The 2021 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) was held on November 4 in Geneva. Bulgari, whose four watches entered in the competition were all nominated by the Jury for the final round of voting, was awarded the most prestigious prize of all. This distinction rewards a watch, Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, as well as celebrating the epic saga of extreme thinness initiated by Bulgari since 2014.
The “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix is a “best in show” prize rewarding the finest watch across all categories, and which is also deemed the most representative of the watch industry. From this perspective, Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar – seventh in an unbroken line of world records since 2014 – tells a story that has reshaped the watchmaking landscape in recent years.
The Finissimo line has profoundly disrupted the codes of classicism by demonstrating that it is possible to reinterpret classic and traditional watch complications through a resolutely innovative and contemporary approach.
Bulgari has revisited the entire range of the finest and most complicated watchmaking while moving in one sole direction: ultra-thinness. This approach has involved entirely rewriting the rules of watchmaking construction, pushing Bulgari and its teams to reinvent concepts and find innovative technical solutions. It has also radically renewed the genre, leading several Haute Horlogerie brands to follow suit.
In this sense, the reach of the Octo Finissimo collection has not only demonstrated that Bulgari is now definitively playing in the big league, but also that its impact is taking on a dimension that impacts the entire industry.
This is the 14th GPHG award for Jean-Christophe Babin, who is actually the only CEO of the watchmaking industry to have won two Aiguilles d’Or for two different major companies, first one in 2012 for the TAG Heuer Mikrogirder, and the second one this year for the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar. A unique achievement that demonstrates his continuous engagement for innovation and rules breaking: “This prestigious Award rewards the in-depth work initiated by Bulgari to redefine the fundamentals of Haute Horlogerie in terms of Art of Miniaturization.It rewards finally Bulgari’s spirit: boldness, disruptive and innovative”, commented Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO Bulgari Group.
