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Under the patronage of HE Dr. Hassan Abdullah Fakhro, Minister of Industry & Commerce, Kingdom of Bahrain
Twenty Winners of The Arabian Watches & Jewellery (AWJ) Magazine-sponsored Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards—Fifth Edition 2009 announced alongside Jewellery Arabia 2009
Winners presented Awards at a star-studded, well-attended glittering gala reception
Intense competition between competing brands to win the top spot; hybrid jury selection and public voting system used to determine winners
Once again, for the fifth consecutive year, Arabian Watches & Jewellery (AWJ) Magazine hosted the Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards, presented alongside Jewellery Arabia 2009. The Presentation Ceremony, for what is dubbed the ‘Industry Oscars’, was accompanied by a grand dinner reception at the Al Ghazal Ballroom at The Ritz Carlton, the most prestigious hotel in the Kingdom of Bahrain on Tuesday, 17 November, the inaugural night of Jewellery Arabia 2009. It was attended by a distinguished cross section of over 300 invitation-only and standing room guests.
The black-tie gala dinner ceremony was held under the patronage of HE Dr. Hassan Abdullah Fakhro, the Minister of Industry & Commerce, Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Awards reflect the Premier Awards’ singular efforts to bring to the forefront, top industry names for their creativity and distinction. It will also help to turn the spotlight on the industry’s fortunes in the Middle East, already one of the fastest growing regions in the world for many of the industry’s participants.
Despite the ongoing economic recession, which has dented the industry in many parts of the world, the response to this year’s edition of the Premier Awards by participating brands was very encouraging, an affirmation of the growing business prospects and recognition of retail potential in the region.
Since their inception in 2005, The Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards, now a regular occurrence at the Jewellery Arabia Exhibition series held at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre, have been steadily gaining traction in terms of popularity from both companies & brands, the readership of AWJ and the watch aficionado community in the region. The Premier awards are a reflection of industry trends and are a good barometer of industry and public sentiment.
Testimony of the popularity of the Premier Middle East Awards was further re-enforced when Rolls Royce, in conjunction with EuroMotors, sole importer of the brand in the Kingdom of Bahrain, signed on as co-sponsor of the event for the fourth consecutive year. “We are delighted to partner with the Premier Awards in honouring some of the most renowned brands in the world of watches, jewellery and fine writing instruments, in much the same league as Rolls Royce,” asserted Zayed Al Zayani, Managing Director, EuroMotors.
Also debuting as a sponsor at this year’s Premier Awards presentation ceremony was Qatar National Bank (QNB), one of the biggest banks in the country and the region.
“The Annual Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards are an expression and a manifestation of the finest the industry offers regionally and internationally,” emphasized Nader Freiha, Publisher, AWJ Magazine. “The Premier Awards were instituted to reward and recognize the crème-de-la-crème among the global watch, jewellery and fine writing pen brands, based on rigorous, professional internationally-accepted voting and testing standards and provide a showcase for award winning collections at the prestigious Jewellery Arabia Exhibition ahead of the busy holiday shopping season” explained Nader Freiha.
Lebanese singing star Tania Assaf and her three-man ensemble regaled the assembly with a rendition of pop hits in English, Arabic French and even Spanish, that left the audience tapping their feet.
Earlier in the day, Jewellery Arabia 2009 was officially inaugurated by the exhibition’s long-time patron HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the presence of HE Dr. Hassan Abdullah Fakhro, Minister of Industry & Commerce and other senior officials, dignitaries and special invitees.
The Premier Middle East Watches, Jewellery & Pens Awards—2009 Edition is the finalization of an elaborate, professionally and independently conducted process for deciding on the ultimate winners in each of the pre-determined ten watches and five categories each for jewellery and pens.
To ensure completed objectivity and impartiality, the Premier Awards introduced the following mechanisms to streamline the processing of the voting processing. These included the creation of a specially tailored website, the instituting of a specially empanelled, 14-member Awards Judging Committee, allowing for controlled public e-voting, all overseen by an external and independent auditors. The Jury vote was weighted at 70 % and the public voting at 30 %.
