Press release
On Monday, 30 May - under the patronage of Prince Albert II, Honorary President of the Watchmaking Circle of Monaco - more than one thousand men and women came to satisfy and share their passion for watchmaking, in a ‘blue' easy chic ambiance.
The Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie reaffirms its position in Monaco, under the Patronage of Prince Albert II, Honorary President of the Watchmaking Circle.
In the special edition of the magazine MOVMENT for the Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco stated that:
"The Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie brings together in one single venue veritable works of art highlighting the know-how, creativity and precision of the most talented craftsmen. I wish to congratulate the Watchmaking Circle of Monaco on their exceptional initiatives and commend the professionalism of its members. I am equally happy that Monaco welcomes an event as prestigious as this and that watchmakers, ever increasingly, choose the Principality as a place to develop their activities."
David Mouquet, President of the Deluxe Society and founder of the Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie announced:
"On this occasion and in the future … we will not cease to reaffirm the basic principle of direct contact of the enthusiasts with the brands and, conversely, the brands with enthusiasts, in an environment conducive to sharing the passion for watchmaking but also an initiation into the art of watchmaking. With a substantial expansion in terms of our guests, both qualitatively and quantitatively, we believe that Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie can continue to develop in this direction."
And Michel Bouquier, President of the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority, noted that:
"The Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie of Monaco is now part of the rich calendar of events of the Principality of Monaco. (…) The values of excellence shared by the organisers of the Rendez- Vous de l'Horlogerie of Monaco obviously find an attentive ear in the Principality, centre of luxury and the exceptional. I wish to express my sincere congratulations to the Deluxe Society and its teams for having been able to bring to Monaco an exhibition of its prestige in the sparkling setting of the remarkable Grimaldi Forum Monaco atrium."
An unmatched line-up to represent watchmakers and a world preview of the Only Watch photographic exhibition
This year, twenty brands representing beautiful, new and fine watchmaking came to meet a clientele who had been personally invited to discover these exceptional timepieces and the art of Watchmaking.
Cartier, Chanel, Corum, Dior, Manufacture Royale, MontBlanc, Pequignet, Piaget presented timepieces for men and women, each one as magnificent as the next and all sharing in common "la bienfacture horlogère" of those houses and workshops.
With regard to the names representing new and avant-garde watchmaking present, such as 4N, Ateliers deMonaco, BlackSand, Cabestan, Cyrus, Drakkar Timepieces, Hautlence, Ladoire, Laurent Ferrier, Perrelet, Valbray et Vertu …, they all once again showed their creativity, originality and innovation with regard to contemporary watchmaking … and reaffirmed their place in the eyes of the enthusiasts and collectors.
All the brands present competed for the "Trophées de l'Horlogerie" (categories: Men, Women and Nouvelle Horlogerie), which will be awarded at the end of June at the Hotel METROPOLE Monte-Carlo in the presence of the members of the Watchmaking Circle.
But also on the occasion of this the 2011 edition, the Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie of Monaco had the honour of displaying a photographic preview of the fourth edition of the Only Watch Biennial, the famous charity auction of unique timepieces, organised for the benefit of research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which will take place from 4 p.m. on 22 September 2011 at the Hotel Hermitage - Monaco.
39 of the world's greatest names in watchmaking will participate in 2011 in this major event in
the calendar for international collectors and enthusiasts:
Audemars Piguet, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Blu, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet, Celsius, Chanel, Chaumet, Chopard, Corum, De Bethune, Delacour, De Witt, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Girard Perregaux, Glasshütte, Harry Winston, Hermès, Hublot, Ikepod, Jaquet Droz, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Vuitton, Maurice Lacroix, MB&F, Montblanc, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Romain Jérôme, Tag Heuer, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vulcain, Zenith.
Thanks to the funds raised every two years, 15 research teams in the United States, France, Italy, Great Britain and Switzerland have annually received more than one million euros since 2005 from the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophies.
"The date of the Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie coincided with the availability of the first pictures of the unique pieces made for Only Watch 2011. It is, therefore, with pleasure that we responded favourably to the invitation from the organisers of this event. That allowed the association to invite collectors/donors/enthusiasts of beautiful watches to come together again and to communicate with the press, all in the very pleasant venue of the Grande Verrière of the Grimaldi Forum."
Luc Pettavino, President of the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophies.
The Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie is part of a long-term vision for the activities of the Watchmaking Circle.
We, of course, wish to thank our faithful, principal partner Barclays Wealth Monaco, which is responsible for turning the Grande Verrière of the Grimaldi Forum ‘blue' and the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, which has set up a special area with a watchmaker and a setter, to the great pleasure of the guests.
We must also note the exceptional presence of Rolls Royce and the House of Davidoff, and the partnership with Global Blue, which has invited a select Russian clientele to discover this unique evening where the stars are the timepieces.
This evening event is above all the gala evening of the Circle de l'Horlogerie, which at present works all year round in Monaco and Geneva, organising conferences, visits to workshops, private invitations, advantages and other services especially for its members.
The Watchmaking Circle is now undergoing reorganisation and working on the development of other towns, such as Luxembourg for September, Paris to be followed up, London is being looked at and there are other medium-term projects involving Moscow and Shanghai. With the launch of a Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie as soon as the numbers of members and relationships are sufficient.
Save the date:
The next Rendez-Vous de l'Horlogerie in Monaco will be held in May or June 2012 at a date to be confirmed.
