Prize-Worthy

For the world's watch and jewelry industries, the annual spring trade fair in Basel, Switzerland, is the Oscars, Tonys, and Emmys all rolled into one. Important prizes are awarded there annually. This year's included:

• The "Watch of the Year"—selected by readers of the magazine Armband Uhren and the German language newspaper Welt am Sonntag—went to Chronoswiss's Chronoscope.
• The Grand Prix Golay, given by Swiss cultured pearl firm Golay to budding goldsmiths for jewelry using pearls, was won by Romona Matthaei of Zurich for her rhodium-plated "pearl piano" bracelet, incorporating piano strings and free-moving pearls.
• The Prix Hublot for humanitarian works, awarded by MDM, maker of luxury watch brand Hublot, went to Sister Therese Jacqueline Purtscher and Gregoire Ahongbonon. Sister Therese was cited for work with Las Granjas Infantiles Femeninas in Medellin, Colombia, which protects and educates girls from poor families. Ahongbonon was honored for rehabilitation centers he has created for the mentally ill in Africa's Ivory Coast.