The winners and details of the awards in the different categories are as follows:
1) Watches Categories (10):
1) Category: Best Multi-Time Zone Watch
Finalists:
I) Montres DeWitt SA: Academia Double Fuseau GMT2 Poetic AC2002.53.M020
II) IWC Schaffhausen: Pilot’s Watch UTC Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery
III) Jaeger-LeCoultre: Master Compressor Extreme World Alarm ‘Tides of Time’
The Winner: Montres DeWitt SA, Academia Double Fuseau GMT2 Poetic AC2002.53.M020
2) Category: Best Tourbillon Watch
Finalists:
I) Audemars Piguet: Manual Winding Tourbillon Calibre 2889 with Chronograph, Reference 26353PT.OO.D028CR.01
II) IWC Schaffhausen: Portuguese Tourbillon Mystere
III) Girard-Perregaux: Vintage 1945-Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges
The Winner: Audemars Piguet Manual Winding Tourbillon Calibre 2889 with Chronograph, Reference 26353PT.OO.D028CR.01
3) Category: Best Classical Watch
Finalists:
I) Vacheron Constantin: Patrimony Manual Winding
II) Piaget: Piaget Altiplano
III) IWC Schaffhausen: Portofino Hand Wound Rose Gold
The Winner: Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Manual Winding
4) Category: Best High-End Jewelled Watch
Finalists:
I) Vacheron Constantin: Lady Kalla Flame
II) A. Lange & Sohne: Little Lange 1 Moonphase
III) Chanel: J12 Haute Joaillerie Watch
The Winner: Vacheron Constantin, Lady Kalla Flame
5) Category: Best Technical Innovation Watch
Finalists:
I) Hublot: King Power Chrono Tourbillon All Black
II) Audemars Piguet: Audemars Piguet Escapement Ref.26153PT.OO.D028CR.01
III) Porsche: Porsche Design Timepieces, Indicator PA 6910
The Winner: Hublot King Power Chrono Tourbillon All Black
6) Category: Best Sports Watch
Finalists:
I) Audemars Piguet: Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon & Chronograph, Ref 26265FO.OO.D002CR.01
II) Piaget: Piaget Polo FortyFive
III) Jaeger-LeCoultre: Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic Navy Seal
The Winner: Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon & Chronograph, Audemars Piguet, Ref 26265FO.OO.D002CR.01
7) Category: Best Men’s Watch
Finalists:
I) Jaeger-LeCoultre: Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon a Quantieme Perpetuel
II) Vacheron Constantin: Quai de L’ille Day Date Power Reserve 2475 SC/1
III) Panerai: Pangaea Expedition
The Winner: Jaeger-LeCoultre, Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon a Quantieme Perpetuel
8) Category: Best Ladies Watch
Finalists:
I) Harry Winston: Talk To Me, Harry Winston, 5Th Dial
II) A. Lange & Sohne: Little Lange 1 Moonphase
III) Piaget: Limelight Twice
The Winner: Harry Winston, Talk To Me, Harry Winston, 5Th Dial
9) Category: Best Chronograph Watch
Finalists:
I) IWC Schaffhausen: Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Galapagos Islands
II) Audemars Piguet: Royal Oak Offshore Ref. 26176FO.OO.D101CR.01
III) Panerai: Luminor Chrono Daylight 44 mm Titanium
The Winner: IWC Schaffhausen, Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Galapagos Islands
10) Category: Best Design Watch
Finalists:
I) A.Lange & Sohne: Lange Zeitwerk
II) Piaget: Limelight
III) Van Cleef & Arpels: Romantic English Garden
The Winner: A.Lange & Sohne, Lange Zeitwerk
II) Jewellery Categories (5):
1) Category: Best High-End Jewellery
Finalists:
I) Van Cleef & Arpels: West Coast Tsavorite Long Necklace
II) Cartier: Secrets & Marvels High Jewellery Collection
III) Chopard: Pearl & Diamond Necklace
The Winner: Van Cleef & Arpels, West Coast Tsavorite Long Necklace
2) Category: Best Diamond-Studded Necklace
Finalists:
I) Chanel: Fil de Camelia Necklace
II) Cartier: Secrets & Marvels Necklace
III) Scintilla Monaco: Swan Lake Necklace
The Winner: Chanel, Fil de Camelia Necklace
