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The Londoner Macao Attracts Fine Timepiece Aficionados to Esteemed Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

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Published
10/06/2023 by

Sands Lifestyle successfully presented the inaugural TIMELESS at The Londoner® Macao on Sept. 25-26. The highlight was the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) exhibition, a showcase of the 84 nominated timepieces of the 2023 GPHG competition. Often referred to as the watch industry's "Oscars", the competition is designed to recognise watchmaking excellence worldwide. Along with an insightful panel discussion and expert-led masterclasses, the two-day event attracted watch connoisseurs and collectors from across Asia.

The Londoner Macao was the first location in the world to exhibit the 2023 GPHG nominations, providing visitors with an exclusive and rare opportunity to view the world's finest timepieces in one location.  The exhibited masterpieces had a collective value of approximately MOP 36 million. The exhibit was held in The Londoner's Crystal Palace, an impressive, palatial, light-filled atrium, constructed in glass, iron and marble and was the perfect setting for aficionados, collectors and the curious to get up close to GPHG's best of the best for 2023.

The nominated GPHG watches compete in 14 categories, including mechanical exception, artistic crafts, complication, and sports watches. Each category highlights specific aspects of watchmaking excellence, including design, technical innovation, craftsmanship and overall performance. The winners of each category will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held in Geneva this November.

The officiating ceremony was held on Sept. 25, and was well-attended by media, VIP guests, industry players, celebrities and socialites. Officiating guests included Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office; Dr. Wilfred Wong, President, Sands China Ltd.; Michel Lamunière, Chairman & CEO of Tatler Asia; Carine Maillard, Director of GPHG; Austen Chu, Founder of Horoloupe and Taiwanese actor and Golden Horse award winner Yo Yang.

Dr. Wilfred Wong said, "As an exceptional property, we knew that The Londoner Macao would be the perfect location to host such an esteemed world-class event. An event that also aligned perfectly with the aim of Sands Lifestyle, which is to provide enhanced experiences beyond guests' expectations. As expected given the calibre of timepieces that were on display during the two days, combined with a thought-provoking panel discussion and expert-led masterclasses, it was well received by an international audience of fine watch collectors."

After the officiating ceremony, a glittering and exclusive party inspired by The Great Gatsby, Timeless Cocktail, was held at The Club of Londoner Court. The cocktail event featured living statues that came to life to offer guests champagne, live musical performances, and bespoke cocktails by Jay Khan, from the number one bar on Asia's 50 Best list, Coa.

Other memorable moments from the art-of-time celebration included an informative panel discussion for invited guests. Held on Sept. 25, it explored the significant impact that GPHG has had on the watchmaking industry.

On Sept. 26, the stunning GPHG exhibition was opened to the public who were able to visually experience the craft and artistry of fine watchmaking.

Also taking place on the second day was a series of priceless masterclasses that provided a unique opportunity to learn from timepiece experts. The "Watch Collecting" masterclass, which focused on the evolution and trends in collecting globally, was led by Wing Ngai Fong, the founder of Macau Timepiece Museum and a prominent collector, and Austen Chu, a GPHG academy member and Horoloupe founder.

In the highly immersive "Art of Watchmaking" masterclass, watch-making experts John Ng and Francisco Garcia showed participants the level of skill required to assemble a mechanical movement. Completing the informative sessions was the TIMELESS X Piaget X Simon Shia class. Shia, a timepiece aficionado, explained the significance of well-known Piaget collections.

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