The Cartier Watch Makers of Tomorrow Award was established in 1995. Applications are now open for the 28th edition of the award, which will be held in 2025. The application period ends on Friday, October 31st (Central European Time). This year's theme is "Shifting the Balance Reading and Perceiving Time Differently," and new ideas are being called for from future watchmakers. Eligibility is limited to those who have undergone designated training or courses in Switzerland, France, Belgium, or Germany. Although Japan is not currently eligible, this award is one example of Cartier's commitment to developing talent.
Cartier Watchmakers of Tomorrow Award for watchmakers
Cartier established the Cartier Watchmaking Institute (IHC) in Switzerland in 1993. The brand has its own institute with the aim of nurturing talent and passing on savoir-faire. This research center, open to apprentices and artisans from the Cartier Manufacture, has served as a base for identifying and supporting young talent in watchmaking since its founding. Courses include watchmaking, polishing, microengineering, and mechanics, and nearly 200 trainees have undergone training there to date. Each year, approximately 100 staff members deepen their expertise through specialized courses and hands-on training. The existence of this institute is a result of Cartier's pioneering efforts, since its founding in 1847, to promote the transmission and preservation of specialized skills, safeguarding traditions while fostering the development of new skills.
To further this initiative, in 1995 the research center created the "Cartier Watch Makers of Tomorrow" award.
The award aims to foster the next generation of watchmaking talent, and is open to young watchmakers (although there is no age limit for applicants), and each year it calls for new movement ideas based on a specific theme.
This year's production is based on the movement of a desk clock.
The theme of this year's Cartier Watch Makers of Tomorrow Awards is "Shifting the Balance Reading and Perceiving Time Differently," a theme that calls for free-thinking and creativity that is not bound by traditional time display.
Applicants will create a piece based on the movement of a pendulet (desk clock), an iconic timepiece for Cartier for over a century.
This year's theme reflects the latest trends in Cartier watchmaking. At the Watches & Wonders Geneva event held in Geneva, Switzerland in April, the brand released the Tank à Guichet from its Cartier Privé collection. Inspired by the original model released in 1928, this model has no hands and instead features a jumping hour and dragging minute mechanism that displays the hours and minutes through two small windows on the plate.
This unique design is supported by Cartier's outstanding watchmaking skills, truly demonstrating the essence of Cartier's tradition. In addition to the Tank à Guichet released this year, Cartier has created watches that combine bold design with innovative technology.
Schedule after application
Those who wish to apply for the Cartier Watch Makers of Tomorrow Prize can do so through the dedicated website (https://apply.prixcartiertalentshorlogersdedemain.cartier.com/submit), which includes a presentation video, project description, and sketches.
The program is open to apprentice watchmakers in their third and fourth year of primary vocational training in Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Germany, as well as those in their first and second years of higher vocational training in watchmaking. As mentioned above, there is no age limit. Applicants must be able to speak and write in French, English, or German.
After reviewing the applications, a jury of five watchmaking experts will select six watchmakers and six apprentice watchmakers in early December. The 12 selected candidates will spend up to 80 hours over three months developing their projects. During this period, they will receive personal guidance from an external Cartier expert of their choice. At the end of this period, candidates will submit a final prototype and a development logbook (including sketches and photographs). The 12 finalists will present their projects to the jury at the Maison des Métiers d'Art in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 2014. The award ceremony will be held the following spring.
The judging panel will consist of the following members:
Roy Davidoff: Co-founder of Roy & Sacha Davidoff SA, vintage watch expert
Pascal Lepou: Director of the Cartier Collection
Natalie Marinoni, Assistant Curator, International Watch Museum
Pascal Labessou, Vice President of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, watch collector and expert
- Kari Voutilainen; Independent watchmaker
For details, please check the official website.
Official Website
http://prixcartiertalentshorlogersdedemain.com/
FAQ
https://www.prixcartiertalentshorlogersdedemain.com/en-US/faq
"A place of free expression that can shape tomorrow's watchmaking"
Commenting on the award, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Karim Drishi said: "For 30 years, the award has embodied the Maison's commitment to discovering and nurturing young talent, and providing those passionate about watchmaking with the opportunity to express their unique ideas while continuing the tradition of excellence in this specialty. For the 28th edition in 2025, under the theme 'Shifting the Balance,' we look forward to innovative interpretations that open up new possibilities for time. Rooted in the Maison's pioneering spirit, the award will be a platform for free expression, where technology, innovation and bold creativity come together to shape the watchmaking of tomorrow."
