Bulgari, TAG Heuer and Zenith Shine Bright at 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève
Watches & Jewelry
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© Bulgari
The latest edition of the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève took place in Geneva on November 10, 2022. Among the timepieces nominated for awards, models by Bulgari, TAG Heuer and Zenith stood out for their watchmaking excellence and limitless innovation. Bulgari won the Audacity Prize with Octo Finissimo and the Jewelry Watch Prize with Serpenti Misteriosi, while TAG Heuer was awarded the Iconic Watch Prize for its Monaco x Gulf model.
In the Jewelry category
Powered by the micro-caliber Piccolissimo (which means very small in Italian), the Serpenti Misteriosi secret watch by Bulgari is an exploit in watchmaking miniaturization and a paragon of excellence in jewelry craftsmanship. The snake-like bracelet coils around the wrist, elegantly displaying its turquoise inserts, brilliant-cut diamonds and mesmerizing pear-cut rubellite eyes. Pressing the serpent’s tongue opens its intricately crafted mouth to reveal a pavé-set diamond dial. Measuring just 12.30mm in diameter and only 2.50mm thick, the BVL 100 caliber is neatly tucked inside the reptile’s head. Designed and produced entirely at the Bulgari Manufacture, Piccolissimo is one of the smallest self-winding mechanical movements in the world.
The revolutionary TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma, powered by the Heuer 02 Tourbillon Nanograph movement, has Diamant d’Avant-Garde lab-grown diamonds set in its case. The polycrystalline diamond dial is just one of the exceptional components that makes up this unique timepiece. It also features a 44mm watchcase predominantly made of sandblasted anodized aluminum and a polished bezel in black ceramic. The hour markers are embellished with diamonds and the hands are coated with white Super-LumiNova®.
In the Men’s category
The Calibre 135-O Observatoire is the product of a unique collaboration between Zenith, master watchmaker and restorer Kari Voutilainen and Phillips, in association with Bacs & Russo. This modern masterpiece is equipped with the historic Calibre 135-O, one of the most awarded movements from the golden age of chronometer competitions, which has never before been commercialized. The watch’s 38mm platinum round case features tapered lugs that seamlessly fit under the bezel, as well as an oversized notched crown emblazoned with the modern Zenith star logo. Beneath the glassbox-style sapphire crystal, the black dial crafted in sterling silver features guilloché engraving in a fish-scale motif.
In the “Petite Aiguille” category
The DEFY Skyline by Zenith draws inspiration from the octagonal geometry of the early DEFY models. Sitting on top of a sharply defined 41mm stainless steel case, the faceted bezel has been revived in a 12-sided version, with each side corresponding to an hour marker. The screw-down crown emblazoned with Zenith’s star logo offers water resistance of 10 ATM (100 meters). On a subdial located at 9 o’clock, a constantly moving hand makes regular, fixed jumps to complete a full rotation every 10 seconds. This outstanding performance is delivered by the new El Primero 3620 caliber. The star-studded dial with a sunburst finish features a pattern of engraved four-pointed stars – a modern reimagining of the Zenith “double Z” logo of the 1960s.
In the Iconic category
The DEFY Revival A3642 is a modern reinterpretation of the first ever DEFY wristwatch, Zenith’s flagship model from 1969. With its taupe-colored fumé dial, rectangular hour markers with horizontal ridges, paddle-shaped seconds hand and broad, faceted hour and minute hands coated in Super-LumiNova®, the new model remains faithful to the original version with additional enhancements to suit contemporary usage. Instead of the original screw-down caseback, the DEFY Revival A3642 features a sapphire crystal back that showcases the Elite 670 caliber housed inside. This manufacture movement operates at a frequency of 4Hz/28,800vph and delivers a power reserve of 50 hours when fully wound.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special is a special edition watch co-created with Gulf that perfectly embodies the watchmaking brand’s passion for motorsports. The refined design features the Gulf brand’s iconic colors – dark blue, turquoise and orange – combined with a brushed and polished steel case that houses the Heuer 02 manufacture movement. The back of the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition presents a unique version of the Heuer 02 caliber’s oscillating mass and column wheel, with a special engraving colored to match the Gulf brand’s Pantone orange.
In the Challenge category
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph is the brand’s first ever solar-powered watch. The bezel, dial and hands are all covered with Super-LumiNova® so that they stand out clearly even at night. The timepiece also features a steel case with black DLC coating and bezel inserts made of a blend of carbon and green Super-LumiNova®. The partially transparent dial allows the movement to be charged by the sun’s rays, with autonomy reaching up to 3.5 years when the “Power Save” mode is activated.
In the Diver’s category
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is the ultimate luxury dive watch. This is the brand’s first timepiece to use the TH30-00 caliber designed especially for TAG Heuer by Kenissi Manufacture SA. With a 45mm case and a thickness of just 15.75mm, this extremely robust model can resist the pressure of the ocean depths. Super-LumiNova® coating ensures optimal legibility even in the dark, and the orange detailing is a nod to the color of safety at sea. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver meets the most demanding diving standards and has obtained ISO 6425:2018 certification for saturation divers’ watches.