3) Category: Most Colourful Jewellery Set
Finalists:
I) Cartier: Secrets & Marvels High Jewellery Collection
II) Van Cleef & Arpels: Oiseaux Necklace
III) Pasquale Bruni: Marilyn Necklace & Ring
The Winner: Cartier, Secrets & Marvels High Jewellery Collection
4) Category: Best Fashionable Jewellery
Finalists:
I) Piaget: Limelight
II) Cartier: Panthere de Cartier Bracelet
III) Palmiero Carlo: Galaxy Ring
The Winner: Piaget, Limelight
5) Category: Best Islamic Design Jewellery Piece
Finalists:
I) Chopard: Sapphire & Diamond Earrings
II) Scintilla Monaco: Pendant
III) Bogh-Art: Emerald, Opal and Mother-of-Pearl
The Winner: Chopard, Sapphire & Diamond Earrings
III) Pens Categories (5)
1) Category: Best Arts & Craftsmanship
Finalists:
I) Montegrappa: Citta D’Arte Venezia Pen
II) Montblanc : La Diva Le 3 Units, Ingrid Bergman
III) Chopard: Jose Carreras Limited Edition Men’s Pens
The Winner: Montegrappa, Citta D’Arte Venezia Pen
2) Category: Best Theme Pen
Finalists:
I) Chopard: Limited Edition Pompei Fountain Pen
II) Cartier: Prestige Fountain Pen, Tiger Decor
III) Montblanc: Black Mystery Starwalker
The Winner: Chopard, Limited Edition Pompei Fountain Pen
3) Category: Best Modern & Contemporary Pen
Finalists:
I) Montblanc: Hundertwasser Limited Edition
II) Cartier: Roadster de Cartier Fountain Pen
III) Noble House, Tibaldi for Riva Limited Edition
The Winner: Montblanc, Hundertwasser Limited Edition
4) Category: Best Diamond Pen Collection
Finalists:
I) Cartier: Panthere de Cartier Prestige Fountain Pen
II) Montblanc: 925 Sterling Silver Cartridge Fountain Pen
III) Gio Monaco: Gio Monaco, Pen
The Winner: Cartier, Panthere de Cartier Prestige Fountain Pen
5) Category: Best Historical (Icon) Pen Collection
Finalists:
I) Montblanc: Mahatma Gandhi Pen
II) Montegrappa: Invito Il Barbieri Di Siviglia Pen
III) Noble House, Omas: Moon 1969 Limited Edition
The Winner: Montblanc, Mahatma Gandhi Pen
The formal sit-down gala dinner attracted over 300 distinguished guests that included members of Royalty, dignitaries, celebrities, members of the diplomatic community stationed in the Kingdom of Bahrain, professionals from the world of outstanding watches, fascinating jewellery, fine writing pens and related accessories and journalists from the general and trade press.
The luminaries attending included HE Sheikh Mohamed Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Member of the Bahraini Royalty and Chairman of Arabian Exhibition Management (AEM), the organizers of the Jewellery Arabia exhibition series, Sheikh Mishaal Al Sudeiry, prominent watch & jewellery connoisseur from Saudi Arabia and member of the Awards Judging Executive Committee.
The Minister was represented at the event by Mr. Hasan Jafar Mohammed, a senior official at the Ministry. The diplomatic corps present included HE Dr. Hubert Lang, German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain; HE Enrico Padula, Italian Ambassador; HE Aziz Gerges, Lebanese Ambassador; HE Hussein Hazaa Al Majali, Jordanian Ambassador and HE Mohammed Ait Oualli, Moroccan Ambassador.
Also present in the distinguished gathering were Peter Schoppmann, Regional Director & Dr. Klaus Mehrlich, Marketing Manager, Rolls Royce Middle East Regional Office based in Munich, Germany, top officials from Bang & Olufsen and Zayed Al Zayani, Managing Director, EuroMotors, the distributors for the automaker in the Kingdom of Bahrain, all co-sponsors of the Premier Awards ceremony.
Meanwhile, sources close to the organizers say that the 19th edition of Jewellery Arabia 2010 will be held at its usual venue before Eid Al Adha, expected around mid November 2010. The exact dates will be announced later.
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