Cartier is once again looking for a horologist of the highest caliber.
The Parisian jeweler has just opened applications. Cartier Prize For tomorrow’s watchmaking talent. Created exactly 30 years ago by the Institut Horlogerie Cartier, the prize recognizes apprentice watchmakers in Switzerland, France, Germany and this year Belgium.
gave Competition at hand Accompanying works with changing movement around a specific theme. For the 2024 edition, watchmakers will need to reimagine a pendulum movement that Cartier has created for more than a century by incorporating new aesthetic and technical innovations related to the theme of “the magic of the senses.”
After applications close on August 30, five watchmakers will select six technicians and six apprentices to move on to the next stage. (The judging panel included independent watchmaker Kari Votilinen and watch expert Roy Davidoff, among other industry heavyweights.) The 12 selected applicants were given 80 hours to develop their project over two months. will go During this period, they will receive individual coaching from an experienced mentor. On December 16, finalists will present their completed projects to judges at the Maison des Métiers d’Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Applicants need to reimagine the Cartier movement.
Cartier
The award ceremony will then be held in January 2025. According to Cartier, prizes will be awarded for both technical skill and creativity. The top two winners will be offered a Cartier traineeship, while three prize winners in two categories will receive a Cartier watch and an invitation to visit several Cartier locations in France and Switzerland.
However, Cartier is not the only notable name focused on nurturing the next generation of watchmakers. Louis Vuitton and FP Journe also offer rewards for newcomers. Launched this year, Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Emerging talent is evaluated by the International Committee of Watch Experts for Independent Creatives. The winner receives a silver trophy, a grant of €150,000 (about $162,000) and a one-year mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps, LV’s state-of-the-art factory in Switzerland. (Raùl Pagès won the first edition of the LV Prize.)
Ditto, FP Journe’s Young Talent CompetitionLaunched in 2015 in partnership with Hour Glass, the young watchmaker helps students and recent graduates make a name for themselves by highlighting their work. The winner receives a diploma and 50,000 Swiss francs (about $55,000) to purchase watchmaking tools and finance their horological project.
Of course, such initiatives are mutually beneficial. Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and FP Journe can see exciting new ideas, get to know fresh talent, and recruit watchmakers for themselves. Finding and/or training new entrants is even more difficult now that the industry is facing a shortage of watchmakers. By 2026, an estimated 4,000 new watchmakers will be needed in Switzerland to meet the growing demand for workers and the loss of retirees. Then maybe some more people should consider giving prizes.
Credit : robbreport.com