Journe Wins Top Watch Prize, Again

By William George Shuster -- JCK Online, 2/1/2007 2:00:00 AM

The luxury watch business awarded its top 2006 awards in November at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève ceremonies in Geneva. The competition is open to all watch brands and companies. Some 1,500 guests attended the gala event at the Grand Théâtre. These are the 2006 winners.

The top prize, the Prix de l’Aiguille d’Or (the Golden Hand award), again went to Geneva watchmaker François-Paul Journe for his Grande et Petite Sonnerie Souveraine timepiece (with quarter, hour, and minute repeater). The timepiece caps six years’ development, and its complex but durable mechanism has 10 patents.
The Jury Prize went to German luxury brand A. Lange & Söhne, another past winner in this category, for its Tourbograph timepiece.
The Ladies’ Watch Prize went to Patek Philippe for its Gondolo Gemma.
The Men’s Watch Prize was awarded to Roger Dubuis’s Excalibur Triple Time Zone timepiece.
The Prize for Watch Design went to the limited-edition Cartier Santos Mystérieuse.
The Lady’s Jewelry Watch Prize was given to Piaget’s Limelight Party timepiece.
The Prize for Watch With Complication was awarded to H. Moser & Cie. for its Moser Perpetual 1.
The Sports Watch Award was won by two brands—Chopard’s L.U.C Extra Plate and TAG Heuer’s Carrera Calibre 360.
The Digital Watch Prize was awarded to Seiko for its Electronic Ink watch.
The Public’s Prize (based on voting by consumers) went to Breguet’s Classique 5177 (with lever and escape wheel in silicon).