SpotlightOn The GPHG 2022 Nominees: Craft-Intensive Timepieces

GPHG category: Jewellery

Bulgari Serpenti Misteriosi High

This high-jewellery masterpiece features a harmonic medley of crafts—hand-engraving, lacquering, and gem-setting (of diamonds and rubellites), used mainly for the hexagonal scales and eyes of the serpentine coiled bracelet watch. The more literal interpretation of the snake’s head features a removable watch in the snake’s mouth, which can be opened by pulling on the snake’s tongue. Not only is it fascinating that the watch can be removed from the mouth, this feature also has a functional purpose as well. It enables you to rotate and face the other direction, so that you can ensure that the dial always faces the wearer—whether they wear it on their left hand or right. being able to place the watch facing both ways also allows the wearer to have the snake facing them or away from them. The Piccolissimo calibre within is actually a 30-hour mechanical, with the crown on the reverse to be used for winding, by rotating clockwise, and rotating counter-clockwise for setting time.

This high-jewellery masterpiece features a harmonic medley of crafts—hand-engraving, lacquering, and gem-setting (of diamonds and rubellites), used mainly for the hexagonal scales and eyes

The more literal interpretation of the snake’s head features a removable watch in the snake’s mouth, which can be opened by pulling on the snake’s tongue

GPHG category: Jewellery

Jacob & Co. Astronomia Metaverso NFT Venus

A one-off novelty—part of a series of eight watches for all the planets, except for Pluto—comes with a one-off NFT certificate that is meant to worn in the Metaverse. The Metaverso is based on the Astronomia collection’s 44mm case, in white gold, featuring an open-worked dome placed between the movement and the sapphire crystal glass. In yellow gold, the dome is set with brilliant-cut white diamonds, and pink and yellow sapphires. It has three openings—for a flying tourbillon cage on the top, a timekeeping dial on the right, and a 288-facet Jacob-cut pink sapphire on the left, representing Venus. This watch runs on a 48-hour manual-winding calibre.

A one-off novelty—part of a series of eight watches for all the planets, except for Pluto—comes with a one-off NFT certificate that is meant to worn in the Metaverse

In yellow gold, the dome is set with brilliant-cut white diamonds, and pink and yellow sapphires. It has three openings—for the tourbillon, timekeeping dial, and a Jacob-cut pink sapphire

GPHG category: Jewellery

TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde

Sized at 44mm, this watch features something revolutionary in terms of precious materials. The anodised aluminium case has lab-grown diamond shards embedded into it, while the dial is a polycrystalline diamond plate. This is a new feat for not just TAG Heuer, but for fine watchmaking in general. The chronograph-tourbillon movement is a 70-hour automatic, which connects to a time-setting crown that is made from a lab-grown diamond as well. The crown really showcases the achievement with the precious material, which can be used to craft practically any shape or structure.

Other nominees for the GPHG Jewellery prize

• Chopard Animal World Peacock Watch
• Piaget Extravagant Touch Watch
• Van Cleef & Arpels Perles de Glace Rose watch

GPHG category: Artistic Crafts

Bovet Amadeo Amadeo Skeleton Tourbillon

A timepiece that looks like it’s right out of the wardrobe of historical royalty from the 18th century, the Amadeo Amadeo Skeleton Tourbillon required over 120 hours to hand-engrave, just the case, and 100 hours, for the movement—all by one master engraver. The Madonna depicted on the other side of the reversible watch is on mother-of-pearl. The gorgeous Amadeo convertible case in 45mm of 18-karat red gold can be used as a pocket watch, table clock or wristwatch. It runs on a manual-winding tourbillon movement that offer a whopping seven-day power reserve, which is indicated on one of the faces.

The Amadeo Amadeo Skeleton Tourbillon required over 120 hours to hand-engrave, just the case, and 100 hours, for the movement—all by one master engraver. The Madonna depicted on the other side of the reversible watch is on mother-of-pearl

GPHG category: Artistic Crafts

Hublot Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami Sapphire Rainbow

Japan’s contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami is one of the most illustrious artists that Hublot have worked with, as part of creating collaborative editions showcasing elements inspired by the artists’ work. This one here features a face that presents a re-creation of a Murakami’s signature smiling flower motif. The 12-petal archetypal flower is set with 487 precious stones—rubies, pink and blue sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites, yellow and orange sapphires—which create the rainbow effect of the dial. The petals rotate owing to a ball-bearing system underneath. This time-only watch runs on a 72-hour automatic movement, housed in Hublot’s signature sapphire crystal case, sized at 45mm.

This Classic Fusion features a face that presents a re-creation of a Murakami’s signature smiling flower motif. The 12-petal archetypal flower is set with 487 precious stones—rubies, pink and blue sapphires, amethysts, tsavorites, yellow and orange sapphires

Other nominees for the GPHG Artistic Crafts prize

• Audemars Piguet Code 11.59—Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie
• Hermès Arceau Hermès story
• Van Cleef & Arpels Charms Coccinelle Féerique watch
• Voutilainen Ji-Ku

Click here to see a complete list of watches and clocks nominated for GPHGs this year