Raul Pages was declared the victor of the first Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives by Louis Vuitton last night at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, confirming his place at the forefront of independent watchmaking.
From Neuchatel, Switzerland, and well-known throughout the world for his fascinating "Tortue" automaton, Pagès became an independent watchmaker in 2012 after working as a restorer of fine watchmaking pieces. The award highlights creativity, foresight, and Pages's extraordinary skill as a horologist in his field.
Devoted to the "George Daniels Method," as described in the bible of watchmaking, Pages painstakingly crafts four timepieces by hand every year. His RP1 - Regulateur à détente, the winning masterpiece, is a steel, manually wound wristwatch with a unique design and a calibre that has a pivoted detent escapement.
"Being honored by the jury of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives is the best possible recognition of my work as an independent watchmaker," Pages said in a statement expressing his appreciation for the honor.
The award, which was created by Jean Arnault, the house's director of watches, is a testament to his dedication to superior watchmaking and craftsmanship. In addition to honoring artistic excellence, Arnault sees the prize serving as a source of motivation for upcoming watchmaking generations.
Selected by an international committee of watch experts for evaluation, the inaugural Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives attracted close to 1,000 submissions from independent watch designers, artisans, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Among the criteria were complexity, details and finishings, technical innovation, creativity and audacity, and design and aesthetics.
Leading the jury was Michael Tay, group managing director of The Hour Glass in Singapore and president of the jury. Notable names on the jury included independent watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of SJX Watches, collector Auro Montanari (also known as John Goldberger), collector Carole Forestier-Kasapi movement director at TAG Heuer, and Jiaxian Su.
A beautiful silver trophy in the shape of a balance wheel was created to honor Pagès' victory. His name was engraved on the trophy, which was displayed in a Louis Vuitton trophy trunk decorated with Monogram canvas, which was made in the atelier's famed Asnières location. "Victory travels in Louis Vuitton" is symbolized by a hand-painted "V" on the trunk.
During the ceremony, Pagès was also given a live-engraved replica of the trophy, which is housed at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. In addition to the trophy, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton grants him access to a mentorship program.
In 2014, Louis Vuitton acquired La Fabrique du Temps, gaining access to the expertise of master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, as well as a state-of-the-art 4,000 square meter facility in Meyrin, Switzerland.
Pages will have access to specialised advice from a committed group of professionals, including watchmakers, engineers, and craftsmen, through the mentorship programme. This will create a special chance to combine creativity with business success.
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