HSH Prince Albert sent his condolences to the Spanish people and King Felipe VI, a few hours after the second terror attack in Spain.
“I learned with dismay and repulsion the murderous terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils,” Prince Albert said. He spoke of “a cruel ordeal” for all concerned.
“The Monegasque people, my family and I present to the families and relatives of the victims, our deepest and sincere condolences as well as our solidarity with the many wounded,” said the Sovereign before, affirming his support and his compassion to the Spanish people.
The Principality has ranked honourably at the Shorinji Kempo World Championships, which was held in San Mateo, California, and was among one of 22 nations represented by a team.
World meetings of Shorinji Kempo, a modern day Kung Fu, are traditionally dominated by Asian representatives, and this earlier this month was no exception: out of 24 categories, 18 were won by the Japanese and six by the Indonesians.
Unfortunately, Stéphane Gastaldy and Junichi Muraki, the defending vice-champions of France, lost their competition due to postoperative complications. In spite of this, the tandem scored 8.2/10, reaching 7th out of 14 behind three Japanese teams and the first Indonesians.
Monaco Team at the Shorinji Kempo World Taikai in San Mateo. Thierry-Corinne Patucca, Stéphane Gastaldy, Jerome Giusti and Muraki Junichi. Photo: Facebook Stéphane Gastaldy
A man who knows the difference between the codified fights for competition and genuine self-defence is Frank Baldet. The Monegasque technical director remains committed to the primary goal of Shorinji Kempo: never lose a fight. In front of a jury of Japanese Masters gathered for the occasion, Frank Baldet obtained the rare level of 7th Dan (a post-black belt ranking).
It’s now official: the highest-ranking officer in Europe teaches Shorinji Kempo in Monaco.
Vito Abba, HRH Princess of Hanover, Adriano Ribolzi and Nicoletta Ribolzi and Dr Beatrice Brych. Photo: JC Vinaj
Explosion of Joy (“Fous Rires”) by the winning artist of GemlucArt 2016, will be on show at the Adriano Ribolzi Gallery from September 15 to September 30.
Corinne Chauvet, who wonders about the ambient moroseness of her country of France, will present a series of sculptures that are communicative and refreshing. Why in France, which she loves so much, do people not smile but complain? While we have everything to be happy about, she says, in some less affluent countries, people smile, are even cheerful.
In response to these questions, Ms Chauvet explores conversations and social exchanges and her sculptures offer the mirror of the best of ourselves.
She has received numerous sculpture awards in France and has exhibited in Brussels and Japan as part of an artists’ residency.
Paulo Costa, a Bossa Nova master commented on Ms Chauvet’s work, saying; “When our mother earth is touched by the hands of a fairy, it is our soul that is directly touched.”
The artist will give a lecture on September 14 at 5 pm, at the Gallery, which is located at 3 avenue de l’Hermitage.
The Grand Prix d’Art Contemporain Gemlucart is an international competition under the Honorary Presidency of HRH Princess of Hanover and awarded by the Gemluc, the Group of Monaco Enterprises in the Fight against Cancer.
Submissions for the 2017 edition of GemlucArt, which takes place October 14-22, are now open. First prize wins a two-week showing at Adriano Ribolzi Gallery. See gemlucartmonaco.com.
A major fire at Aubagne, in the Bouches-des-Rhône, on Saturday night stranded thousands of SNCF rail passengers in the southeast. Almost a thousand people were still stuck in Nice train station on Sunday morning because of the fire, which damaged overhead cables.
The Nice-Paris night train, which left early in the evening, remained stationary for several hours at Cannes train station. A total of 300 rail workers were involved in coping with the knock-on effects of the fire, including delivering meals to stranded passengers.
The national police, the Suge (railway police) and Civil Protection 06 ensured the care of the travellers. Those who stayed on board the trains were given water and a meal.
“We were approached by the prefecture around 00:30 am to help people blocked in Nice train station following the Aubagne fire,” said Jérémy Crunchant, operational officer for Civil Protection 06. “It was especially troublesome for passengers, because we do not know how long they will have to wait.”
