The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie is set to pay homage to two personalities who stood out for their talent and passion in 2015. The “Hommage au Talent” prize has been awarded to freelance enamel artist Anita Porchet, while Co-President of Chopard Karl-Friedrich Scheufele has been acknowledged with the “Hommage à la Passion” award. The 4th annual edition of the awards has been presented yesterday at the Cité du Temps in Geneva.
The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), guardian of technical and precious Fine Watchmaking, believes the people who work this magic deserve recognition, and awards the “Hommage au Talent” and “Hommage à la Passion” prizes to personalities who exhibit excellence in their contribution to watchmaking. These awards, of which one acknowledges an exceptional carreer and the other applauds an outstanding talent, were originally initiated by Italian journalist Eugenio Zigliotto and have been orchestrated since 4 years by the FHH through its Cultural Council and an independent panel of judges.
This year’s “Hommage au Talent” prize goes to freelance enamel artist Anita Porchet. Enamelling is experiencing its biggest revival in watchmaking and it is Ms Porchet who has led the way. Recently on the verge of dying out, enamelling once again occupies pride of place amongst patrons of artistic craftsmanship. Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, Patek Philippe, Hermès and Chanel are just some of the prestigious Maisons that have solicited the talents of Ms Porchet to create extraordinary pieces. From her countryside studio in the canton of Vaud, Anita Porchet cultivates enamel techniques that capture the very spirit of Haute Horlogerie.
The “Hommage à la Passion” prize is awarded to Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard. A true visionary, Mr Scheufele is behind Chopard’s slow but steady climb to the upper echelons of mechanical watchmaking. In the wake of the quartz crisis, his decision to found Chopard Manufacture in 1996 seemed counter-intuitive. But, fuelled by his determination to reclaim the Chopard legacy that dated back to 1860, and to satisfy his natural inclination towards authenticity in watchmaking, the gamble paid off brilliantly. Once he had firmly established the production of L.U.C Haute Horlogerie movements, he went on to further consolidate the autonomy of the family business 15 years later with the opening of Fleurier Ebauches, a manufacturing facility dedicated to series production of calibres.
