Louis Vuitton is pleased to announce Raúl Pagès as the winner of the first edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. The award was presented on February 6th, 2024, during a ceremony and cocktail reception attended by many of the world's leading watchmaking experts and enthusiasts. Held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, the event also featured a live performance by the French musical artist Sofiane Pamart.
About Raúl Pagès
Based in a small village in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Raúl Pagès learned his trade as a restorer of watchmaking masterpieces before becoming an independent watchmaker in 2012. Today, he creates about four timepieces a year, crafting them entirely by hand, from design and development of the mechanism to manufacturing, assembly and finishes. His winning design, the RP1 — Régulateur à détente is a manual-winding wristwatch in stainless steel with a unique construction, featuring a caliber fitted with pivoted detent escapement. "Being honored by the jury of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Watchmakers is the best possible recognition of my work as an independent watchmaker." he said.
About the prize
Launched by Jean Arnault, Director of Watches of the House, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives represents watchmaking and savoir-faire of excellence. The biennial initiative is supported by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, and was conceived to celebrate creative talent, savoir-faire, and innovation to strive as the future generations of watchmakers.
The Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives is open to independent watch designers, artisans and entrepreneurs from all around the world. For its first edition, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives drew nearly 1,000 submissions. The creations are evaluated by an international committee of watch experts, including retailers, collectors, specialized journalists, artists, artisans, designers and other watch enthusiasts. Their evaluations were based on five essential criteria: Design & Aesthetics, Creativity & Audacity, Technical Innovation, Details & Finishings, and Complexity.
The final round of judging was fulfilled by five members of the Committee of experts elected by their peers. Led by Jury President Michael Tay, group managing director of The Hour Glass, the panel included Carole Forestier-Kasapi, movements director at TAG Heuer; pre-eminent collector and author Auro Montanari; Rexhep Rexhepi, independent Watchmaker and founder of Atelier Akrivia; and Su Jiaxian, an independent watch specialized journalist and founder of SJX Watches, one of the world's most respected and influential watch opinionators.
More than a reward
For this first edition, Raúl Pagès was awarded a graceful, spiral-shaped silver trophy inspired by the hairspring found on a balance wheel, the essential component for precision in a timepiece. The trophy is a metaphor for the ascension of independent watchmaking. It was engraved with the winning watchmaker's name by a master engraver from La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
The trophy was presented in its Louis Vuitton trophy trunk in Monogram canvas specially handcrafted in the Maison’s historic atelier in Asnières. Perpetuating the tradition of Victory travelling in Louis Vuitton, a "V" was hand painted in black and white, a signature standing for "Victory travels in Louis Vuitton."
As the original trophy will be on display at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, Raúl Pagès also received a replica silver trophy which was engraved live during the ceremony.
Moreover, Raúl Pagès will receive a grant as well as one-year mentorship by a dedicated team of experts (watchmakers, engineers, craftsmen) at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton tailored to the needs of their project.
This mentorship represents a unique and valuable opportunity for independent watchmakers to be mentored by experts and thus combine creativity and commercial success.
About La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton
Maison Louis Vuitton began making watches in 2002 with the Tambour and has since pursued a constant quest for excellence in an area that resonates powerfully with the House’s passion for travel. In October 2014, the Maison inaugurated its watch manufacture, a state-of-the-art facility on the cusp of creativity and technology for innovative timepieces, in Meyrin, Switzerland. La Fabrique du Temps – literally “the time factory” – is home to all the different specialized skills required to make Louis Vuitton watches. Creative independence and groundbreaking innovation define the La Fabrique du Temps, 4,000 square meters of luminous open space equipped with both traditional artisanal tools and the latest digital technologies. The master watchmakers, engineers and designers who craft Louis Vuitton watches enjoy an exceptional setting that consolidates their prestigious “Swiss Made” label.
For further information: louisvuittonwatchprize.com