Several travellers were resigned to their fate, saying they would rather spend time safely in a railway station or on a train than to be caught in the blaze. Rail traffic in the region returned to normal by Sunday afternoon, 15 hours after the fire was first notified.
Meanwhile, rail operator SNCF told travellers that they will all be reimbursed under the Punctuality Guarantee. Reimbursement can be made online at g30.sncf.com or at a ticket office in the station.
Meteo-France had warned of fire in the region, due to warm temperatures and extremely dry conditions, for Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20.
After a total of 48 meetings between the French government and trade unions, the likely form of new labour legislation will be announced on Tuesday, August 23.
However, the CGT and SUD have already called for a day of mobilisation on September 12, guessing that the changes the government is planning to make will not be to their liking.
Government teams have been working since the beginning of August to draft regulations reforming labour law. This is a first draft of their work, which should cover 200 pages, which will now be presented to trade unions and employers. A consolidated text will be officially presented August 31.
Among the major reforms expected are several procedural measures, such as harmonisation of time limits for the use of industrial tribunals, while other changes are more fundamental, and deal with issues such as problems faced by multinationals dismissing workers in France.
Employers generally support major reform of France’s complex labour laws, with 87 percent of bosses feeling positive about Macron’s reform package.
Following a final consultation process, ordinances will be adopted in the Council of Ministers during the week of September 18 and published in the Official Journal a week later. They will enter into force immediately.
Without waiting for arbitration, opposition to the reform has already been organised.
An interview with industry insider Antonio Cecere, Principal of Cecere Monaco and Founder of Monaco Diamond Exchange, about his time at the world’s leading watch and jewellery trade show, Baselworld 2017
Antonio Cecere, Monaco Diamond Exchange Founder & VP
ML: How was Baselworld this year and what are the highlights? AC: Return to heritage was a key phrase amongst watchmakers. Rolex revisited their Sky-Dweller in white Rolesor – a combination of steel and white gold, with a bright blue sunray dial. Patek Philippe developed a new version of their annual calendar (Ref 5960), but Aquanaut stole the scene celebrating the 20th anniversary with a new 42mm “Jumbo” size (Ref 5168G). Ferrari is also celebrating a birthday, their 70th, and commissioned Hublot to create a timepiece to commemorate it. The result: the Hublot Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph in three versions – King Gold, PEEK Carbon, and Titanium – each of which is produced in 70 limited editions.
ML: Would you say your time at Baselworld was insightful? AC: I was invited to attend the launch of the new Autavia, the iconic chronograph created by Jack Heuer in 1962, which was worn by legendary drivers including F1 champion Mario Andretti and Steve McQueen. Actor Patrick Dempsey, Brand Ambassador of Tag Heuer, who directed a short film to illustrate the features of the watch, presented the contemporary version in Basel. The choice of revisiting a vintage model and turning it into a modern version was the result of an interactive campaign with TAG Heuer fans who voted for the Autavia 2446 Mark 3 as their favourite among historic models during the Autavia Cup in spring 2016.
During my visit I had the honour to meet and briefly talk to two incredible individuals who have shaped the watch industry. Jack Heuer, Honorary Chairman of Tag Heuer, talked about the history of Autavia and its roots. He also shared an anecdote that took him back to a rally adventure when he misread the dial causing him to want to develop the original version of Autavia.
Jack Heuer, Patrick Dempsey, and Jean Claude Biver
I then briefly met Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Tag Heuer and President of LVMH Watch Division. His impact on the watch industry and the shift from quartz movements to mechanical movement has been significant. He revived Blancpain after purchasing it in 1981 together with Jagues Piguet for CHF 22,000 and sold in 1992 for CHF 60 million to the Swatch Group. Similarly, he rejuvenated brands like Hublot and Omega.
