Girard-Perregaux - Hiromi Uehara wins the François Perregaux award
François Perregaux (1834~1877), member of the Girard-Perregaux family, was the first Swiss watchmaker to ever set foot on Japanese soil. His aim was to always preserve tradition while pursuing new challenges. In celebration of his pioneering spirit, Girard-Perregaux established the François Perregaux Award.
The winner has the privilege to receive an exclusive timepiece. Last year, Eiji Kawashima won the first award for his honorable effort as a Japanese goalkeeper in Europe.
"We are happy to reward Hiromi Uehara, virtuoso pianist whose talent manages to touch both people today and future generations while preserving tradition with creativity, energy and innovation," said Antonio Calce, Girard-Perregaux's CEO, during the ceremony.
Hiromi Uehara's ability of delivering incredible poetic performances with the use of her bare hands can be compared to the art of high watchmaking. Uehara's enduring passion for music and the challenges she had to face reminds us of François Perregaux's efforts to promote Swiss watches in Japan. In celebration of her enduring spirit, Girard-Perregaux awarded Hiromi Uehara the 2015 François Perregaux prize because her talent is guided by the same passion.
Two special Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye models, inspired by the world of jazz music, were unveiled to celebrate Hiromi Uehara's talent and are available as a limited edition of seven in pink gold and 24 in stainless steel. The pink gold model has a dial adorned with selected poetical musical notes from "Place to be", a song presented in 2009 by the artist. This song was recognized with an award at the 43rd Jazz Disc Award hosted by "Swing Journal", and earned the prize for Jazz Album of the Year at Billboard Japan Music Award in 2009.
For the stainless steel model, the small second indicator at 9 o'clock was surrounded by a motif of piano keys, which is a reference to Hiromi Uehara's unique talent. The unpredictable design is aimed to express her style of playing, which is well known for dynamic and cheerful sounds.