On Thursday 23 June, the presentation of the 2009 Argò Awards for Watchmaking took place. We have now reached the sixteenth edition, and the Argò Award, which gives voice to your free preferences as enthusiasts of the sector, is confirmed as the only watchmaking award in Italy. In the elegant and exclusive showroom of Santoni, an Italian high-end footwear and leather goods brand, in the very central Via Montenapoleone in Milan, there was a large part of the watchmaking world that counts: from the brand managers of Omega and Piaget, to the communication managers of IWC, Greubel Forsey and Patek Philippe. Numerous guests, including some of our Club members, attended the prize-giving ceremony hosted by L'OROLOGIO editor-in-chief Dody Giussani and journalist Simonetta Suzzi, representing the editors of L'OROLOGIO and CHRONO WORLD magazines. Introducing the award ceremony, Renato Giussani - general manager of Argò srl - confirmed the commitment of the publishing house to support the sector, in a complex year like the present, also with new communication activities through the Internet and interesting activities aimed directly at enthusiasts, such as L'Orologio Club (www.orologioclub.it).
Receiving the awards were the managers of the companies whose timepieces won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the five categories of the 2009 Argò Award: Technical, Single Time, Chronograph, Sporty, Ladies.
AWARD-WINNERS
TECHNICAL CATEGORY
1st Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars ChronAP
Nominated by our readers and awarded by the jury of the 2009 Argò Prize for innovation tastefully combined with traditional lines and top-quality finishing. With its 43,200 vibrations per hour and the new original Audemars Piguet escapement, the Jules Audemars ChronAP deserves the prize of the most interesting watch of 2009 from a technical point of view.
Award recipient Virginia Manera, Head of the Audemars Piguet Press Office
2nd A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk
It is the watch that marked Lange's 2009 and is destined to become the brand's new icon. No other manufacturer had so far succeeded in making the jumping function truly usable and captivating, even extending it to the minute display, with uncommon legibility.
Accepting the Award Luca Dondi, Managing Director on Europe at A. Lange & Söhne
3rd Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon Technique
Not just a restyling. The new version of Greubel Forsey's Double Tourbillon offers a different interpretation of the architecture of a mechanical movement, allowing a three-dimensional journey through the gear-trains of a mechanism of the highest performance and finish.
Award recipient Angela Landone, Public Relations Manager Greubel Forsey in Italy
TIME-ONLY CATEGORY
1st Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle 38 mm
An uncompromising classic, sublimating the manufacturing excellence of Vacheron Constantin. The affirmation of a model with a diameter of only 38 millimetres also indicates a new trend in the tastes of the enthusiast public.
Award recipient Marcella Magliola, Vacheron Constantin Public Relations Manager
2nd Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier Ref. 5153
A classic in the Patek Philippe production range, the Officier case, with its hinged cover over the visible back, underlines the elegance of the Calatrava model and confirms the public's preference for the company's timeless watches.
Stefania Belloli, Patek Philippe External Relations Manager, accepted the award.
3rd Rolex DateJust
For the past two years, Rolex's evergreen, the DateJust, has added a new, more modern case size to its collection, with an impressive 41 millimetres in diameter. The novelty has confirmed the success this model has enjoyed for over sixty years.
Elena Rusinenti, Marketing Director Rolex Italy, accepted the award.
CHRONOGRAPH CATEGORY
1st Piaget Polo FortyFive
The company's first titanium sports chronograph caught the imagination of our readers thanks to its out-of-the-ordinary personality and respectable technical details, from the flyback function to the second time zone, all on an IWC-manufactured movement.
Collected the award Elena Camera, Brand Manager Piaget
2nd Tudor Grantour Chrono
It is the watch that marked the start of the partnership between Tudor and Porsche Motorsport in international GT racing. The Tudor Grantour Chrono has a design rich in references to the world of motorsport and onboard instrumentation: a winning combination.
Elena Rusinenti, Marketing Director Rolex Italy, accepted the award.
3rd Breitling Chronomat 01
Breitling's first manufacture chronograph calibre crowns the company's tradition of chronograph construction and could not fail to capture the imagination of enthusiasts.
Patrizia Aste, Managing Director Breitling Italy, accepted the award
SPORTS CATEGORY
1st Omega Seamaster 1200M Ploprof
A re-edition of the original 1970 diver's watch, the Ploprof was a far-sighted anticipation of the fashion for new-vintage watches that has established itself in recent months. All this combined with an Omega Co-Axial calibre offering exceptional performance.
Andrea Nunziata, Omega Brand Manager, accepted the award
2nd Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic
The Italian manufacturer's growth in the verticalisation of production, with the in-house production of its movements, is effectively reflected in this model from the Luminor Marina 1950 collection, equipped with the new P.9000 manufacture calibre.
Collected the Award Elena Bardin, Communication Manager Officine Panerai
3rd IWC Aquatimer Deep Two
The flagship model of the Aquatimer collection, the Deep Two is prized for its enviable technical equipment, ranging from the luminescent sapphire bezel to the precious mechanical depth gauge indicating the maximum depth reached. A champion among sportsmen dedicated to the sea.
Cristina Muzio, Public and Press Relation Manager IWC Italy, accepted the award
WOMAN CATEGORY
1st Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Feuille
2009 saw yet another revival of the famous baguette calibre of
Jaeger-LeCoultre, the world's smallest watch, reinterpreted in a high jewellery version to adorn the wrists of the most beautiful women on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. Images that evidently caught the public's imagination.
Claudio Angè, Jaeger-LeCoultre Italy Director, accepted the award
2nd Chopard L.U.C Tourbillon Lady
Who said that technical refinements should only be the prerogative of men? Chopard gives us a highly feminine and utterly successful interpretation of the most popular complication among enthusiasts: the tourbillon.
Silvana Regazzoni, Specialised Press Office Manager, accepted the award
3rd Bulgari Serpenti
A Bulgari jewellery classic, its most precious version anticipated the launch of more affordable models at BaselWorld 2010. Bulgari's style and savoir-faire are translated into jewellery watches characterised by impeccable craftsmanship at the highest level of the goldsmith's art.
Guido Terreni, General Manager of Bulgari's Watch Division, accepted the award.
