Last week, for the very first time, 84 pre-selected watches from the 19th chapter of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), made their way to Australian shores… and we couldn’t be more proud. Hosted by our friends at The Hour Glass Australia, a special preview / cocktail to mark the first stage of the 2019 GPHG roadshow, brought together local watch lovers, media and celebrities, including five-time Australian Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, all driven by a passion for watchmaking culture.
Held at the Cruise Bar, opposite Sydney’s iconic Opera House, the evening kicked off with an opening speech by Mr. Pedro Zwahlen, Ambassador of Switzerland to Australia, who touched on the importance of Australia as a market for Swiss Watches followed by a few words from Kelvin Wong, Country Manager, The Hour Glass Australia.
“The Hour Glass’ mission is to advance watch culture around the world and it gives us no greater pleasure than to introduce the Grand Prix D’Horlogerie de Genève to watch enthusiasts in Sydney. Particularly so as it is the GPHG’s inaugural appearance in Australia. It is without doubt to be ranked as the most exciting cultural event in Australia’s horological calendar for 2019” – Michael Tay, Co-group managing director of The Hour Glass and member of the jury of the 2019 GPHG
“Starring 84 timepieces signed by nearly 50 different brands, our exhibitions offer a cosmopolitan public unique opportunities to discover the vitality of the art of contemporary watchmaking in all its diversity – Carine Maillard, Director of the GPHG
After Sydney, the pre-selected watches – competing for the famous Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix or one of the 18 prizes that will reward watchmaking excellence – will fly to Bangkok, before heading to Mexico and then Geneva, where the 19th GPHG prize-giving ceremony will be held on November 7th.
See the full list of 2019 GPHG nominees here