Qannati Objet d’Art, premier maker of precious wearable art objects, is pleased to announce that its debut collection “Celebration of Time” has received two prestigious awards in separate global competitions.

The awards, given in November 2022 by the French Design Institute and the Middle East Watch & Jewelry awards, come within just months of Qannati’s launch of its inaugural collection of Eternity bracelets and Quantum timepieces. Marking Qannati’s breakthrough into the world of jewelry bracelets and métiers d’art timepieces, Celebration of Time was unveiled on July 5, 2022, at an exclusive presentation in Paris, in the presence of the Maison’s founder, Mahmood Qannati, a Bahraini-born global entrepreneur; jewelry conceptor and designer Frédéric Mané, artistic director of Qannati; Jothi-Sèroj Ebroussard, master jeweler and sculptor; and Corentin Quideau, jewelry industry veteran and chairman of Qannati.

• Qannati Objet d’Art and Frédéric Mané were jointly awarded the JANUS Patrimony & Innovation prize by the French Design Institute, for the collection Celebration of Time;

• Qannati’s “Space Conquest” Eternity bracelet” won Best Theme Jewelry, and Qannati Objet d’Art was recognized as one of the Middle East’s top three “Best Independent Watch Brands” at the 18th annual Middle East Watch & Jewelry Awards 2022.

These two awards are a crowning achievement for Qannati Objet d’Art, an independent brand dually anchored in France and Bahrain. Qannati is thrilled to have been recognized for both its aesthetics and its sustainable approach by industry specialists and peers in two separate and independent competitions. 

“We are thrilled that Qannati Objet d’Art, a young brand, has received two world-class awards that recognize our dedication to craft, our attention to detail, and our commitment to preserving the resources of our planet. The entire Qannati team is proud of this achievement which marks a milestone in the first year of our existence. We are especially pleased that our authentic storytelling expressed by the hands of France’s most exceptional artists, has been rewarded,” says Mahmood Qannati, founder and chief executive of Qannati Objet d’Art.

JANUS PRIZE FOR PATRIMONY & INNOVATION 

A multidisciplinary jury of 14 experts awarded the “JANUS prize for Patrimony & Innovation 2022” jointly to Qannati Objet d’Art and Frédéric Mané, artist director of Qannati, for Celebration of Time, recognized as a “high-end watch collection that promotes sustainable practices.”

The JANUS award, a label of excellence created in 1953 by the French Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade, is awarded by the French Design Institute (L’Institut Français du Design) to companies with an “outstanding and long-term commitment to progress in the service of people, industry and the environment.” 

This year’s JANUS prize for Patrimony & Innovation recognized the outstanding qualities of Qannati’s métiers d’art timepiece collection for its authentic narrative and its cultural footing. The jury found that Qannati seamlessly conjugates “temporal elements through the lens of ancient myths of humanity.” On his point, the French Design Institute said:

“The jury appreciated the artisanal quality of a collection of luxury objects which, in a hyper-competitive market where tradition and continuity are highly valued, brings true innovation, with an original and coherent narrative that inspires thanks to its unique archaeological footing and its quality craftsmanship at the pinnacle of high jewelry and watchmaking.”

Additionally, the jury praised Qannati for its sustainable approach to upcycling materials, and for creating exceptional pieces without encouraging mining activity” and through sustainable practices that “promote alternatives to mining.” Qannati is thrilled that the jury found that the Maison’s approach reinforces the brand’s positive image in a world where reputation and the ability to “make people dream” are essential.

MIDDLE EAST WATCHES AND JEWELRY AWARDS 2022

Before an audience of 200 guests, Qannati Objet d'Art received this year’s distinguished award for “Best Theme Jewelry” at the 18th annual Middle East Watches & Jewelry Awards held at the Music Hall, in Dubai. This year’s Middle East Watches and Jewelry Awards ceremony, sponsored by Arabian Watches and Jewelry, featured 23 jewelry and watch categories. 

The piece that stood out in the eyes of the event’s prestigious jury in the Best Theme Jewelry category was the “Space Conquest Eternity Bracelet” a “futuristic” piece that features a miniature spaceship suspended over a “lunar landscape” under the glass dome of the bracelet. The spaceship is crafted from white gold and stainless steel sourced from the NASA Discovery Space Shuttle that traveled to space in 1992, with touches of fiery orange sapphire. Labradorite, fragments of volcanic-stone meteorites, peridots, and black diamonds make up the precious landscape. The exquisite piece took 786 days to craft.

Additionally, Qannati Objet d’Art was recognized at the same event, as one of the Middle East’s top three watch brands in the “Best Independent Watch Brand” category. That is a resounding endorsement by industry peers, and an absolute achievement for a new brand that has only just emerged on the global landscape of luxury watches and jewelry.