Watch Industry's Awards Academy Exhibits $15Mln-Worth Timepieces In St.Petersburg

Watch Industry's Awards Academy Exhibits $15Mln-Worth Timepieces in St.Petersburg

The exhibition of the 84 world-best watches nominated in 2021 by the Swiss Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Academy, which opened for the first time in Russia earlier this week, has the potential to become a regular event, the president of the GPHG Foundation, Raymond Loretan, told Sputnik

ST.PETERSBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2021) The exhibition of the 84 world-best watches nominated in 2021 by the Swiss Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Academy, which opened for the first time in Russia earlier this week, has the potential to become a regular event, the president of the GPHG Foundation, Raymond Loretan, told Sputnik.

The collective value of the watches in the exhibition is about $15 million, according to the organizers.

"We are very happy for this opportunity. We would love to come back next year. We have to consider all markets. I think we need to come to Russia more often. There is an interest in Moscow as well but I would love to developer more regular relations with the Faberge museum because it�has a connection and deep links with watches and with Switzerland," Raymond Loretan said in an interview following the opening ceremony at the the Faberge Museum in the Shuvalov Palace in Russia's St. Petersburg.

The president of the foundation underlined that in order to promote a principle of prize's independence and neutrality, the academy was continuously searching for new experts all over the world including in Russia and expressed hope to recruit more academy members on he exhibit's sidelines. He explained that pretty much everyone from the main sectors related to watchmaking was eligible including influencers, collectors, end customers, aesthetes.

"As of today we have only five Russians in the academy but we want to increase the number and that is one of the purposes to be here trying to identify additional academicians. We meet people who are watch collectors, watch passionate people, journalists or people who are commercializing watches. I think we will recruit during our stay three to five people," he said.

�PANDEMIC AND LUXURY GOODS MARKET

The pandemic has left national economies and almost all markets and businesses counting the costs, as governments struggle with new lockdown measures to tackle the spread of the virus. Despite the development of anti-covid vaccines, the� economic impact of the virus and the economic recovery rates are still unknown including in the watch industry. However, according to the president, overall the watches market was not hit as badly as other sectors.

�"In the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, there was a slowdown in our segment as well but then the industry caught up especially in a luxury watches' segment. In mid range price watches there was a stagnation but we are confident that in coming months all segments will catch up," he stressed.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY INDUSTRY�

With sustainability becoming a decisive factor for consumers' buying choices and with the effects of climate change becoming more visible, it is no wonder that so many businesses including the watch industry are keen to launch sustainable goods reducing the carbon footprint, according to Raymond Loretan.

�"All the brands these days are concerned with the origin of their raw materials, the cost of different processes, the transport costs and the way watches are manufactured. Worldwide and in our industry we witness a high consciousness about environmental issues, about the company's carbon footprint," he stated.

RUSSIAN TASTE FOR LUXURY, INNOVATION

The president noted the Russians' love for Swiss watches, pointing that Russian consumers were now moving towards subtler and innovative prestige timepieces.

"In a few watches of the Russian origin that are present in the competition we can note a lot of innovation and creativity. I will not comment on a watch by Konstantin Chaykin brand, which in fact�won in 2018 in our category "Challenge", but i believe this brand's timepieces can reflect on the people's preferences. We know that there is also interest for prestige watches," Loretan said.

Konstantin Chaykin is an independent watchmaker from Russia, who is famous for complicated horology and pieces with animated clown and animal faces. He made it to this edition of GPHG shortlist with his new creation 'Konstantin Chaykin Wristmon Minotaur' in The Calendar and Astronomy category.

"Unfortunately, no other Russian brands were mentioned as candidates. So I think they should come out and try to compete. There is a big potential in Russia and hope that exhibitions as such will stimulate some Russian creators to compete," the president stated.

After the exhibition in St. Petersburg, the nominated timepieces will be moved to the Musee Rath in Geneva, where the 20 watches that won the "Aiguille d'Or" Grand Prix from 2001 to 2020 will also be showcased as a retrospective collection to mark the 20th anniversary of the GPHG.

The award-winning watches will be exhibited in Dubai and then in Paris after the GPHG 2021 ceremony, which will take place on November 4.