WITH THE BEST OF 2011
Starhill Gallery’s Watch of the Year Awards crowns seven winners including
the Tourism Malaysia Most Revered Watch Award
Dubbed the Oscars of the world of horology, the ceremony saw seven winners being crowned the best of 2011. Franck Muller’s Double Mystery Quatre Saisons was the first winner to be named under Most Favourite Ladies’ Watch category followed by Romain Jerome’s Steampunk Metal, RJ.T.AU.SP.001.01 under the Most Favourite Men’s category. Following suit was Hublot’s King Power 48mm Oceanographic 4000 who claimed glory when they took home the award for Active Lifestyle Watch, Hautlence’s HL2.2 for The Innovative Design Watch Award and Rebellion’s T1000 for the YTL Spirit of Classical Art Award. The penultimate award was given to Bedat & Co’s Ref288.450.910 under the Watch with Complications in Movement category.
A riveting performance by local songbird Sheila Majid set the stage for the final award, the Tourism Malaysia Most Revered Watch Award which was won by Extraordinary Dial Lady Arpels African Landscape Series solidifying watchmaker Van Cleef & Arpels’ position as the best among the best of all nominees of this year’s awards.
Endorsed by The Ministry of Tourism and hosted by Starhill Gallery, the closing night of A Journey Through Time V’s was officiated by Datuk Dr. Victor Wee Eng Lye, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia and Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Francis Yeoh, Managing Director of YTL Corporation Berhad who were joined by staples from the Forbes Asia Billionaire list and watch aficionados.
‘A Journey through Time’ held in its fifth consecutive year is marked by 10 days of the most exquisite showcase featuring rare collections and first-in-market editions by global watch and jewellery brands that include Bedat & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Carrera Y Carrera and Boucheron. As part of its tradition, the final day saw nominated watchmakers vie for the top spot at the Starhill Gallery’s Watch of the Year Awards.
To award the best creations of 2011, the judges had earlier spent time meticulously short-listing the final 18 nominees out of hundreds for the final round of judging. Amongst the nominated brands chosen were Bedat & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, Franck Muller, Omega, Hublot, and Maurice Lacroix. This year’s panel of judges were headlined by Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, Joseph Yeoh – Vice-President of YTL Land & Development and YTL Hotels, Dr. Bernard Cheong from Singapore, Su Jia Xian – a watch collector and journalist from Singapore, Thierry Gasquez – President of Passion Horlogère from France, and Nina Zhang – Planning Director and Editor from China.
Speaking about the coveted awards, Tan Sri Francis said, “The awards were hard fought and most definitely well deserved. The judges had an incredibly tough time deciding who should win especially given the exceptional pieces that were nominated in all the categories this year.”
‘A Journey Through Time V’ was made more special this year as it coincided with the re-launch of Starhill Gallery that now carries a new iconic façade, a first-of-its kind for retail design. Brought to life by a team of architects and designers from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, USA, France, Italy, England, Germany, and spearheaded by renowned British architect, Stephen Pimbley, the Christian Lacroix-inspired design symbolises Starhill Gallery’s worldwide appeal and its growing contribution to Kuala Lumpur’s strength as a luxury shopping destination.
Lending more grandeur to the 10-day affair are Starhill Gallery watch retailers who have expanded their boutiques space, boosting further the 30,000 sq. ft. of dedicated space that already features over 100 fine luxury watch brands. Today, Jaeger Le Coultre’s largest boutique in the world sits at the entrance of Starhill Gallery while Audemars Piguet and Ulysse-Nardin have also expanded their presence to feature an even larger array of timepieces.
Attesting further to Starhill Gallery’s standing as the largest watch retailer hub in Asia, are newly launched boutiques such as Sincere Watch, the largest store in South East Asia, the first Rolex street-front boutique, and the debut of Hermes’ watch & accessories standalone boutique. Soon, Breguet will open its first boutique in Malaysia at JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, complementing Starhill Gallery’s exquisite offerings.
“The fact that new luxury brands have made considerable investments in Starhill Gallery is truly a testament to how great A Journey Through Time has grown over the years,” added Tan Sri Francis.
“None of this would be possible, of course, if we didn’t have the Ministry of Tourism, our long-term partner to drive forward our ambitions of growing KL as a luxury shopping destination,” added Tan Sri Francis.”This includes the Government’s support in removing duty on luxury goods, a significant move that has been a catalyst in increasing Malaysia’s appeal amongst the growing affluent population of Asia.”
Datuk Victor from the Ministry of Tourism said, “A Journey Through Time over the years has cemented itself as one of the most prestigious events that has earned its ranks on the global horology and tourism calendar. Last year alone, ‘A Journey Through Time’ brought in over 1 million visitors from more than 30 countries, with Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia and China ranking amongst the top five.
“Undeniably, our initiatives and efforts have paid off. From what I am told, ‘A Journey Through Time’ in the last 4 years has raked in more than RM 10 million.”
About Starhill Gallery
Starhill Gallery is the city’s ultimate statement of taste and style in food, fashion, living, beauty & art. With 280,000 sq. ft., Starhill Gallery is an exciting shopping destination in Malaysia providing a standard of privacy and exclusivity rarely seen in large shopping complexes.
Starhill Gallery has seven themed floors that encapsulate a variety of experiences for each floor. Feast, Indulge, Adorn, Explore, Pamper, Relish and Muse.
Feast till your heart is content in our Feast Village, a dramatic, stylish dining haven with a village charm. Here, you will find 12 uniquely designed restaurants serving a mix of worldclass cuisine and providing a display of culinary skill embodied in an iconic atmosphere of new chic and contemporary lifestyle.
Indulge yourself in some of the world’s most elegant fashion and exclusive luxury brands. From Louis Vuitton to Christian Dior, Boucheron to Van Cleef & Arpels, Fendi to Valentino, all are continually creating more visually exciting store designs and providing a wider range of beautiful merchandise to satisfy you. We truly are the Arbiter’s of Taste & Style.
Adorn has more than 30,000 sq. ft. of retail space featuring over 100 fine luxury watch brands, including a quality of standalone boutiques – rarely seen. That makes us the “Global Fine Watch Retailer”. Adorn also houses some of the world’s best fashion brands.
Explore the myriad of exquisite, energetic, exciting up-and-coming fashion, accessories and furnishings brands. Discover the creations of some of Malaysia’s talented and innovative designers.
Pamper yourself in our oasis of wellness and beauty at the “World largest Urban Retreat”. There is a wealth of services to spoil you from head to toe and renowned beauty brands catering to your every desire. Pamper is devoted entirely to beauty and health designed to soothe the senses and refresh the soul.
Relish has two specialty restaurants exclusive to Starhill Gallery. The Gonbei San specializes in mouth watering Japanese grilled dishes. Jogoya Buffet from Taiwan serves fresh, sumptuous Japanese and Chinese cuisine in a classy, elegant setting. Jogoya in KL is their first global restaurant outside of Taiwan.
Muse the nucleus of inspiration at the YTL International College of Hotel Management (YTL-ICHM). With Hospitality being one of the fastest growing business sectors globally, YTL-ICHM plays a pivotal role in guiding the industry ‘s demands for skilled and qualified professionals by providing a real “live education” in the art of hospitality for tomorrow’s industry leaders.
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