Antonio Cecere with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht
ML: Who do you think was the biggest innovator? AC: Without a doubt, for me, Fabergé is doing something special. I met with Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, the man behind their watches; he is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring creators of movement alive today. His ability to unconventionally show the time on a watch defines his work with creations, such as Van Cleef’s Pont Des Amoureux and MB&F Horological Machine No. 2, and his vision granted him to win the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie of Geneva in 2007 – the Swiss watchmaking industry’s highest honour.
Mr Wiederrecht’s collaboration with Fabergé brought great depth to this historical Russian house; testimony to this is the Lady Compliquée haute horlogerie ladies’ collection, which won the prestigious 2015 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in the “High-Mechanical” category. The highly original display of the collection features a fan at the heart of the watch. My favourite is the Lady Compliquée Peacock that features emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds, Paraiba tourmaline and tsavorite. It shows the time by using the feathers of the peacock for the minutes and a rotating disc for the hours.
Their new launch for men is the Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph (centre), which took ten years in the development of the movement by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht’s Agenhor studio – the hours and minutes are read at the periphery of the watch dial while the chronograph function takes centre stage. My favourite in this collection is the black ceramic version.
Another watch that I am particularly interested in would be the self-winding Fabergé Visionnaire DTZ (right). The model displays a never-seen-before aperture at the centre of the dial with the date complication optically amplified where the light is brought into the centre of the case through reflective surfaces.
ML: Was there any one piece that took your breath away? AC: Fancy colour diamonds are wonders of nature and two polished diamonds, for me, significantly stood out. I viewed a Fancy Intense Pink Diamond oval in shape with Very Very Slight Inclusions over 30 carats in weight. This was really special and I was asked by one of my clients to source it and evaluate it. We are competing with a leading global jewellery brand that also made a bid, but I have reasons to believe that we will win this one. For reasons of privacy, I can’t provide further information about this diamond nor publish the photo.
The other diamond that stayed in my mind during the duration of the show is from one of our favourite suppliers – the “bubble gum” pink diamond over 5 carats in weight and flawless in clarity. Along with my staff, I was mesmerised by the colour and viewing this item through the loupe was a magical journey and I hope it will be one of my clients to own it and cherish such an incredible creation of nature. I could not stop talking about this one.
ML: Did you find a favourite jeweller exhibiting at the show? AC: Graff is always a favourite for me to visit during Baselworld, particularly because of our common passion for diamonds. I enjoy their interpretation of what a classic jewellery design should be and their ability to keep traditional and yet contemporary.
ML: Can you share any other stand out moments from Baselworld? AC: I met with Thomas Heindl of Heindl, market leader for over 40 years in luxury bespoke safes. Two safes for me were outstanding; one was produced for HSH Prince Albert II and designed to accommodate whisky bottles – it was originally presented during the Monte Carlo Whisky Festival 2016.
The Gatsby, a safe with a gold plated exterior and high-gloss lacquer, was so elegant that it could be the centrepiece of any house.
Thomas Hindl and Antonio Cecere
Article first published April 4, 2017.
[/ihc-hide-content]
All the headlines and highlights from Monaco, direct to you every morning
HSH Prince Albert sent his condolences to the Spanish people and King Felipe VI, a few hours after the second terror attack in Spain.
A major fire at Aubagne, in the Bouches-des-Rhône, on Saturday night stranded thousands of SNCF rail passengers in the southeast. Almost a thousand people were still stuck in Nice train station on Sunday morning because of the fire, which damaged overhead cables.
Their new launch for men is the Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph (centre), which took ten years in the development of the movement by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht’s Agenhor studio – the hours and minutes are read at the periphery of the watch dial while the chronograph function takes centre stage. My favourite in this collection is the black ceramic version.
The other diamond that stayed in my mind during the duration of the show is from one of our favourite suppliers – the “bubble gum” pink diamond over 5 carats in weight and flawless in clarity. Along with my staff, I was mesmerised by the colour and viewing this item through the loupe was a magical journey and I hope it will be one of my clients to own it and cherish such an incredible creation of nature. I could not stop talking about this one.