated for the annual awards. “The competition is open to all watchmaking brands, irrespective of nationality. We were very pleased to welcome 234 watches in competition and 90 brands for the 2014 edition, some of which are independent, while others are part of big groups such as the Swatch group,” explains Lamprecht, adding: “Only watches launched in the market after March 2013 and before the end of November 2014 are eligible to enter the competition. So to say, there are no other criteria. Participants have the possibility to register their watches in various categories, and we have adapted this year’s categories to the trend and actual needs. There are 12 categories in all.”

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An ode to the sun, Surya by Frederic Jouvenot has a flower display that shows the time with 12 jumping petals that change colour. Besides bringing some of the best names in the watch industry under one platform, the GPHG also brings together niche and highly specialised watches produced by master craftsmen for the first time ever in India. So a select few audiences in India got to witness the exclusive universe of collectors’ watches with brands such as A Lange & Sohne, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaquet Droz, Harry Winston, Graff, Bulgari, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Chopard, Breguet, Mont Blanc, Hublot, Hermes, Tag Heuer and Omega, to name a few. If you want your favourite timepiece to win, you can vote for it among the 72 pre-selected watches (one vote per person) on the official GPHG website, http://www.gphg.org.