80 hours and CHF 500 will determine the next winner of Cartier’s Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow

Borna Bošnjak

Last month, Cartier announced that it’ll be accepting entries for the 28th edition of its premier watchmaking competition for young, up-and-coming artisans: the Prize for Watchmaking Talents of Tomorrow. But unlike many other well-known competitions for independents and names yet unknown (thinking of the likes of LVMH’s Independent Creatives Prize or F.P. Journe’s Young Talent Competition), Cartier takes a very different approach, as the scope is much narrower, and so is the potential entry pool. For starters, the programme is primarily targeted at students from Switzerland, France, Germany, and Belgium – specifically those in their third or fourth year of study. Applicants studying outside of these countries may still apply, but their entries will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The other key difference that sets Cartier’s competition apart is that it follows a new theme each year, with tight parameters within which the participants must operate. For the 28th edition in 2025, the theme is “changing the balance: reading and understanding time differently”. Sure, this may wax overly lyrical, but like in years prior, is inspired by a recent Cartier release, in this case that being the Tank à Guichets and its novel time display.

Contestants must also base their creations on Cartier’s 012 alarm clock movement, forcing them to think outside the box and make the most of what they have. What they haven’t been given, however, is much time or money to undertake this challenge. 80 hours spread over the course of three months doesn’t sound like much for a prize-winning creation, and it isn’t, with things becoming even more complicated when factoring in the maximum CHF 500 budget to bring their prototypes to life. And yet, these young artisans persevere and create something great despite having less time and money than one would think necessary to create some of the pieces that ended up winning in the past.

Right now, applications for the contest are still open, but only 12 lucky finalists will get the chance to actually develop their projects. After submitting their sketches and presentation, the jury will select six technicians and apprentices to take on the challenge, with the final presentations due in April next year. Speaking of that panel, it boasts some familiar names. Kari Voutilainen will be there to undoubtedly lend his expertise on craftsmanship and finishing, joined by Nathalie Marielloni, Assistant Curator at the Musée International d’Horlogerie; Pascale Lepeu, Director of the Cartier Collection; Pascal Ravessoud, VP of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie; and Roy Davidoff, a well-known vintage specialist.

The 12 young watchmakers won’t be alone in this endeavour, getting to select a mentor of their choice to help them on their journey, also spurred on by the prospects of what the win could bring. The five aforementioned industry experts will select three winners per category, with all six receiving a Cartier watch as a prize for their efforts, as well as an invitation to Cartier’s Swiss and French headquarters. Furthermore, the absolute winners from each of the two categories will be offered an internship position with Cartier, making this whole process one of the more tedious job interviews I’ve come across. The payoff is certainly worth it, though.

Taking a quick look at the winners of the 2024 edition, which was themed around “the magic of senses”, the clock movements have been rendered almost unrecognisable. The first prize in the Apprentice category went to IATA’s Marta Maziers with the Reine du Temps, a whimsical, hexagonal piece inspired by the apian world. In the Technician category, Hugo Mandrillon, studying in Morteau at the Lycée Edgar Faure, designed the Œil du Temps, a telescope piece integrating a dial at one end of the barrel.

Despite the limited time, the watchmakers came up with unique, olfactory experiences and automata. In fact, the selection was so strong that the jury awarded a special prize to Valentine Gredzynski, another Lycée Edgar Faure student, for her Tree, which was as much a fine art sculpture as it was a clock. Seeing just how intricate and imaginative these are, I think the limited time and strict budget will not be a deterrent to creativity, even acting as a catalyst to fuel their inventiveness.